FAQ

Yes. We service existing ponds and water features no matter who built them — cleanouts, pump replacement and repair, leak troubleshooting, and seasonal maintenance. Ponds have been our specialty since 1996, so we've seen just about every setup. If yours has been neglected for a few years, that's fine too — a good cleanout is usually the place to start.

We design ponds to clean themselves the way nature does: biological filtration, the right water turnover, and plants that compete with algae for nutrients. Sluggish water and too much sun feed string algae fast, so circulation and shade matter as much as filtration. It also helps to know that a pond is a cycling ecosystem — some algae is part of a healthy one, and an occasional flush of it can happen even in a well-built feature. When the water needs a hand, we start with natural approaches like barley extract, and where conditions or your expectations call for it, we'll use the correct products judiciously — the right treatment, properly dosed, as part of managing the system. Just as important to us: helping you understand how your feature works, so you know what's normal, what's not, and how to steward it season to season.

In the Willamette Valley, fall is the time — net the pond before leaves drop, do a cleanout if there's built-up debris, and make sure the pump and filtration are ready for cold weather. Our winters are mild enough that fish generally overwinter fine in a properly built pond with adequate depth and some water movement to keep a gas exchange opening in any ice. We handle fall cleanouts and winter prep as part of our seasonal pond maintenance.

Honest ranges: a bubbler rock or fountain starts around $5,500, a pondless waterfall around $8,500, most full backyard koi ponds and watergardens land between $14,000 and $25,000, and estate-scale natural ponds start around $50,000. The big variables are size and depth, site access, rockwork, and filtration — a stream or waterfall is priced as part of the pond, not a separate line item. Every pond is quoted after a free site visit, so those numbers are orientation, not a bid. The full cost guide on our blog walks through what moves the number.

The core program covers mowing, perimeter edging and string trimming, shrub pruning and small tree trimming, weed control (pre- and post-emergent), and turf and shrub fertilization. Seasonal work like cleanups and aeration is built into the calendar. Every property is a little different, so we tailor the scope to what your site actually needs rather than selling a one-size package.

Yes, both. Commercial clients — HOAs, offices, retail sites — typically get year-round grounds care under contract, including snow and ice service in winter. Residential maintenance runs on a recurring schedule with the same crew, so they get to know your property. Either way, you're dealing with a family company, not a call center.

We set you up on a recurring schedule and stick to it — same crew, same rhythm, so you know when to expect us. Full-service maintenance runs weekly. Bed services run on a biweekly rhythm, and field mowing might be three visits a year. Winter eases off a bit — growth slows, so visits do too. We'll set the schedule that fits your property when we quote it.

It depends on the scope. Routine planting, paver patios, and most pond work typically don't need one, but taller retaining walls, covered structures, and anything involving electrical or plumbing connections often do — and each county (and city) draws the lines a little differently. Irrigation is a good example of where the line falls: tying into your water supply — the point of connection, backflow installation, and backflow testing — requires plumbing permits, while everyday irrigation work like zones, repairs, and adjustments doesn't need a permit but does require proper contractor licensing from the State of Oregon. We'll tell you up front if your project triggers permitting, and when the scope warrants it — electrical, plumbing, tall retaining walls, structures — we handle pulling the permits.

There are two kinds, and the difference matters. Public utilities — sewer, water, gas, power, and communication lines — are covered by the utility locating services (the "call 811 before you dig" system). When a project involves digging, we arrange for those locates and have the lines marked before we start. Private lines are a different story: power run out to a shed or shop, a water line from the house to the garden, a private well feed — the public locate doesn't cover those, and they're the homeowner's responsibility. If you know or suspect private lines are out there, tell us — we won't go hunting for lines nobody's told us about. When you do need them found, we offer an in-house locating service as a paid add-on, separate from the project total: lines installed with a trace wire can usually be followed; lines without one are a tougher hunt, and honestly, success can't be guaranteed every time. The goal either way: nothing gets dug blind — and that starts with knowing what's buried.

It starts with a site visit — we walk the property with you, talk about how you want to use the space, and work up a plan and estimate from there. Proposals usually land a week or two after the visit, depending on complexity and the season. For projects that call for real design work, our paid design service produces a digital conceptual design with notes — typically built on a full outdoor LiDAR scan of your property, so the concept reflects your actual grades and spaces, not a sketch from memory. Digital copies of the concept are included; print copies are available, and the LiDAR data files themselves can be added for an additional cost. Build time depends on scope: a small water feature might be a few days, a full design/build with hardscape can run several weeks. We typically stay booked out 2–8 weeks in advance for project work — sometimes more — so the important thing is to plan it out and get on the schedule. Fall and winter are a great time to plan a project for later in the year or the following spring.

You'll get a written estimate before any work starts, so there are no surprises on price. Most projects carry a deposit — we agree on the amount up front — though smaller jobs often don't need one. The balance is due when the work is complete. One thing worth knowing: our pricing has a 3% cash/check discount built in, so paying by check or cash keeps that discount; paying by credit card gives it up.

We're based in Aurora, near the airport and golf course, and work throughout the north Willamette Valley — Aurora, Hubbard, Canby, Wilsonville, Charbonneau, Woodburn, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, West Linn, Sherwood, Tualatin, and Newberg. If you're close to that footprint but don't see your town, give us a call at (503) 678-7744 and we'll tell you straight whether we can take it on.

Yes. We're licensed with the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board (LCB #6834), bonded, and insured. Our training background includes ICPI paver training and Aquascape water-feature training, and we've been involved with the Oregon Landscape Contractors Association over the years. Brothers Brett and Rod Kacalek have run the company since 1996 — thirty years of the same family standing behind the work.

Estimates are free. Send the request form on our website or call the office at (503) 678-7744 (Mon–Fri, 9:00–4:30), and we'll respond in 2–4 business days. For project work we'll usually set up a site visit so the number reflects your actual property, not a guess from photos.