TL;DR
Most of the cost of backyard pond removal is moving material, not draining water. A 10-by-15 foot pond at 2 feet deep holds roughly 11 cubic yards of void that has to be filled, plus a ton or more of rock and liner to haul out.
The part homeowners underestimate is settling. Fill dirt dumped into a pond hole and raked level will sink 6 to 12 inches over the following year unless it is compacted in lifts.
Rehome the Fish First
Koi and goldfish are the first task and they need lead time. Local koi clubs, water garden societies, independent aquatic nurseries, and other pond owners all take fish, and mature koi are genuinely valuable to the right person.
Plan two to four weeks. Netting fish out of a full pond is slow, so most people draw the water down partway first, which concentrates the fish and makes catching them realistic.
Never release pond fish or aquatic plants into a creek, lake, or storm drain. Goldfish in particular become invasive in local waterways and grow far larger in the wild than they do in a pond.
Aquatic plants go the same way as any other yard debris once they are out, and the general rules under yard waste removal apply to the plant material and the muck.
Draining and Cleaning Out
Pump the water to a lawn or a planted area rather than a storm drain. Pond water is nutrient-rich and fine on landscaping, and many municipalities prohibit discharging it to storm sewers.
Under the water is the part nobody mentions: several inches of organic sludge. A mature pond accumulates leaf litter and fish waste into a black, heavy, extremely unpleasant muck that has to be shoveled out.
That muck is actually good compost material once it dries. Spread it thin on a garden bed rather than trying to haul buckets of wet sludge.
Then pull the pump, the filter, the UV clarifier, the plumbing, and the electrical. Any underground conduit should be disconnected at the source and the circuit dealt with at the panel.
Liner, Rock, and the Real Volume
Pond liner is EPDM rubber or PVC, and it is heavier than it looks. A 15-by-20 foot liner sheet weighs 90 to 150 pounds and is unwieldy because it holds water in every fold. Fold it in on itself rather than dragging it out flat.
Underlayment goes with it. Under that is often a layer of sand.
The rock is the heavy part. A pond edged in fieldstone with a rock-lined bottom can hold 1 to 3 tons of stone. It cannot go in the yard waste stream, and it takes truck capacity fast. If the stone is attractive, stack it and reuse it elsewhere on the property, since the same material sells for real money at a landscape supply. The handling problem is identical to any landscape rock removal job.
Liner is not recyclable in curbside programs. It goes to landfill.
Filling the Hole Correctly
Calculate the volume before you order dirt. Length times width times average depth in feet, divided by 27, gives cubic yards. A 10-by-15 pond averaging 2 feet deep is about 11 cubic yards, and a yard of fill dirt weighs roughly 2,000 to 2,700 pounds.
Fill in lifts of 6 to 8 inches and compact each lift with a plate compactor or by wheel-rolling it. Dumping the whole load at once guarantees a depression later.
Use structural fill or clean fill for the bulk, then cap the top 4 to 6 inches with topsoil if the area will be lawn or garden. Do not fill with the excavated muck, and do not fill with construction debris, which is both a settling problem and often prohibited.
Overfill slightly, crowning the area a few inches above grade, because some settling is inevitable no matter how well it is compacted.
Pond Removal Pricing
Industry Baseline Range
| Yard cleanup | Industry baseline range |
|---|---|
| Yard cleanup | $125 to $400 |
Source: HomeGuide, "Yard Cleanup Cost" national cost guide.
These are industry baseline ranges for planning only and may not reflect Otesse's price. Otesse pricing is calculated for your specific home and ZIP code, so enter your ZIP in the price box on this page for your instant price.
Current Market Reality
Real quotes run above baseline when there is no equipment access to the backyard, because every ton of rock and every yard of fill then moves by wheelbarrow. Fill dirt delivery, disposal tipping fees, and a compactor rental all add up, and a waterfall feature with a concrete footing turns the job into partial demolition.
How the common situations compare, from lower to higher cost:
| Scope | Relative cost (lower to higher) |
|---|---|
| Small preformed pond, liner and rock removal | Lowest |
| Mid-size lined pond with fill and grading | Moderate |
| Large koi pond with waterfall and stonework | Highest |
Every home is different, so enter your ZIP in the price box on this page for your instant price.
What About Just Converting It?
Filling is not the only option. A pond hole makes a reasonable rain garden, a raised planting bed, a sandbox, or a gravel-based fire pit patio, all of which use the existing excavation instead of fighting it.
Conversion usually costs less than a full fill because you are not buying and moving eleven yards of dirt. It also avoids the settling problem entirely.
If the goal is simply lawn, then fill is the answer. If the goal is anything else, look at the hole as a feature before you erase it. The same reasoning shows up when homeowners weigh getting rid of a pool versus reusing the space.
FAQ
How much does it cost to remove a backyard pond?
It depends on size, stonework, and equipment access. A small preformed pond with modest rock work costs the least. A large koi pond with a waterfall, extensive stonework, and no equipment access costs several times more once fill, hauling, and grading are included.
What do I do with the fish?
Contact a local koi club, a water garden society, an aquatic nursery, or other pond owners in your area, and give yourself two to four weeks. Drawing the water down partway makes netting realistic. Never release pond fish into creeks, lakes, or storm drains.
How much fill dirt do I need for a pond?
Multiply length by width by average depth in feet and divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 10-by-15 foot pond averaging 2 feet deep needs about 11 cubic yards. Order slightly extra and crown the surface, because the fill will settle even when it is compacted properly.
Can pond liner be recycled?
Generally no. EPDM and PVC pond liners are not accepted in curbside recycling and go to landfill. Fold the liner in on itself when removing it rather than dragging it, since it traps water in every fold and gets much heavier than the dry sheet weight.
Will the filled area sink later?
It will if the fill is dumped all at once. Filling in 6 to 8 inch lifts with compaction between each one prevents most settling. Cap the top with topsoil, crown the surface a few inches above grade, and expect some minor settling in the first year regardless.
Getting the Material Out
The rock, liner, pump, and plumbing all have to leave the property before the fill goes in. Otesse junk removal can take it from there. Enter your ZIP in the price box to see which services are available at your address.
Describe the pond size and whether a truck can reach the backyard when you get a quote.
