To build or not to build.......yourself?

[Redfrick]

I'll probably hold back from putting in a pond for the next year or so since the economy isn't really good. I know of a couple of hobbyist who dumped some of their refi money in an expensive pond, only to regret doing so.

Cheers,
Todd

[Steve Nguyen]

definitely would do it myselft and contract out the messy part like concrete work. I would build the settling tank as well. I don't like what's available on the market. I also build it so that there is no UV lights connect in series with the water pipe but rather intergrate the UV into the design. All I need is a home with a big yard to accommodate a big pond and I am ready to go.

Steve

[bone]

I would build it myself but with input from a couple of the top Koi pond builders. There are few things that I can't do myself. I recently finished my 14000gal pond. I did it all myself. It took me about a year. Only difference is, there was a budget limit so I had to keep within it. I really enjoyed the build and it gave me a better appreciation of my final product.

Daniel

[kingkong]

Either way, I would make my wife help me build it. Maybe I would offer to pay her if the pot was full.

[111whalen]

I subbed/did my own work. Bigger ponds, especially gunite need the real guy to do it. I did some of the steel, all the plumbing and electrical. My filters are 400 gallon barrels so I also did that. Couldn't have done it without the gunite guy though.

[Lam Nguyen]

Looks like the concensus is people would rather build their dream ponds themselves and to sub/contract out the hard parts. I myself am a true DIYer. However, when it comes to a huge state-of-the-art 10,000+ gal pond, don't know if I have gots the experience and stamina to complete such a big project....so just thought I would ask to see what the concensus is.

KingKong, that's a good idea getting your wife involved, except there's no way I can get my wife to go out there and hold a shovel....and her cookin, well, lets just say that Ramen noodles taste better! Okay, okay, it tastes a lil better than Ramen noodles! J/K!

[CarolinaGirl]

I built my first one by myself (9000 gallons) and I would do it again in a second!! In fact....I am going to do it again. The new pond will be around 18,000 to 20,000 gallons. It was a very hard work, but also very rewarding and MUCH cheaper. I love to DIY. I have a policy....why pay someone to do something you can do yourself? lol....that's just me though....I am also building my own house right now.

[Meg]

nothing better than having someone walk into the back garden have their jaw drop and say
"you built this yourselves?!!"

[PapaBear]

Well, so far 100% of what we have is DIY and I don't see that changing until I'm too old and stove up to do the work. Of course if we were talking about my most recent "dream" for a pond, I'd likely have to sub out a bit of it just because of he scale of the project... but thats another story