Landscaping
Building a garden pond
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A pond brings more wildlife into a garden than almost anything else, and it is one of the few garden features with a real safety risk. Before deciding on size and style, think about who uses the garden: toddlers, grandchildren and visiting children change the design. After that the choices are about the kind of pond you want, how it is lined, how clean the water stays and where the power comes from. Tell us about your plans and one landscaper who builds ponds in your area receives the request.
- Exactly one business. Your request is handed out once. After that, no other business sees it.
- You know who will be in touch. Before the business receives your contact details, we send you its name, address and phone number.
- Withdraw at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time – using the link in our email.
Young children and ponds
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents says garden ponds are involved in more than half of all toddler drownings, with five children under six drowning in ponds in the UK every year, and that children can drown in any amount of water. A shallow pond is not a safe pond.
If young children live in or visit your home, RoSPA's advice is to fit a rigid metal grille over the pond, fence it with a locked gate, or fill it in and build it later. RoSPA specifies a rigid grille rather than chicken wire, and it needs checking regularly to make sure it still keeps children out of the water. A fence helps, but small children are good climbers. Ask the landscaper to design the grille or fence in from the start, rather than adding it as an afterthought.
Wildlife pond, fish pond or formal water
A wildlife pond has at least one gently sloping side so that frogs, newts and hedgehogs can get in and out, varied depths, native plants and no fish, because fish eat spawn and larvae. It usually needs no pump or filter and fills from rainwater.
A fish pond, especially for koi, is a different project: deeper water, filtration, a pump running continuously, sometimes UV clarifiers and aeration, and regular maintenance. Formal ponds and rills with edging stone, fountains or water blades are mainly about appearance and need a pump and often a filter to stay clear.
Tell the landscaper which you want. The design, cost and running costs are very different.
- the pond's size, depths and shape, with a drawing
- liner type and thickness, and underlay
- edging, and how the liner edge is hidden and protected
- a grille or fence where children may be present
- pump, filter and UV unit with running wattage
- outdoor electrical work and who carries it out
- overflow route for heavy rain
- planting and how the pond is first filled
Liners, levels and overflow
Most garden ponds are lined with flexible rubber liner laid over a protective underlay, or with a preformed rigid shell for small ponds. Butyl and EPDM rubber liners are long-lasting and flexible; cheaper plastic liners crack sooner. Stones, roots and sharp objects in the excavation must be removed, and the underlay protects the liner from what remains.
The edge of the pond has to be exactly level all round, otherwise liner shows on one side. After heavy rain the pond will overflow somewhere, so the landscaper should decide where: into a bog garden, a soakaway or a border, not towards the house.
Siting matters. Ponds under deciduous trees fill with leaves every autumn. A spot with some sun grows healthier plants, but full sun all day encourages algae. Avoid drains, cables and water pipes when digging.
Pumps, electrics and water supply
Pumps, filters, lights and fountains need power. Outdoor electrical work should be done by a qualified electrician, with protection against electric shock suited to wet locations. In England, a new outdoor circuit is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, and Wales has its own, wider list of notifiable electrical work. The landscaper and electrician should agree where cables run so they are not cut later.
Topping up a pond from the mains is also regulated. In England and Wales, building a pond larger than 10,000 litres that is designed to be topped up automatically from the mains needs notice to the water company first. During a temporary use ban, filling or maintaining a domestic pond with a hosepipe can be prohibited. A rainwater supply from the roof avoids both issues.
Permission and neighbours
Garden ponds fall under the same permitted development rules as other buildings and enclosures in the garden in England. For most houses that means no planning application, but within the grounds of a listed building permission is needed, and on designated land such as conservation areas, a pond at the side of the house needs permission too. Also consider neighbours: a pump humming all night next to a bedroom window can cause friction.
Your pond request
Describe the pond you have in mind, the space and who uses the garden. We confirm your phone and email, then offer the request, without your name, to landscapers who build ponds near you. Only one company can buy it and it is the only one that receives your details, after we have emailed you its name, address and phone number. You pay nothing. Offrano does not check pond-building experience, so ask to see ponds the firm has built.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pond safe with a toddler in the house?
Not without protection. RoSPA advises a rigid metal grille, a secure fence with a locked gate, or filling the pond in until children are older. Children can drown in very little water, so shallow ponds are not safe either.
Does a wildlife pond need a pump?
Usually not. A balanced wildlife pond with plants, varied depths and no fish stays healthy without filtration and fills from rain. Pumps and filters are needed for fish ponds and fountains.
Do I need planning permission for a garden pond?
For most houses in England, no, because ponds are covered by permitted development. Listed buildings need permission, and on designated land such as a conservation area, a pond at the side of the house needs permission. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
Who should install the electrics for a pond pump?
A qualified electrician. Outdoor circuits in wet locations need the right protection, and in England a new outdoor circuit is notifiable under Part P. The landscaper usually prepares ducts and the electrician does the connection.
Can I fill my pond with a hosepipe during a drought?
Not if a temporary use ban in your area prohibits filling or maintaining a domestic pond with a hosepipe. Check your water company's notice. Collected rainwater is the better supply in any case.
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