Detention and retention pond construction that controls stormwater and meets site requirements.
Detention ponds do real work in Lago Vista, and the lake is the reason. Properties along Highland Lake Estates, Bar-K Ranches and Point Venture sit on rocky hillside lots that drain straight toward Lake Travis, and a basin that is not functioning correctly does not just flood a parking lot. It sends silt and runoff downhill toward the water, which is exactly what the pond was built to stop in the first place.
Thin soil over rock changes how these systems behave. Water that should soak in in a few hours sits in the basin instead, so drawdown runs slow and a forebay that should be catching sediment ends up half full of it after one good storm. On older sections built before an HOA took over maintenance, we find bare embankments that erode a little more with every rain, volunteer trees rooted into the slope where they do not belong, and outlet structures clogged with the same rock and debris that washes off these hillsides. None of it is unusual for this part of Travis County. It is just what happens when steep lots meet thin ground.
Working with us on this scope starts with a walk of the basin, not a sales pitch. We look at the inlet, the forebay, the slopes and the outlet, and tell you plainly what is holding water back from draining the way it should. From there we handle the excavation, grading, erosion control, riprap and structure work the site actually needs, built to the plan or alongside your project engineer where one is involved. You get a contractor who has seen what these hillside basins do over time and knows which problems get worse if they sit.
We're a local, family-built company that treats your Lago Vista property like our own, tidy crews, clear pricing, and detention ponds that holds up to Travis 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 walk the basin with you, or with whoever holds the site keys if it is a gated section of Highland Lake Estates or Point Venture, and look at the inlet, forebay, outlet structure and slopes. You get a free on-site estimate, usually scheduled within 48 hours of your call. We will tell you what we see in the ground before we talk about what it costs to fix.
It depends on the basin's age and how much rock and clay it sits in, but most of the systems we see here need grading, outlet or slope work every few years rather than on a fixed schedule. A hard rain event, a board walkthrough that turns up standing water past 72 hours, or a transfer from a developer to an HOA are the usual triggers that bring us out.
Yes, that is most of what we do on commercial and HOA sites. We stage equipment away from drive aisles and visitor parking, phase the work so residents in Bar-K Ranches or a retail center still have access, and coordinate timing with property management or the board before anything starts. We will tell you ahead of time which days involve heavier equipment near shared areas.
Thin soil over rock on these lakeside slopes drains slower than deeper clay sites, so a basin here can hold water longer than it should and still look fine on the surface. Hillside lots also shed water fast when it does rain, which pushes silt into forebays and strips cover off embankments, so slope stabilization and outlet checks matter more here than on flatter ground.
Access is the biggest factor, since a basin tucked into a hillside lot or behind a gated section costs more to reach with equipment than one off a main road. Beyond that, the amount of silt built up in the forebay, how much slope stabilization or riprap is needed, and whether outlet or outfall structures need rebuilding instead of clearing all move the number.
Free, no-pressure estimate from a local crew. Call (737) 404-9343 or request a quote online.
