How to Build a Waterfall - Part 1

Learn how to build a waterfall with our step by step instructional video. Building a waterfall can be easy after learning these "How to Build" tips and tricks. Avoid Frequently Made Mistakes and learn professional builder tips from The Pond Digger.

[@ThePondDigger]

@AidanM1990 Thanks for the comment! YOU ROCK!

[@sirmixalot135678]

I couldn't believe nobody "liked" this video... very educational... I among many appreciate your videos

[@ThePondDigger]

@LakefieldWaterGarden Part 2 will be up in the very near future. We have had our focus on other parts of the business so we have lagged on getting new videos up. Sorry for the delay. The video is complete and edited just need to put the final touches on it.

[@pastapill]

Thanks so much for posting this video! I had gotten discouraged that I couldn't place the rocks fast enough because I had to change them, look for small filler rocks, etc. But, you've taught me that it's OK - it just takes time. I feel so much better. Looking forward now to the process & finishing. Thanks again.

[@DianaMB10]

I'm sick of people who say you can't do this type of stuff by yourself or affordably thanks for the great advice !

[@ThePondDigger]

For sure! There are actually preformed waterfalls you can add to your preform. That is likely the easiest solution for you but you could certainly build a waterfall out of liner and natural stone! Sounds like a potential video!!!

[@ThePondDigger]

@sirmixalot135678 Thank you for your feedback and support!

[@ThePondDigger]

@pastapill Glad to hear our waterfall construction video made a difference for you. That's what it's all about! Take you time, there's no rush! The waterfall is the major focal point of your water feature so give it a major effort to set it off and make it amazing!

[@ThePondDigger]

You're very welcome. Thanks for the feedback!

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the comment and the rating! I live for this! The Pond Digger

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks for chiming in mrwaterscaper. This water feature had some extensive filtration, external plumbing and some expensive rock for the flatwork and bridge. This project came in around 23k.

[@ThePondDigger]

The black pebble in the bottom of the pond is a great look when complete. The dark color helps the bottom of the pond disappear and gives great contrast to the fish. The rock in the pond takes on a green tone once the eco-system becomes established so the black pebble matches nicely. We don't use slate in all our waterfalls however a large percentage of people prefer the look of slate in their waterfall so that is why we choose to highlight it in this video. No rain in LA, I was reading emails.

[@ThePondDigger]

Great to hear we have inspired you! If bears are prevalent in your area and you are backed up to the woods there is a strong possibility you could find a bear bathing under your waterfall. That being said the bears aren't going to be destructive because they want to tear apart the falls! The simple fact that a bear can weigh several hundred pounds is your concern. Be sure your rock work is done well! Once the feature is complete and running smooth you may consider adding some concrete if needed.

[@pondguru]

Great video again ! One of these days I will have to get round to doing instructional vids of some of the techniques that I use to build ponds, waterfalls, streams etc. Most of my methods are different but utilise the same common principles to achieve the feature. Keep up the great work.

[@ThePondDigger]

@sirmixalot135678 Thanks for the comment!

[@ThePondDigger]

@alks1123 Yes you can certainly keep koi in aquariums indoors. The thing is koi look best when you are viewing them from above. Another thing to consider is, each koi should have a couple of hundred gallons of water! So plan on a BIG AQUARIUM!

[@ThePondDigger]

We will work on a stream construction video in the future per your request. It may be a while but rest assured we will get to it. Thanks for watching and rating the video. How to build a waterfall Part 2 will be uploaded soon. Stay tuned. The Pond Digger

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the feedback on our waterfall construction video. We appreciate the comments. How to build a waterfall part 2 will be uploaded shortly so stay tuned. The Pond Digger

[@ThePondDigger]

Yes, we are really happy with the rock work in the pond as well. I have a great team of pond builders. The Pond Digger

[@romagjack]

Incredible video. Probably the most professional instructional and artistic video on youtube! Can't wait for part 2. Great Quality

[@ThePondDigger]

We did install underlayment on the pond walls and floor. On occasion we don't use underlayment on streams but we always use underlayment below and above liner when installing large boulders.

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks for checking in on me PondGURU. I'm pleased that you take time out to watch our videos. I'd love the opportunity to build a waterfall with you one day. Especially one of your signature waterfalls with water flowing out of the arched rock work. The Pond Digger

[@ThePondDigger]

We always use underlayment on under the pond liner. On small waterfalls and streams in good soil conditions it isn't mandatory. It's the pressure and weight of all the water in the pond that make it so important in the pond to have the underlayment below liner to protect. In many cases we use underlayment under the liner and ON TOP of the liner for added protection. Happy Pondering.

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@ThePondDigger]

@sirmixalot135678 There must have been a glitch with KZbin on the like counter. Wish I could control a hundred likes overnight. :) We just work hard to put out content that pond lovers will genuinely like and then we sit back and wait. Thanks for your support.

[@ThePondDigger]

@notthedevilwoman Yes.....Sorry for the delay. We need to get on this. I promise sooon!

[@Arteolike]

True that's true, the costumer is always right! Oh and awesome job on the waterfalls, still like the stacking done inside the pond, Awesome!

[@ThePondDigger]

@sirmixalot135678 Sometimes we use one giant piece of liner and other times we will use a second liner just for the waterfall. If liners overlap vertically (like up a set of stairs) by 6" to 12" then you don't have to seam the liners together.

[@missnichole702]

“ThePondDigger” looks like a good catch ladies. He's hard working, good with his hands and most importantly; comprehends fluid dynamics. Didn't notice a ring but maybe he takes it off while working with “character stones” and such.

[@ThePondDigger]

Yes this style swim pond construction is very popular in Europe.

[@ThePondDigger]

@shangreer Part 2 is so close, yet so far! We are in the peak of our construction season so time is limited. We are working on a large waterfall project in Palm Desert and we are working at the LA ZOO at the same time. Hopefully you will be building many more waterfalls in years to come. So PART 2 will serve you one day my friend. Thanks for watching!

[@iluvpie1223]

I don't think i'm going to be building a water fall anytime soon . but this video is sure entertaining and intersting !! 5/5

[@NicenEasyuk]

I would happily chillout in that pond. Some sun, beer and a bbq. lylo ^^

[@ThePondDigger]

Yes it is possible to have a successful pond without underlayment. It really depends on your soil and the surrounding landscape. We use the fabric under the main body of the pond always because of the extreme weight of the water. On waterfalls and streams depending on the size of the materials we are using we occasionally won't use the fabric.

[@ThePondDigger]

@shangreer @shangreer Part 2 is so close, yet so far! We are in the peak of our construction season so time is limited. We are working on a large waterfall project in Palm Desert and we are working at the LA ZOO at the same time. Hopefully you will be building many more waterfalls in years to come. So PART 2 will serve you one day my friend. Thanks for watching!

[@ThePondDigger]

@thefunme1 Thanks for the feedback Dawn! YOU CAN DO IT!

[@ThePondDigger]

Just a head up. There is a How to Build a Waterfall Part 3 too. We have another full video (part 2) covering tips and tricks for all the youtube waterfall builders before you get to see the final waterfall running. It's all about education, information and inspiration so stay tuned. The Pond Digger

[@GndmMkv]

one person hated ur videos and thats not me ur vids helped me and ya my kois swim happliey

[@ThePondDigger]

There's a lot to consider when building a pond where you'll be swimming. Consider large bog filtration and UV filtration on top of your other plans for filtration. Heavy aeration, easy access via large boulders or dock. No submersible pumps! Use external pumps to remove the electricity from the water. Using low voltage lighting is fine but you don't want a 110 volt pump to short out while swimming.

[@ThePondDigger]

@jayb941 There is a seam tape that you can use to connect your pond liner together. Be sure to use the liner tape primer for optimal performance.

[@ThePondDigger]

@helicrashpro Part 2 will be up in the near future. We have had our focus on other parts of the business so we have lagged on getting new videos up. Sorry for the delay. The video is complete and edited just need to put the final touches on it.

[@blkstone8071]

Love your vids man, thanks to you I've installed my mini oasis the Right way!

[@ThePondDigger]

@Frenzy11297 Many ponds are built with concrete. It's not my preferred method of pond construction but done right it can be a long term joy. Building your pond from concrete will take a bit more time to build and you will need to cure the concrete carefully to make the water safe for your fish. Best of luck to you young man!

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the response. As far as quality goes, when we first load these big HD videos up to KZbin it takes a bit of time before the video streams without the little glitches. Sometimes it takes several hours. Thanks for watching. The Pond Digger

[@peggyzum]

Thank you! thank you! I've finally found what I've been looking for! (and you've only been up a few weeks!) One thing I hope you add/mention is how the water (pump) works with regard to pipe placement.

[@ThePondDigger]

@GypsyKing7 Ya we need to take the time to get part2 up. I apologize for the delay. We have been swamped this season.

[@ThePondDigger]

During the build of this waterfall, all the rocks were moved with one or two guys. No machinery, just muscles. We of course used the underlayment tip to move the biggest rocks. Glad to hear you picking up tips and tricks from our pond videos! Stay tuned as How to Build a Waterfall Part 2 will be uploaded very soon. The Pond Digger

[@ThePondDigger]

@Smokie1969 Thanks for the comment. Part 2 is basically complete except for some final glamor shots of the feature with some semi-mature landscape. We are currently focusing our energy on some updates to our website and then we will refocus our energy on video. Part 2 will be FIRST on our list to finalize. Thanks for your patience.

[@adurpina]

amazing video*such wonderful..

[@ThePondDigger]

@verachion Yeah, I'm feeling lame right now because we have not uploaded Pt. 2 yet! My bad..........I'll take that hit. We deserve it.

[@petco]

Great instructional video. Very Helpful "ThePondDigger"!

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks!

[@pondguru]

Yeah, that would be great. If I ever come over to the U.S. I promise I'll pay you a visit and hang out on a job with you.

[@nbadhorse]

Just watched another video about building a pond with a water fall. It was okay, but when it was finished it looked like exactly what it was; a man made pond and water fall. I like the ones you are doing. It looks much more natural.

[@ThePondDigger]

Thank you!!!

[@IKINGHORSE]

Great videos. They all helped a lot. BTW: Pond Digger Drinking Game: Watch all of the videos and every time he says "Character Boulder" or "Character Stone" take a shot.

[@benjaminanthony5201]

Great video

[@ThePondDigger]

@myswtsins Thanks for the comment. Part 2 is basically complete except for some final glamor shots of the feature with some semi-mature landscape. We are currently focusing our energy on some updates to our website and then we will refocus our energy on video. Part 2 will be FIRST on our list to finalize. Thanks for your patience.

[@anjanmajumdar4045]

great ideas learning a lot!!

[@ThePondDigger]

+Anjan Majumdar Thanks for watching!

[@ThePondDigger]

THANK YOU!! I hope you're learning from our videos too! That is our goal!

[@petergeanacopulos5327]

I wish I had watched your videos when we first put my parents koi pond together. Trying to rebuild right now using existing pond. But it's still attached to the filters so i can't pull up the whole liner making it a bit difficult. These videos are great, wish i had the money to hire a company to come in and do this right. It doesn't look super professional but good enough for homemade

[@83yomomma]

Your vids are calming

[@ThePondDigger]

+George Perez I think our koi videos are the most relaxing videos. So glad we are keeping your blood pressure low with our videos! Thanks for watching!

[@ThePondDigger]

We will have some videos on pond pumps in the future! Ponds RULE!

[@ThePondDigger]

@lazyboyinc If you are building a waterfall into a pond you will want to consider a biological waterfall filter. If you are building a disappearing waterfall then you can purchase a simple waterfall spillway. Give me more details as to what your plans are and I will gladly help you spec out the equipment you need. Google "The Pond Digger" and you will find our url. We can't post website links here in the comments.

[@Arteolike]

Hooray for HD! The one good thing You-Tube has done since.... We actually its the only good upgrade.

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks!

[@Castella1000]

man ...you good at this and you serious and pro ...I like all the videos you have...my project is a a bit larger...still under plans....but my outer measure is like 50x90 and a second pond 4 feet abow the main with a waterfall 5 feet up in background and the water spilling down to main pond... ....its a big project ..I got tons of good intel from the videos you posted ...Thanks alot for it ...Love from Sweden

[@adairsr53]

I would like to see what your waterfall box looks like before you've added the liner.Enjoyed your video it's very helpful,thanxs much

[@ThePondDigger]

I nice size pond to get into will cost you between 8 to 10k for professional installation.

[@stretchy1968]

Great videos, thanks a bunch for posting! We're considering constructing a swimming pond in 2014 - other than upsizing our pump and filtration system to accommodate a larger volume of water, is there anything else we should be considering?

[@ThePondDigger]

@AznAveDaMan We get our stone from local rock yards and rock quarries close by our projects.

[@VIDEONEWS100]

Eine seltene Gabe zu sehen - die Natur als hohe Kunst

[@ThePondDigger]

+VIDEONEWS100 Thank you for the wonderful comment.

[@ThePondDigger]

Hang tough! More videos coming soon!

[@shangreer]

Great video. Sucks Part 2 is not up...finishing up my pond and waterfall next week...would be great to see how you finished this one.

[@RonnieMinh]

You guys are awesome, thanks! What kind of foam are you using?

[@ThePondDigger]

THankS!!!

[@toddnaplestileguy]

You work heavy n light with drift Your gifted.

[@ThePondDigger]

@fuzzymonkey79 I need more info.... How big is the bottom pond? How big do you want the top pond? And How wide is the waterfall spillway?

[@mophead013]

@ThePondDigger ... three months is not exactly my version of the "very near future". Lots of people want to see Part 2!

[@adamemon9764]

great job guys looks awesome I'm going to have a bash in my garden hope it turns out OK

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks for watching!

[@ThePondDigger]

@bordens47 Hey there, You could easily spend 2,500.00 to 4,000.00 on your equipment for this project depending on the quality of components, number of underwater lights, and other accessories. Where are you located? We are hosting a Waterfall Construction Seminar at our place here in California in just a couple weeks.

[@ThePondDigger]

The waterfall in this video is approximately 2 to 2 1/2 feet above water level. I would say 1m is the tallest I would suggest on the pond size you are looking to build. Shorter would make more sense.

[@TheWaterfallCompany]

Nice video

[@smcgregor72]

awesome vid bro,u r a true pro,i learnned loads from this

[@ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the feedback Katiehsu23! Rock On!

[@myswtsins]

Your videos are great & very helpful! When will we see part 2 & the finished product?

[@Arteolike]

Awesome! Got some info on how to start building mine, but any information on how to install a stream? P.S. LOVE the way the rock is stacked in the pond looks so good! 5 Stars

[@bagsga9454]

Love this look! We get more rain here than you do in CA. How would you prevent dirt from running down the hill above and getting into the pond?

[@ThePondDigger]

There are retaining walls, yard drains and has been planted well. That was a great question!

[@Gojira5400]

It would be awesome to have this in a house.

[@gumper5242]

Great Job . You guys do amazing work ! Were you able to move all of those Rocks by hand with just one or two people ? When I do mine I won't have access to any machinery just muscle. I did get a great tip from one of you other videos though. I plan on useing a blanket or underlay to help lift the larger Rocks.

[@408CECIM]

Cool bro part2$

[@lembeck4010]

First off I want to say great job on explaining the whole process and taking the time to explain the little tips... you have great insight and communication skills!! Now for my questions: I have a six foot fence that will be behind my waterfall - similar to what you have...Will l still need to build a retaining wall rather than pile dirt up against fence if I have no worries about dirt on my fence? I guess the problem there is I need to get behind waterfall, so how much room should I leave between fence and waterfall? If you wind up with too much liner or underlayment, would you ever want to cut it, or just better to fold under? I live in Minnesota so my waterfall will be 3 seasons.. anything I should consider up front in terms of which equipment I buy etc. etc...? My view from the house faces the fence - should I angle the waterfall slightly which I think is what you suggested to add character, or, should I come straight on? If I am limited by space, is it ok to have waterfall dump into small pool and then have a stream take a "hard right" to a bigger pool? Thanks again, Mike

[@ThePondDigger]

Michael Lembeck Great questions Michael. I do recommend having some sort of retaining work on the back of the waterfall when ever possible. Since we are in So Cal with smaller properties we are forced to retain. Occasionally we will have a sloping berm behind the waterfall. We just leave enough room for maintenance and plantings. You will be cutting excess liner and underlayment. How much will depend on your edge treatment. Minnesota! I have a great pond building buddy in MN that lives in Faribault. How close are you to Faribault? You want to consider using the best equipment you can afford that allow for ease of maintenance and then do your plumbing accordingly for winterizing!!! You know I'm liking Helix Life Support!! :) You're definitely catching on!!! I would turn the waterfall at a slight angle for sure!! As far as the pool at the base of the waterfall and the hard right turn……Yes I would do it that way here in Southern California. Something to consider in MN is that small pool will certainly freeze solid. Not sure exactly if thats gonna be a problem. I'll have to ask my MN buddy his opinion. Thanks for the great questions!

[@lembeck4010]

Thanks!! I am about 40 miles from Faribault in Bloomington about a mile from the Mall of America. I think it was one of your photos that I want to replicate - from waterfall, it spreads a bit to the left and spreads a lot to the right - would work great for my space.. you know the photo? Should the skimmer always be perpendicular to the waterfall? Or, should it be the farthest away from the waterfall - I have not gotten to the part where you show the how the water gets circulated back to the waterfall. Thanks again! You are the waterfall pond man!! Mike

[@Arteolike]

sure will, but i got a question, why use black pebbles in the bottom? Wouldn't a pebble that complements the rocks nicely like a grayish, pink, and white be much more appealing? Oh well your the expert, and i would never think of using slate in the waterfall, i always thought that's why they don't look natural? Oh and you replied quickly, no work? Is it raining in LA, cause it sure in here in Sacramento.

[@Triggerman2505]

Great video, Not sure if I missed it but what is the black plastic box called at the very inlet (top of the waterfall where water comes out). Is that needed, or can I just have water coming out of plastic pipe under a boulder and down the rocks? My waterfall will fall into a fibreglass swimming pool...thank you very much in advance for any wise suggestions.

[@melissadaniels6365]

I love your videos and would love to take on a waterfall project in my backyard. I don't have a lot of money for the rock and I have found the large character boulders are outrageously expensive at local landscaping businesses. I would like to scavenge for some of those bigger pieces but I live in Illinois where the land is pretty flat and construction sites really don't have anything I can scavenge. Do you have any suggestions on where to find large boulderlike stones?

[@ThePondDigger]

I don't know the area in IL very well, although I have put in some pond construction hours in your area. Where there is a will, there is a way. Keep pushing and find some local resources.

[@binhto8387]

thank for your information. I find your video very interesting. Could you please give my detailed information about the height of your waterfall, the distance between the top point and the falling point? What about the optimal height of a water fall for a small pond (3m x 1.5m)? 1m? Thanks for your help.

[@bambiturner8729]

I love your videos. I never see any videos starting at how much dirt or the construction of under the liner. Is there any way to make a video with that information. I have a waterfall dirt pile I'm working with now but kinda stuck on constructing the steps or layers. I have the large boulders in place to form the wall if you will.

[@omarcarranza8973]

Are you in California???? Love your videos

[@LakefieldWaterGarden]

How about Part 2, my sensei ;)

[@ThePondDigger]

@baykeesie How is the project coming along?

[@ThePondDigger]

I'll do the same if I end up in your neck of the woods for what ever reason. In fact most all of the traveling I have ever done was to build a waterfall or pond. The Pond Digger

[@fuzzymonkey79]

@ThePondDigger How would i include another pond on top of it that the water go into the waterfall and then in to another pond and if so what pump should i use ?