Greene, Christian, Webster, Polk, and Dallas counties, Missouri
Pond builders in southwest Missouri, from farm ponds to engineered dams
Tell us what you are planning, whether that is a farm pond, a recreational lake, dredging, or dam work. The quote is free and comes with no obligation.
Licensed local pond and excavation contractors build farm and stock ponds, recreational lakes, and engineered dams across Greene, Christian, Webster, Polk, and Dallas counties, and they dredge and renovate older ponds. Tell us about your project and one of them prices it, free and with no obligation. Most private ponds in this region sit below Missouri's 35 foot dam permit threshold, so many qualifying projects can move forward without a state dam safety permit.
What it costs, and what happens after you send it
- What does a pond cost in southwest Missouri?
- HomeGuide puts a professionally built one acre pond at around 45,000 dollars, with larger farm and fish ponds often cited around 1,400 to 4,800 dollars per acre. Bulletproof Pond and Lake describes acreage projects ranging roughly 30,000 to 150,000 dollars. Those are national planning figures rather than our prices, and no honest number exists for a specific site without a visit. Size, earth moved, access, soils and the dam and spillway design decide where a real project lands. On the low clay soils common in southwest Missouri, a basin often will not hold water without help, and importing clay or installing a synthetic liner is a real line item on top. Industry guidance puts clay sealant in the range of a few thousand to the mid teens of thousands of dollars per acre and a liner higher, which is why sealing is the first thing to establish about a site. For a qualifying agricultural pond, cost share can pay a large share. USDA NRCS EQIP covers up to 75 percent of a practice cost, up to 90 percent for beginning and underserved producers, and Missouri runs a separate state program through county Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Both are competitive. The Missouri pond cost guide walks through all of it.
- How fast will someone get back to me?
- Your request goes to a licensed local pond and excavation contractor, usually within about an hour during the day. That contractor then contacts you to walk the site and price the work on their own schedule.
- What work is covered?
- Farm and stock pond construction, recreational lake construction, pond dredging and renovation, and dam construction and engineered repair. See the services.
Only the contractor who walks your site can price your actual site.
Get a free quote
Free for landowners. Tell us about your project and one local contractor will scope and quote it.
What gets built
The pond building and excavation projects landowners plan most.
Farm and stock pond construction
Livestock, stock, and irrigation ponds sized to your pasture and your watershed.
Learn more
Recreational lake construction
Fishing ponds and recreational lakes, planned with the Section 404 question in mind.
Learn more
Dam construction and engineered repair
Planned, engineered dam construction and repair, framed around the 35 foot rule.
Learn more
How it works
- 1
Tell us about your project
Share your name, phone number, location, and the type of pond, lake, or dam work you are planning. Four fields, and it is free.
- 2
One local contractor picks it up
One licensed, local pond and excavation contractor who works your county picks it up and handles projects like yours.
- 3
They scope and quote your work
Your contractor contacts you to walk the site, talk through permits and soils, and price the project. You decide whether to move forward.
Local knowledge that thin sites skip
A pond in the Ozarks is a regulatory and soils project as much as an earthmoving one. Our guides lay out Missouri's 35 foot dam rule, the federal Section 404 trigger and the farm pond exemption, how to size a watershed, why many local sites need a clay core or liner to hold water, and how cost share can help pay for a qualifying agricultural pond. It is honest, sourced, and useful before you ever fill out a form. Browse all the guides.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost me?
Nothing. The service is free for landowners. We are paid a referral fee by the contractor, and it never increases the price you pay for your project. See how we make money.
Which areas do you cover?
Across southwest Missouri: Greene, Christian, Webster, Polk, and Dallas counties, including towns like Marshfield, Rogersville, Ozark, Republic, Buffalo, Bolivar, and Nixa. If you are searching for pond building near me anywhere in that county cluster, we cover your area.
Do I need a permit to build a pond in Missouri?
Most private farm ponds sit below Missouri's 35 foot dam height threshold, so they typically do not need a state dam safety permit. A federal Section 404 permit can apply if the pond affects a stream or wetland, though many farm and stock ponds are exempt under Section 404(f). Our Missouri pond permit guide explains it.
Planning a pond, lake, or dam project?
Tell us what you have in mind. One local contractor scopes and quotes it. Free for landowners.
Your request goes straight to one independent local pond and excavation contractor serving southwest Missouri, usually within about an hour during the day, not a national lead list.
Updated