Detention and retention pond construction that controls stormwater and meets site requirements.
Scrape a few inches off almost any detention basin in Georgetown and you hit rock. San Gabriel limestone sits close under the clay out here, and it shapes how every pond in this city drains, erodes and holds water, whether it was built for the retail pads off Wolf Ranch Parkway or a water quality basin tucked behind a Sun City amenity center.
That rocky clay does not absorb water the way sandy soil does, so basins built on it tend to hold a skin of standing water longer after a storm than the drainage report assumed. Add Georgetown's pattern of long dry stretches followed by hard, fast rain, and you get forebays that silt in quickly, outlet structures that catch debris and clog, and side slopes that either stay bare and erode or grow volunteer trees and brush because nobody cut them back. Older sections near Old Town often show cracked or undersized outfall structures from before current site standards. Newer master-planned sections like Wolf Ranch tend to have the opposite problem: fresh basins where the topsoil and seed never held on that hard clay subgrade.
We walk the basin with whoever is responsible for it, whether that is a property manager, an HOA board, or a GC closing out a site, and we tell you plainly what we see. Then we handle the excavation, grading, structure work, riprap and slope stabilization needed to get the pond functioning the way the site plan intended, working alongside the property engineer when the scope calls for it.
We're a local, family-built company that treats your Georgetown property like our own, tidy crews, clear pricing, and detention ponds that holds up to Williamson County conditions. Available as a one-time project or part of an ongoing plan.
A detention pond temporarily holds stormwater runoff and releases it slowly, so a developed site doesn't flood downstream neighbors or overwhelm storm drains. Most Central Texas commercial sites, subdivisions and larger developments are required to have detention as part of their drainage permit.
A detention pond drains down to empty between storms and is dry most of the time, while a retention pond holds a permanent pool of water. We build and maintain both, choosing the right one based on your site's soils, drainage requirements and available space.
We come out, walk the basin with you, and look at the inlet, outlet, forebay and slopes before we talk numbers. You get a free, no-obligation estimate, usually scheduled within 48 hours of your call. For HOA or association ponds we are glad to walk it with a board member or the management company so everyone sees the same thing.
It depends on age and rainfall more than a fixed schedule. A newer basin in Wolf Ranch might just need slope and erosion work in its first few years, while an older pond near Old Town may need outlet cleaning and riprap repair every storm season. Sediment buildup after heavy rain, slow drawdown, or visible erosion are usually what triggers a call.
Most of the heavy work happens inside the basin itself, away from parking and building entrances, so day to day traffic is rarely affected. We coordinate timing with property management or the HOA so residents and tenants know equipment will be on site, and we keep access routes clear for emergency vehicles and regular deliveries throughout the job.
The clay over limestone means excavation and grading take more care and sometimes more equipment time than in softer soil, and it is part of why some basins drain slower than the original plans expected. Long dry spells followed by hard rain also mean bare slopes erode fast once they lose grass cover, so slope stabilization matters more here than in steadier rainfall climates.
Size and depth of the basin drive most of the cost, along with how much sediment has built up and whether the inlet or outlet structures need repair or full replacement. Slope stabilization work, riprap quantities, and site access all factor in too. A basin that has been neglected for a few years almost always costs more to bring back than one on a regular maintenance pattern.
Free, no-pressure estimate from a local crew. Call (737) 404-9343 or request a quote online.
