Planning Your Pond Layout

May 30, 2014

Once you have made the decision to put a pond on your land, one of the next steps is to figure out the size and layout you would like for it. There are several different options available. Keep reading to find out about the different pond layouts.

First, try mapping out your pond on your land using Google Earth. Then, use the drawing you made to mark the pond on your land. Once you do this, you will be able to make sure the pond will fit there based on the slope and terrain of the land in that area.

Some popular pond layouts to consider for your pond are explained below:

Free Form

This is a very common pond shape. It can take just about any shape, hence the name free form. It can be longer, shorter, or whatever shape you choose. Below are some outlines of different free form pond shapes.

Free Form Pond Layout
Free Form Pond Layout

Ellipse

This pond takes a rounder shape, like an oval. It has smooth, rounded edges unlike the typical free from shape. It is shown below.

Ellipse Shaped Pond Diagram

Kidney

The kidney shape pond is a bean shaped pond that has fairly rounded edges. This pond is shown in the picture below.

Kidney Shaped Pond Layout

Pear

The pear shaped pond is a unique shape. It has a rounded end with a longer portion jutting off of it, similar to a pear. It is shown in the picture below.

Pear Shaped Pond Layout

Feel free to play around with these shapes when mapping out your pond. Some shapes might fit better than others in the space you are looking to put your pond. Use these popular shapes to get ideas about what shape pond you would like.

Next, you should figure out the size of your pond. Figuring out the size of your pond is very important because it will help you to figure out the cost of your pond, which in turn will help you to stay on budget. The mapping you did before will help you to figure out the size of your pond. To calculate the size of the pond, use this simple equation below:

Length x Width/43,560 = Acreage of Pond

The size and the shape of your pond play a big factor when calculating the total cost of your pond. Clearly, the bigger the pond, the higher the costs you will have. Size is definitely something to think about when planning for your pond. It costs about $1.50-$3.50 to move a cubic yard of dirt when digging the hole for your pond. If you know the size and shape of your pond you can budget accordingly.

Now that you know a little bit more about the different types of pond layouts, contact us to take the next steps to build your dream pond!