Clarke Koi Ponds

Established 1995

pricing and rates

Clarke Koi is a service oriented company with competitive pricing and excellent after the sale support

We do not guarantee we will have the lowest prices on every product or service. We can say however, that we offer excellent value when you consider our personal attention, unbiased advice and our return policy

We have the experience to get it done right !

Service Rates

Consulting	Maximum of 1.5 hours on site + 45 mins. travel time	$ 140.00 +
Phone Consulting	1 hour minimum charge, toll free across North America	$ 75.00/hr.
Pond Openings	Minimum charge (1 1/2 hours labour + call charge)	$ 128.00 +
Pond Closing	Minimum 1 hr. charge + call charge	$ 97.00 +
Disease Diagnoses	Water quality testing, mucous analysis with microscope	$ 128.00 +
Labour Rate	Minimum 1 hour charge, billable in 1/4 hr. min. increments. Covers pond construction, servicing, leak detection, filters etc.	$ 62.00/hr.
Call Charge	For travel, applies to 1 st. hour of any service	$ 35.00 +
Construction Levy	This 2% levy covers the cost of misc. parts used on the project and is based on the subtotal of the final complete invoice

In summary
The minimum charge to show up for any task is $97.00. Regular tasks such as pond maintenance, pump installs, construction labour etc. are charged at a $62.00/hour/man rate

G.S.T. is applicable on all labour charges. P.S.T. is charged when applicable

Call Charges
The $35.00 call charge pertains to a 1 tech service call located in Zone #1 (the Megacity) of the map pictured right. Zone #2 carries a charge of $45.00, Zone #3 a $55.00 call charge

In the case of additional Pond Technicians, a $10.00, $20.00 and $30.00 charge per Tech, based on the 3 zones is applied. ie. a call charge with 2 Tech's to Zone #2 would cost $65.00 ($45.00 + $20.00)

Out of zone calls are usually charged at the regular hourly rate

Book Early
We are busy! Trying to keep everyone happy is not easy and although we would like to come to your house the day of your call we are generally booked 1 week in advance for small jobs and possibly months in advance for larger pond builds and projects. Of course we do go the extra mile to squeeze in emergency calls as soon as possible, usually by the next day

Pond Construction Notes
Pond construction is a labour intensive job that requires a strong back and a thorough understanding of pond design. It is also a task where previous experience is essential. No two jobs are alike and each presents different challenges. Considerable thought has to be exercised in order to ensure the pond is designed properly. We expect to spend at least 250 man hours building a complete 10 x 20 pond and the cost of such a project is approximately $20K. A job of this scope would take 1-2 months to complete

Getting a pond Built ? We provide you with an extensive 22 page "Pond Construction Guide" which covers the process and the costs involved in constructing your pond. We also provide you with a thorough "Statement of Work" which entails both the work schedule and the associated costs

The Key things a client needs to understand about our construction service:
We charge by time and materials. This is fairest to both parties. We of course do provide an initial estimate and at least one cost report as we proceed

About 20% of the work done on your pond occurs off site. Picking up supplies, loading/unloading the van and trailer with equipment,
email and phone discussion, record keeping, travel to the site etc. Prep time and organization is critical and translates to productive time on site

The physicality involved - We are not machines and tasks such as heavy digging at a good pace can only be done for about 5-6 hours a day - especially in 30 degree weather

We cannot work for you exclusively - We dedicate 3 days a week to our main construction project. We require 2 days a week to look after other clients ponds while orchestrating the construction of yours. We generally work on our main project on Monday, Wednesday and Friday

No shortcuts - We endeavor to be craftsmen at all times and work as efficiently as possible to provide you with the best value we can using techniques and equipment we are confident in. We don't rush

Each pond is unique and there will sometimes be challenges to overcome along the way - both parties require patience. Once the pond is up and running, adjustments and tweaks may have to be made. We expect to be paid for minor tweaks, repairs or adjustments (that would normally come out of a 10% contingency fund). In the rare case of a major problem that is our responsibility, we we be there to rectify it at no cost to you and we have a track record of doing so

Understand we will do our best to meet discussed timelines but sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. It is always better to to get things done properly than to compromise and rush to meet a timeline. We complete our jobs in the order that they are booked and follow them to completion before starting other major jobs

Read more about the actual Construction Process

Payments
The first payment of approximately 33% is made prior to beginning construction

The second payment is made after the first payment has been accounted for - an informal statement dealing with the bulk costs is presented to determine when that is

The process repeats itself for successive payments

Testimonials
Building a pond is a time consuming and expensive undertaking

We are often rebuilding for a client who has already spent a considerable amount of money on their existing inadequate pond

Please visit our Testimonials page to hear what some of our customers have said about our services

Of note, we have never been sued. Sadly as a last resort we did have to sue a client for non-payment. We won in court appointed arbitration

Our Construction Process
Consultation-> Statement of Work-> Deposit-> Work Begins-> Cost Report
To begin with, a consultation is performed to see the site and to determine your goals. A 22 page construction guide is provided for you to read over. Ideas are exchanged, questions answered and recommendations made. Once we have decided upon the specs, a statement of work which includes pricing estimates is delivered

Once the plan and price is agreed upon a start date is set. Before the actual construction begins, the first payment, 1/3 rd. of the estimate, is required. We work on our main construction project 3 days a week. From a workflow, work efficiency and timing standpoint this system works best in my experience. Some pacing is required, as we cannot dig and do heavy rock work 10 hours a day, 3 days in a row and expect to be productive building your pond

Pond construction is a process and things are done in stages. For example, the pond has to be completely dug out before we can measure for the liner. It may take a day or two to get the liner. As the construction process continues, ongoing reports and discussions of options will take place. New ideas and improvements always present themselves once the project begins to unfold. We can also count on at least one glitch along the way - patience and perseverance are required by all parties

Last Modified : October 9, 2008
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