Build Your Own Backyard Swimming Hole

(Page 4 of 11)

June/July 1998
By Tim Matson 
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Pond costs will vary affording to size, materials, and regional pay scales. Ponds in my area of Vermont range from as little as a couple of thousand for a quickie, to as much as ten times that and more for more elaborate projects. A one-acre excited pond may cost more on dig than a similar size embankment pond because it takes longer to remove all the material than simply to push up a dam. Keep in mind that excavated material not used in an embankment or for fill may need to be trucked away at additional expense. It can also be traded or sold, depending on the market.

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Some pond builders work for a contract price, while others prefer time and materials. The problem with paying by the hour is that bad weather or other problems can slow down construction and raise the cost.

Ponds and Land Value:
The Bottom Line

If you want to know how much value a pond adds to property, drop in your town office. Check the tax assessment schedule to see if there's a formula for ponds. In my town, a few years ago, the tax listers put together a simple chart for ponds. Small ponds, roughly a quarter-acre in size, are valued at$1,750; a good medium-sized pond, approximately a half acre, at$5,250; and the biggest at$8,750. If your town doesn't have a fixed schedule for pond valuation, take a look at assessment cards for property with ponds, and determine for yourself the values of variously sized ponds. Once you have a rough idea of the size pond you plan to build, you should be able to determine the value you're adding. If you're buying property with an existing pond, check the tax card to see if it's been given a value. Although tax assessment is usually based on replacement cast, I find that most existing ponds are undervalued in terms of what they would cost to dig today.

In some areas you may find ponds that are not taxed at all. Instead of indicating that the pond has no value, it may be due to an arrangement with the fire department to provide access for taking on water. This may involve keeping the road to the pond plowed in winter, providing a dry hydrant, or both. A fire pond also may cut premiums on household insurance. A pond can thus permit you to add substantial value to your property, to escape taxes, and to make your home a safer place to live.

Besides ignoring test pits, another mistake land owners often make is being in a hurry. This is especially risky for people who haven't lived on a piece of land for long, and don't have a good feel for variations in the water table and other siting considerations. Before digging my pond, I spent three years on the land, time enough to check out several sites during different seasons, as well as to monitor test pits and then clear the site by hand, which cut expenses when it came time for the dozer to move in. That the pond site happened to be directly south of my house turned out to be a stroke of luck, winding up as the centerpiece of my view. When you've got the sun and water out your front window, you know you're blessed.

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