Water You Can Hear From Every Seat.
We design and build pondless waterfalls, spillway walls, runnels and fountains as part of an outdoor room, for homes across Boise, Eagle and the Treasure Valley. Power, plumbing, permits and an easy fall shutdown are planned in from the first drawing.
PhotoEagle Foothills Fire & WaterEagle Foothills · Dry Creek Ranch
- Typical project
- $55k–$115k for an outdoor room with water; $80k–$160k for a complete backyard
- Power
- A pump needs a permitted outdoor circuit. We handle it.
- Winter
- Built to drain down in fall and start again in spring
From a Quiet Bubbler to a Stone Waterfall.
Most water features we build sit inside an outdoor room, sized to the seat you'll hear them from, and to the neighbors.
What the Valley Asks of Moving Water.
Hard freezes, mosquitoes and the power a pump needs. These are the local facts we design every feature around, each with its source.
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0–5°F
Hard Winters
Most of the valley sits in USDA zone 7a, where the coldest night of an average winter falls to 0 to 5°F. Pumps, lines and basins are built to drain down well before then.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023 -
2 tsp
Still Water Breeds Mosquitoes
Ada County's mosquito district notes that a couple of teaspoons of water is enough for a mosquito to lay eggs, and suggests stocking ornamental ponds with mosquito fish, koi or goldfish. Our features keep the water moving instead.
Ada County Mosquito Abatement District, at home -
100 ft
Fish Ponds on the Map
If you keep a fish pond, the district will add it to its map on request and won't treat within 100 feet of it. Its larvicides don't affect fish, but some of its adult sprays can.
Ada County Mosquito Abatement District, FAQ -
Permit
Power for the Pump
In Idaho, a permit is required whenever electrical work is performed, so the new outdoor circuit that feeds the pump is permitted and inspected. We arrange it as part of the build.
Idaho DOPL, electrical permit FAQs
Checked against USDA, Ada County and Idaho DOPL pages. Rules change, so we confirm them again for every project.
What a Water Feature Project Invests.
Set up for an outdoor living space with a water feature. Change anything to see how the range moves; your real number is set in design.
Water We've Designed and Built.
From First Call to First Flow.
The same six steps as every Fine Grade project, with the pump, the power and the winter plan a water feature adds.
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Step 1 · by phone or video
A Design Consultation
Where you'd like to hear water, the look you're after, and a comfortable range.
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Step 2 · at your home
A Site Visit
We note sun, wind, where you sit, where power can come from and where water would drain. Then you receive a design proposal with a fixed fee.
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Step 3
Design, and the Sound
Concept plan, 3D renderings, stone and the height of the drop, refined with you. The basin, pump and circuit are sized before the estimate is final.
A design fee, set after the site visit -
Step 4
A Fixed-Price Proposal
A construction proposal that matches the final design line for line, with a schedule. Before you sign, you'll receive Idaho's homeowner disclosure.
No cost to review -
Step 5 · on site
The Build
Basin, plumbing and power first, then stone, then planting and light. One project lead, weekly updates.
The proposal price, paid at milestones -
Step 6 · The first year
Walkthrough & Warranty
We start it up with you, walk you through the fall shutdown, and check back after the first winter.
Included, with a written warranty
About Water Features.
Something else on your mind? Ask a Designer
How much does a water feature cost in Boise?
Most of ours are built as part of an outdoor room, which typically invests $55,000–$115,000. A complete backyard with a water feature typically invests $80,000–$160,000, and a terrace with both fire and water $65,000–$145,000, design and build included. A feature on its own is usually below where our projects begin.
What is a pondless waterfall?
A waterfall or stream with no open pond at the bottom. Water falls into a rock-filled basin buried below grade, and a pump sends it back to the top. You get the sound and movement of a stream with far less to look after than a pond, and no open water for small children or pets to fall into.
Do water features attract mosquitoes?
Moving water gives them little chance. Ada County's mosquito district notes that a couple of teaspoons of still water is enough for a mosquito to lay eggs. A pondless feature keeps its water moving and drains back to a covered basin. For a fish pond, the district suggests stocking mosquito fish, koi or goldfish.
What happens to a water feature in winter?
It drains down in fall and starts again in spring. Most of the valley sees nights of 0 to 5°F in an average winter, so every feature we build drains back to its basin and the pump lifts out. We show you the shutdown at handover. We don't offer seasonal service, but we're glad to recommend someone who does.
Do I need a permit for a water feature?
For the power, yes. In Idaho, a permit is required whenever electrical work is performed, so the new outdoor circuit that feeds the pump is permitted and inspected. Your HOA may also want to review the feature. We check both for your lot.
How much water does a water feature use?
Less than you might think, but not none. A recirculating feature reuses the same water and only tops up what evaporates or splashes out. In July that adds up, so we size the drop and the spray to the space and add an automatic fill where it makes sense.
Will a water feature drown out road noise?
It can soften it, if it is placed and tuned for it. Falling water masks steady noise best when it is close to where you sit and faces you. We set the height of the drop and the flow in design, and add a valve so you can turn it down on quiet evenings.
Can you add a water feature to our existing patio?
Often, as part of a larger redesign. A feature needs power, a basin and room for the pump, which usually means new stone and planting around it. If that's all you need, the project may be below where ours begin, and we'll tell you so honestly.
Keep Planning
Let's Bring in the Sound of Water.
A design consultation, a clear process, and a designer who tells you honestly what's possible within your range.
Rather talk? Call or text (208) 994-9204 Mon–Fri 8am–5pm