Pond and water feature design services engineered before they're drawn
Good design makes the pond look natural and run quietly. We plan circulation, filtration and service access first, then shape rock, planting and lighting around them.
What you receive
- Site assessment: grade, sun, soil, drainage, utilities and sight lines
- Concept plan with plan-view layout and elevations
- Filtration and plumbing schematic with pump sizing and turnover calculations
- Rock, plant and lighting schedule
- Construction-ready scope and budget range
Design is offered as a standalone service if you want to bid the work, and credited back when Koi Pros builds the project.
Styles we design
Naturalistic koi ponds and streams, formal reflecting pools and raised ponds, pondless waterfalls, architectural fountains, natural swimming ponds, and large recirculating lakes for communities and golf courses. Every style gets the same engineering underneath.
Signs you need design help
- You've received wildly different bids and can't compare them
- A landscape architect's plan shows a pond but no filtration or plumbing detail
- The existing feature was built from a drawing that ignored hydraulics
- You want to phase construction over several years
What drives the cost
Design fees scale with feature size and drawing requirements, from a flat fee for a residential concept-plus-schematic to hourly engineering for commercial drawings and stamped sets. Design fees are credited back when Koi Pros builds the project.
What this service covers
Pond & water feature design sits under the wider heading of landscape design services. Clients tend to call it water feature design or pond planning; whatever the name, the work breaks down into a few distinct jobs:
Koi pond design
Depth, drains, filtration and turnover sized to the fish load you plan to keep, not the one you start with.
Waterfall and stream design
Weir widths, drop heights and flow rates chosen for the sound you want and the pump energy you'll pay for.
Fountain and reflecting pool design
Basin waterproofing, nozzle selection, wind and level controls, and lighting for architectural features.
Lake and large pond design
Aeration placement, inflow and outfall structures, liner or clay seal, and shoreline treatment for community and golf lakes.
Pondless feature design
Reservoir sizing, basin matrix layout and stream grading for recirculating features with no open water.
Renovation and retrofit design
Assessment of an existing feature with a plan that reuses what's sound and corrects what's undersized or missing.
Terms you'll hear from our technicians on this work: site assessment, hydraulic calculations, pump sizing, head height, plan-view drawings, elevations, plant schedule, lighting plan, landscape architect, general contractor, shop drawings.
Where we offer it
Routed service through Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego County, the Inland Empire and the Coachella Valley, with construction and commercial crews traveling to Arizona.
Pond & Water Feature Design across Southern California and Arizona
Orange County home base, routed crews from Los Angeles to San Diego and the desert. One call, one crew, written findings.
Customer story
Victoria's raised koi pond in Garden Grove
“My son found Wes with Koi Pros online, and Wes built this above-ground fish pond for me. It's come out very nice. Every day my husband will come out here and relax and sit by the pond and enjoy the sounds and beauty of the Japanese-style koi pond Wes built for us. We also use it to water our plants with the fish waste, and our plants are very beautiful because of that. We are very pleased with Wes and his team.”
Victoria, homeowner for 30 years, Garden Grove, CA
Victoria has lived in her Garden Grove home for 30 years. Her son found Koi Pros online, and Wes built a raised, Japanese-style koi pond with a waterfall for her backyard. Her husband sits by it every day, friends come over to see it, and the fish water feeds the garden.
Check out Koi Pros projects
Koi ponds, waterfalls and water features we've designed, built and maintain across Southern California, in one minute. The same crew handles design.
Guides on design
Design · 6 min
Pond Design & Planning: Step-by-Step Guide for a Perfect Pond
Learn how to design and plan the perfect pond with our step-by-step guide. Discover expert tips for layout,...
Design · 9 min
Backyard Pond Ideas & Pond Landscaping Guide
Explore backyard pond ideas, costs, design tips, and maintenance. Learn how a pond contractor can help create your...
Design · 6 min
Swimming Pond vs Traditional Pond: Pros & Cons
Discover the pros and cons of swimming ponds vs. traditional pools. Learn about costs, maintenance, and design to...
Questions about design
Do you design for landscape architects and general contractors?
Yes. We regularly provide water feature engineering and shop drawings as a sub-consultant on larger residential and commercial landscape projects.
Can you redesign an existing pond that never worked right?
That's most of our design work. We assess the existing system, identify what's undersized or missing, and produce a renovation plan that reuses what's sound.