[Pondman Paul]

Originally posted by mnglandscaper
Hey Paul,

Nice work on those ponds!! WE do ponds a little bit too, but not as much as I would like. We also like to use Aquascape company. They are really good when it comes down to customer service and have a real good sysytem. I especially like how they put time into educating the contractors that use their products with hands on and classroom seminars. Again, nice work.

-jesse

Jesse,

Thanks for the compliment. If it wasn't for the Aquascapes seminar I took 10 years ago I wouldn't be building ponds like I build them now, thats for sure. I don't build them in a day like they do but their "20 step method" is great.

Paul

[Pondman Paul]

This post has been read a thousand times!

Maybe there should be a pond thread


Paul

[Keith N]

Paul, do you mean a dedicated Pond forum? On a side note could you PM me a email addy or just email me directly so I could send a pic to you. I need a second oppinion for a pond idea. keithnjen97 @ aol.com

[Pondman Paul]

Originally posted by Keith N
Paul, do you mean a dedicated Pond forum? On a side note could you PM me a email addy or just email me directly so I could send a pic to you. I need a second oppinion for a pond idea. keithnjen97 @ aol.com

I'd love to see a Pond forum. It would be a good place to share ideas and techiques.

p.s. I'm PMing my email though I don't mind posting it

Paul

[Stonehenge]

Keith - I edited your email address in your post and the quote - too easy for spam bots to collect it and start sending you all kinds of garbage.

Re: a forum dedicated just to water features - we tried it a long while ago and there just didn't seem to be enough activity to justify it. No reason why people can't discuss water features in this forum.

But if I get 100 members asking for it, then I'll add it on.

[Keith N]

Originally posted by Stonehenge
Keith - I edited your email address in your post and the quote - too easy for spam bots to collect it and start sending you all kinds of garbage.

Re: a forum dedicated just to water features - we tried it a long while ago and there just didn't seem to be enough activity to justify it. No reason why people can't discuss water features in this forum.

But if I get 100 members asking for it, then I'll add it on.

OK thanks Jeff.

[Pondman Paul]

I started this thread and I'm going to keep posting all pond related topics on this thread. Reason I liked the idea of a Ponds/Waterscapes thread was so that others could find a Pond thread that wouldn't get buried.

I like sharing pond related ideas with other contractors and learning from other contractors. I spend alot of time at the aquascapes forum but I like this forum because I'm also a landscaper and designer and this site has some great people with great advice.

I've learned about alot of things reading through all the threads. Wish I'd found this place sooner.

I'll keep this post alive with all my pond related posts and hope others will join in.

Anyone interested in Ponds can post on this thread and it will end up being a resource of Pond related information.

Paul

[Pondman Paul]

3 Questions:


1. How do you advertise for Ponds and Water Features?


2. Do you do Maintenance on the Ponds /Water Features you install?


3. Are you willing to share with me what your mantainence program consists of?


I need to format a Pond Maintainence Contract and would like ideas on what it should include and what should not be included as well as an idea on what amount to charge for the service.

I haven't done a Pond maintenance contract yet because I haven't need one until now. Most of the Ponds I've built are for people who become "pond people" and they do the maintenance on their ponds.

I do the maintenance on my display pond at the garden center for no charge because its my display.

I just sold a $20,000 pond package and I need to create a Pond Maintenance Program.

I have a Pond Package price sheet and I should add the Pond Maintenance program into the Pond packages.

Whats a yearly cost for Pond Maintenance and what does it include? Hours? Bi-monthly?

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply.


Paul

[Keith N]

[quote]Originally posted by Pondman Paul
[b]3 Questions:


1. How do you advertise for Ponds and Water Features?

I just use doorhangers and brochures right now. I'm actually starting up a mowing/maintenance division as a marketing tool. My truck is lettered up as "St.Louis Ponds and Waterfalls". I'm doing this to make money while I'm advertising. Basically getting my foot in peoples door to suggest other landscaping and waterfeatures.


2. Do you do Maintenance on the Ponds /Water Features you install?
As you said most people become involved in thier ponds once they are built. One customer that I thought would never even touch the skimmer basket gets into the pond and takes care of the string algae etc. That is cool! I think most customers just want someone to lean on if they can't keep thier pond pristine. Unfortunately I only have one maintenance customer.


3. Are you willing to share with me what your mantainence program consists of?
I wish I had more to share, but I'm still testing. It's hard to test with only one maintenance customer. lol!


I need to format a Pond Maintainence Contract and would like ideas on what it should include and what should not be included as well as an idea on what amount to charge for the service.
I think it should include a spring start up/clean out and fall shutdown if possible. I plan on going with a weekly, biweekly, and monthly service when the demand is available.

Weekly will be for my mowing customers that have a waterfeature installed. This will be a straight fee of $25 per hour without a service call charge, since I'll be there already.

Weekly pond only maintenance will be $50 per hour without a service call charge.

Biweekly will be $65 per hour without a service call charge.

Monthly will be $65 per hour with a two hour minimum. These will be for contracted agreements that are on a schedule. Any other "Emergency" type calls will be $65 service call with a $65 per hour rate. Spring cleanouts and fall shutdowns willbe the same rate.

This is my rough draft so I'm sure I'll be addressing issues as they arise.

On a side note what do you think of the "Watergarden Excellence Program"?