Pond maintenance

[tomoaktree]

Hello,
a neighbor of one of my customers had an aquascape design pond installed two years ago by a co. that is too far away to do regular maintenance. They are having problems w/string algae and fish dying . I told them I could get the barley mat and S.A.B. to help solve the problem. They are located in a very shadey area . I have no idea what to charge for this as they can go to the store where they got the fish and plants and purchase something there too most likely.
I am wondering if this could be an opertunity to get into the pond maintence bus. and if aquascapedesigns had any suggestions to help get me started. Are there any "kits" available with the neccarssy equipment? I think I can talk them into a regular maintenance schedule to come and clean the filter, check water , plants and fish.
Any help would be apreciated.

[Indiana]

There is a real article in this months issue of Lawn & Landscape magazine about pond maintenance and what to charge.

See if you can get a copy and read it. I take care of a couple of 16x16 ponds. I check them weekly, top of water, feed fish, clean out debris, rinse filters monthly, and fertilize plants. It takes me about an hour a piece, and I have contracted this maintenance annually. I bill my time, both travel time and work time; and materials at regular hourly rates.

Find a good aqautic supplier and he will help you learn.

[McKeeLand]

Genenerally when I do my spring clean outs on my customers ponds, which mostly all of them that I install have me maintenance them, I charge between $300-$400 depending on the size, average 11x16. I figure 2 men, $50/hr and about 4hrs per pond = $400.


As far as regular maintenace if the pond is done right their should not be regular maintenance after the spring clean out, besides adding bacteria and cleaning out the skimmer basket once a week. But if there is a problem, then it's by the hour again at $50/hr plus materials.

[tomoaktree]

McKeeLand,

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like pretty fair pricing to me. $50.00 an hour is reasonable. Do you tell your customers it will be an hourly fee or do you just figure it in ?

Tom