Cleaning the pond in fall and/or early spring can be quite a chore. Many opt to have a professional do it. There are several factors that determine the price of a professional cleaning, not simply the size of the pond. Before a professional can give an accurate estimate for cleaning a pond, those factors have to be considered.
Generally, a base price is quoted for the size of the pond in gallons. The price goes up when there are extenuating circumstances. Cleanings are, by nature, labor intensive and costs have to be considered or the professional finds himself out of business in no time!
Rocks lining the bottom is considered the worst offender because it is impossible to clean the pond thoroughly without first removing the rocks. Increased labor costs are factored into the price. Some folks ask us to “do our best” to “get around them” and we must ask them not to hold us responsible for any dirt left in the pond. This left over dirt that hides between the rocks clouds the water when the pond’s refilled and makes it appear that the pond wasn’t cleaned at all. Many who have encountered this extra charge are inclined to have us remove the rocks when the cleaning is performed and not replace them at all.
Same goes for water plants that have jumped their pots and spread throughout the pond. If we disturb the roots of the plants we open up a Pandora’s box of dirt. No matter how many times we rinse the roots dirt clouds the water. Again, we can “work around them” as long as the pond owner understands that we can’t be held responsible for a pond that appears dirty when filled. We can remove the plants but the extra labor cost has to be factored into the price of the cleaning.
Another add-on is a streambed. The longer the streambed the more time it takes to clean it. One doesn’t realize the difficulty of cleaning a streambed until he actually does it.
If the pond has not been cleaned for years and there are several inches of muck on the bottom it takes longer to clean. If the person cleaning the pond can’t dispose of the mucky water within 25 feet of the pond he must make special arrangements and it is added labor, thus the price of the cleaning goes up.
Like with all businesses one can always find someone to clean the pond cheaper. We count on the fact that our customers trust us to do a good job every time and they know we are here if a problem should arise. An important part of hiring someone to clean your pond is knowing what he will do and, more importantly, not do for the price he quoted.
