FAQ

Most residential ponds run 1–3 weeks of construction once design is approved. Design and concept take about 1–2 weeks. Excavation, liner, and plumbing are a few days. Rockwork, planting, fill, and biological startup finish it out. Large ponds with streams and heavy rockwork take longer.

A properly built pond stays clear because the biology is designed in — right filtration, right pump turnover, aeration, aquatic plants, and beneficial bacteria all working together. Green water comes from undersized filtration and no biological balance, which is exactly what we engineer against.

Far less than people expect once it’s balanced. A skimmer catches debris, the biofilter does the heavy lifting, and plants outcompete algae. Expect a seasonal cleanout, occasional filter rinses, and topping off for evaporation. We hand over a simple schedule and offer maintenance plans.

It depends on depth, size, and location. Many ornamental ponds don’t require one, but deeper ponds or those near structures can trigger a permit, drainage review, or a fencing/barrier requirement. We check the local code and pull whatever’s required.

Small water gardens are the entry point; large koi ponds and natural water gardens with streams and heavy rockwork are the top end. We give a flat-rate quote after the design phase — liner, filtration, pump, rockwork, planting, and startup all included, no surprises.

Very little. Top off the reservoir for evaporation, rinse the pump filter occasionally, and add a fountain-safe water treatment to keep it clean. Disappearing fountains have no open basin to skim, so they’re about the lowest-maintenance water feature you can own.

No. A recirculating fountain uses the same water over and over — you’re only replacing what evaporates. That makes it one of the most drought-friendly water features for Los Angeles yards, and an auto-fill line handles top-off automatically.

Yes — that’s one of the most popular spots. Disappearing fountains have a small footprint and no open water, so they fit courtyards, entries, and patios where a pond wouldn’t work. We size the sound and flow to the space.

Yes — a recirculating pump needs a GFCI-protected outlet. If there’s one nearby we tie into it; if not, we coordinate a dedicated circuit. Solar options exist for small fountains but pumped circuits are more reliable for a consistent look and sound.

A single bubbling column is the entry point; large tiered, wall, or multi-column features are the top end. We quote flat-rate after a short site walk, including the reservoir, pump, plumbing, electrical coordination, and stone setting.

Yes. A properly designed NSP keeps water clean and clear through biological filtration — aquatic plants and a gravel biofilter remove the nutrients algae would feed on, while circulation and aeration keep it moving. It’s clean, soft water without chlorine; many owners say it feels better to swim in than a chlorinated pool.

No. The whole point of a natural swimming pond is that biology does the job chemistry does in a conventional pool. No chlorine, no salt system, no acid. Care is seasonal plant maintenance and keeping the circulation running, not daily water testing.

An NSP needs room for both a swim zone and a regeneration (planting) zone, so it wants more total space than a same-size pool. Small plunge-style NSPs fit modest yards; full swim ponds need more room. We’ll tell you honestly on the design call whether your space works.

No — a well-designed NSP has constant circulation and often supports dragonflies and other natural predators, so it doesn’t breed mosquitoes the way stagnant water does. Moving, aerated water is the opposite of the still water mosquitoes need.

Usually yes. Because an NSP is swimmable, most Los Angeles-area jurisdictions treat it like a pool for permitting and may require a code-compliant safety barrier. We handle the permit review and design the barrier into the project.

For healthy koi we build to a minimum working depth that gives fish temperature stability and protection from predators like herons and raccoons — generally deeper than an ornamental pond. Proper depth is one of the biggest factors in keeping koi alive through summer heat and winter, and it’s non-negotiable in a real koi build.

Almost always undersized or missing filtration for the fish load. Koi produce a lot of waste, and without a bottom drain, settlement, and a properly-sized biological filter, that waste feeds algae and clouds the water. We build the filtration to match the fish so the water stays clear.

It depends on the pond’s volume and filtration — koi grow large, so stocking is about water volume and turnover, not surface area alone. We design the pond and filtration for the number of koi you want and coach you on stocking gradually so the biological filter can keep up.

A bottom drain is the single best upgrade for koi water quality — it pulls settled waste straight to filtration instead of letting it rot on the liner. A UV clarifier is optional but excellent for keeping water crystal-clear. We build both in when you want show-quality water.

A modest koi pond with proper filtration is the entry point; large, deep koi ponds with full bottom-drain filtration, UV, and heavy rockwork are the top end. We quote flat-rate after design — liner, bottom drain, filtration, pump, rockwork, and startup all included.

It’s a waterfall and stream with no open pond at the bottom. The water spills down the falls and disappears into a gravel-filled reservoir hidden underground, where a pump recirculates it back to the top. You get all the sound and movement of a stream with nothing standing — no skimming, no drowning risk, and very low maintenance.

Yes. Waterfalls love a natural slope, but we routinely build the elevation on flat ground using excavated soil and boulder placement. The falls still look like a natural landform — we just create the grade change instead of borrowing it.

A pondless waterfall is about the lowest-maintenance water feature there is — top off the reservoir for evaporation, rinse the pump screen occasionally, and clear leaves seasonally. Pond-fed waterfalls share the pond’s normal maintenance. There’s no open basin to skim on a pondless build.

Yes — moving water from a waterfall or stream oxygenates the pond, which koi and beneficial bacteria both need, and the surface agitation helps keep the water clear. A waterfall on a koi pond is functional as well as beautiful.

A short pondless bubbling falls is the entry point; tall multi-tier boulder waterfalls with long streams are the top end. We quote flat-rate after a site walk — excavation, reservoir or pond tie-in, liner, plumbing, pump, and hand-set rockwork all included.