Questions about ponds and visits

It depends on the pond's size, depth and access, on what goes in it, and for seasonal visits on how much there is to clean. How pricing works is on the services page. The number comes in a written estimate after a visit.

Openings and closings book up first, so ask early. A new pond is scheduled around the dig, the stone delivery and the weather. The estimate gives a start window and the working days.

The footer lists our business registration and our insurance, and we'll send the certificate on request. Pumps and outlets that need electrical work go to a licensed electrician, and your estimate says when that applies.

Percy or one of the leads walks the yard with you. We measure, look at the sun, the trees overhead, the power and water, and how a machine would get in. A pond visit takes about an hour, and the written estimate follows by email.

For a build: a deposit when you accept, a payment when the pond is dug and lined, and the rest after the walk-through. Seasonal visits are billed after each visit. We take checks and cards.

Light rain doesn't stop an opening or a cleanout. Lightning, frozen ground for digging, or ice on the water does. We rebook and text you.

Clear a path from the gate to the pond, show us the outdoor outlet and hose bib, and tell us about dogs. You don't need to be home for a seasonal visit.

Naperville and the western suburbs, across DuPage, Will, Kane and Kendall counties. The service area page has the list.

No. A pond that holds water stays full. Draining stresses the liner and the fish. We clean it out in fall instead and set up a de-icer so one hole stays open.

In a pond two feet deep or more, usually yes, with a de-icer and no feeding once the water is below 50°F. A shallower pond needs a plan, and we'll tell you at the visit.

Usually the sun and the nutrients in the water outrun the plants and the filter. We look at the filter, the plant cover, the fish and the sun before we change anything.

Start again when the water holds above 50°F, with a wheat-germ food. Feed lightly above 80°F, and stop below 50°F in the fall. A thermometer in the water tells you more than the calendar.