Farm & Ranch Pond Construction in Burnet, TX
- Stock Tanks, Ranch Ponds and Lake Excavation. Burnet County and Central Texas.
Ponds and stock tanks across Burnet County ranch country. Granite gets priced honest where it shows up, and we dig test holes before anybody quotes anything. This is dirt work, not landscaping.
We build each one around what you need out of it. Stock water, a fishing hole, or something that just holds through August. Call and we will come look.
Get A FREE Quote Within 24 Hours!
Permits and Rules for a Pond in Burnet County
A stock tank on your own Burnet County acreage almost never needs a state permit. Texas law lets a landowner impound water for livestock and domestic use on their own property without chasing a water right, and ranch tanks are well inside that. TCEQ dam safety rules come in only when a dam gets tall or holds a lot of water, and if your project is heading that direction we will say so early.
Burnet County sits in the Colorado River basin, so LCRA has an interest in some situations, particularly anything close to Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake or the river itself. If your site is near that water or inside a mapped floodplain, that is worth a phone call before you commit to a location.
Away from the lakes and the river, which is most of the county, a pond on a working place is straightforward. The bigger questions out here are practical rather than regulatory. Where is the granite, how do we get equipment in, and where does the water come from.
Ag and wildlife valuation is handled by the Burnet Central Appraisal District. Water is often part of a wildlife plan but check with them on what they want before you build it.
Pond Building in Burnet County Granite Country
Burnet is granite country and that is the first thing anybody building a pond here has to reckon with. Town Mountain granite comes up close to the surface across a lot of the county, and where it does, a pond turns from a two day dozer job into a week of hammering. Where it does not, and there is plenty of ground around Burnet where it does not, the soil holds water fine on its own.
We build more ponds around Burnet than almost anywhere else we work, partly because it is close to the yard in Johnson City and partly because the ranch country up 281 and out 29 is exactly the kind of place a stock tank belongs. Most of what we dig here is a quarter acre to an acre, on places running cattle or held for hunting.
What we do first on a Burnet job is dig test holes. Not one, several, across the footprint we are considering. Granite does not announce itself from the surface. You can have eight feet of good dirt in one spot and hit hard rock forty yards away at three feet. An hour with a mini excavator up front tells us whether we are looking at a straightforward build or a hammer job, and it tells you what the price is going to be before you have committed to anything.
The soil around Burnet holds water without a liner in most places. That surprises people who assume Hill Country means leaky. There is enough clay in the material here to seal, and where it needs help we dig first and see how it does before anybody talks about bentonite.
Lake Buchanan and Inks Lake pull a lot of attention in this county, but the working water on most Burnet ranches is a stock tank, and that is what we build.
What We Build Around Burnet
We dig ponds on ranches, hobby farms and acreage all over the Burnet area. Quarter acre stock tanks up to multi acre lakes, plus expansions and cleanouts on ponds you already have.
Stock Tanks & Ranch Ponds
Quarter acre up to an acre, dug where the ground will hold it and deep enough to carry stock through August.
Lake Excavation
Multi acre water where the property and the watershed will support it. Dam, spillway and basin built as one job.
Pond Cleanout & Rehab
Old tank silted in or quit holding water? Usually cheaper to pull it out and reshape it than to start over.
What a Good Pond Does for a Place Out Here
Water changes what a piece of land can do. Cattle stay put instead of drifting to the neighbor. Wildlife shows up and stays. The runoff that used to leave your place stays on it. And on a hot August afternoon it is the only thing on the property anybody wants to be near.
Key Benefits Include:
- Cattle watered where you want them
- Wildlife and dove brought in close
- Runoff captured instead of lost
- Fishing water close to the house
- A water source if a fire starts
- Land value you can see from the road
How We Build a Pond That Holds
Four steps. The first one is the one most outfits skip.
Site Walk and Placement
We walk your place, see how the water runs, and find the spot with the best clay and the least rock. Placement decides whether a pond holds.
Design and Sizing
We set depth, size, dam height and spillway from how much ground drains in and what you want it for. Standard is 8 foot in the center.
Excavation and Dam
Excavators and dozers shape the hole and build the dam in packed lifts, tied into solid ground so it will not seep or slump on you.
Finishing
We grade the banks, cut the spillway, and leave the place clean and ready to seed when we pull the equipment off.
What a Pond Costs Around Burnet
| Pond Size | Starting Price | Build Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 acre | from $14,000 | 2 to 3 days |
| 1/2 acre | from $23,000 | 3 to 4 days |
| 1 acre | from $33,500 | 5 to 6 days |
| 2 acre | from $50,000 | 9 to 11 days |
Every size in between, plus what rock, haul distance and access do to the number, is on our Texas pond cost page.
Pond Cost Calculator
Slide in the size, depth and bank slope you have in mind and see roughly how much dirt has to move and what that runs. Works for anything up to 2 acres.
See our full Texas pond cost guide for what drives the price and how the ground changes it.
3:1 is the steepest bank and moves the least dirt. 5:1 is a gentle wade-in bank, easier on cattle and safer around kids, but it takes more digging to get the same water.
- Average depth0 ft
- Water it holds0
- Rate per yard$0
This is an estimator, not a quote. It figures the dirt you would move for a bowl shaped pond at the size, depth and bank slope you picked. What you actually pay depends on whether we hit rock, what shape the ground is in, how far we have to haul spoil, and whether the spot needs clearing first. Rock is the big one. If we run into granite or solid limestone we have to bring a hammer out and that gets billed by the day. Call us and we will come walk it.
Why Folks Around Burnet Call Us
Test Holes Before Talk
We put a machine in the ground and find out what is down there instead of guessing off the surface.
The Dam Is the Whole Job
Keyed into solid material and placed in lifts. Most ponds that fail did not fail because of the dirt.
Our Own Iron
Bulldozers and excavators we know the condition of, sized to what your job actually needs.
No Padding for the Unknown
We do not build a worst case number into every bid. If rock shows up, you pay for the days it takes.
A Number You Can Plan Around
Published starting prices, then a firm figure after we have stood on the spot with you.
Somebody Answers
You get a person on the phone and a date that holds. That is a lower bar than it should be in this trade.
Locations We Serve
We dig ponds across Burnet County and the surrounding country. If you are anywhere near Burnet, we can get equipment to you.
What You Can Count On
Project Gallery
Recent pond jobs from around Central Texas.
1/4-Acre Stock Tank - Bastrop, TX - 2 Days
1/5-Acre Pond Expansion - Elgin, TX - 1 Day
1/4-Acre Custom Pond - Burnet, TX - 4 Days
What Our Customers Say
★★★★★
“This is the second time using this company. And always quick responses and follow through! Their quality of work is the best in the industry. I’ve reached out to other companies before and usually slow to respond and set a date to come look at the property for a project and no show. That is something you won’t have to worry about by going with Texas Grading.”
Sean Chandler
★★★★★
“Worked with me to get my pond exactly how I wanted it. Taylor communicated well and was willing to cut me a fair deal when things weren’t exactly as expected. Jonathon is an ace with the dozer. The man can move some dirt like icing on a cake. Well done gentlemen!”
Dennis Pacl
★★★★★
“What a great experience. This company was prompt, and right on budget. They made a pond/tank for me on my ranch. The owner and his team were very professional.”
Glenn Gonzales
★★★★★
“These guys are the best! Hands down, if you need any land clearing or ponds done on your property, do yourself a favor and call Taylor!”
David Williams
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you build a pond in Burnet if I have granite?
Yes, but it costs more and takes longer. Breaking granite means a hammer on the excavator and that is priced by the day, because nobody can honestly quote hours on rock they have not touched. The better answer is usually to move the pond to a spot with more soil over it, and we look for that first.
Do ponds around Burnet need a liner?
Usually not. There is enough clay in the soil across most of Burnet County to seal a pond on its own. Our approach is to dig it, let it take water, and see how it does. If it does not hold we come back with bentonite. What we will not do is promise it will hold, because nobody can promise that without a liner.
How do you know where to put the pond on my place?
We walk it and we dig test holes. We are looking for soil depth, clay content, and a natural draw that will actually deliver water to it. Around Burnet those three things can vary a lot inside a single property.
What does a one acre pond cost in Burnet?
Starting around $33,500 at eight foot center depth with four to one banks, assuming workable dirt. Rock is the variable. We will tell you what we found in the test holes and price it accordingly.
How long does a Burnet pond take to build?
A quarter acre is two to three days and an acre is five to six in good ground. If we are hammering, add days, and we will tell you as we go rather than at the end.
Do I need a permit for a stock tank in Burnet County?
For a normal stock tank on private land, usually not. It changes if the dam gets tall enough for TCEQ to have jurisdiction or if you are in a mapped floodplain. We will flag it if it applies to your spot.
More on Pond Building
- Stock Tank Construction What a working stock tank costs, how deep it needs to be and where to put it.
- Pond Dams and Repair Key trenches, compacted lifts and spillways sized for real runoff.
- Pond Cleanout and Dredging Getting the silt out of a tank that has filled in and quit holding depth.
- Pond Repair Why a pond leaks, and what it takes to fix one that will not hold.
- Lake Excavation Bigger water, and what the watershed has to support to keep one full.
- Pond Permits in Texas When you need one, when you do not, and who to ask.
- How Deep Should a Pond Be? Why eight foot in the center is the default and when to go deeper.
- Building in Rocky Ground Granite, limestone and caliche, and what each does to the price.