Do we have an award for most outrageous pond estimates?

[texmaster]

The good news for me is that a local company replaced the pump in 40 minutes for 95 bucks which I was happy to pay considering the effort and that it was rainy and 35 degrees!

 

[HARO]

the LOWER estimate was $4,000! The higher one? FOUR TIMES THAT AMOUNT!

Geeze, I must be getting old. That was supposed to read "TEN TIMES THAT AMOUNT!" Yup, they wanted $40,000 to fix a green pond!
John

 

[sissy]

It is something we can't escape Haro ,wish we could .

 

[HARO]

Gotta build a TIME MACHINE, so I can go back and fix my screw-ups before anyone notices!
John

 

[RobAmy]

I am a masonry contractor and I also have a minimum price to go do a job. I do free estimates. I built my own pond and it took over 100 man hours and approximately $3,000 in materials. If I needed to charge someone for the same job I would need to get around $12K or more. I know a local pond company and before I built mine that company told me their pond jobs start at $10K. If a business is legit, licensed, insured, good equipment etc then there really has to be a minimum cost. If I bring my truck, trailer, operator and bobcat to even dig a 4ft hole I could not do the job for a $100.00 even if that all it is worth. There is over $100K in equipment for such a small job.

Not all contractors are out to rip people off but that does not mean we can all afford someone to do the work for us or should it.

 

[HARO]

The larger ones are in the 24" to 30" range!

10' deep! The stonework needed a bit of repair, but I think it was done shortly after I took the picture. The greenery to the right of the pump/filer house is a vegetative filter full of Water Hyacinths. She tosses about a wheelbarrow load every ten days or so!
John

 

[RobAmy]

Very nice

 

[Lisak1]

Not all contractors are out to rip people off but that does not mean we can all afford someone to do the work for us or should it.

Absolutely true. A good contractor in any trade is worth paying. My husband will often say "but that job is EASY" and I remind him "it might be SIMPLE, but it's not EASY!" If it were easy we'd be doing it ourselves!

 

[addy1]

Absolutely true. A good contractor in any trade is worth paying. My husband will often say "but that job is EASY" and I remind him "it might be SIMPLE, but it's not EASY!" If it were easy we'd be doing it ourselves!

We do most of our own work, but we sure do know when to hire someone.

 

[sissy]

But that price also depends on where you live .I know when I contracted my basement the total cost was 15 thousand and that included windows and doors and water proofing and insulating the out side wall .That was for a basement 32 feet wide by 100 feet long .They also insulated the floor and waited while the plumber ran plumbing lines under the floor .2 bathrooms and a kitchen and laundry room plumbing .I figured for future sale .That was a last minute change .I also gave him a time line and gave him 2 days for weather and charged him 100 dollars a day for not getting done on time .That was because he told me basement was started and when I got down here all I saw was a hole and footings .Nothing else done .It took him 3 weeks to do just that and surprise visit from me put fire under his butt.I even ran the fork lift to get things done and cleaned up the work sight every day and bought lunch for his guys every day because they worked hard and they were honest .That was back in 2004 .Here a slab of concrete costs 495 dollars for 12 by 14 that my sister just had put in .Stamped also

 

[GBBUDD]

I too was a contractor for years, I got tired of people thinking they were at k mart with the blue light special . could you fix this, that oh and maybe this too while your here and not charge me for it? I always did some little thing here or there but then when I needed a hand with some task it always amazed me how no one was ever available!!!!!!!!

 

[Lisak1]

@GBBUDD our good friend is our contractor. We always have to force more money on him when we find a few extras that need doing. We want to make sure he will keep coming back! A good contractor is worth his/her weight in gold!

 

[GBBUDD]

@GBBUDD our good friend is our contractor. We always have to force more money on him when we find a few extras that need doing. We want to make sure he will keep coming back! A good contractor is worth his/her weight in gold!

You are the exception not the norm lisa. The last few years I was in the trades I was doing historical restorations. And there was no k mart blue light there we had a waiting list/ back log. But unfortunately in todays society people are always out for something for nothing. But when you find good people like your self it makes one have hope.