| A good commercial pool contractor can be a good start. They have a good grasp of plumbing and can handle the construction aspects very well; they know the codes especially for the electrical work.
I have had the recent experience of helping two friends design and get their ponds built. They were fairly large and expensive koi ponds. It is important that you get the point across from the start that you want a low head, high volume gravity fed system much like what would be used on a commercial pool. We found they were happy to oblige. We specked all filtration equipment. The ponds all have good bottom drains and very good TPRS. It really was a lot of fun working with the pool guys. They had a genuine interest in the differences between koi pond and a swimming pool filtration and were very open to learning the reasoning behind the differences. We supervised and were involved in every aspect of the projects. Working with the guys I even picked up a few useful tips on plumbing techniques that will make my life easier in the long run.
The most important thing is to do your research and know what you want; if you do working with other professionals can be very rewarding.
John |