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Commercial Site Work

Detention & Retention Ponds
in Houston, TX

Detention and retention pond construction for commercial sites across Greater Houston. We dig to the engineer's volume, set the outfall and restrictor, and build slopes and berms that pass final inspection.

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Newly cut detention pond with silt fence and a concrete outfall on a Houston development
23Years on Houston Ground
3:1Steepest HCFCD Grass Slope
$2MGeneral Liability
98%Repeat & Referral

Service Overview

Detention Pond Construction Built to the Engineer's Volume

Every new roof and parking lot in Houston sends more storm water downstream. A detention pond holds that water and lets it out slowly through a sized restrictor. Jimenes Construction handles detention pond construction with our own operators, from the layout stakes to a pond floor graded to drain. We build for commercial sites: general contractors, developers, civil engineers and industrial owners across Greater Houston.

A detention pond and a retention pond do one job in two ways. A dry detention pond fills during the storm and drains within about 48 hours. A wet-bottom retention pond keeps a permanent pool and stores water above it. Houston agencies call both a detention basin. Inside the city, the City of Houston drainage manual sets the rules. In unincorporated Harris County, HCFCD or Harris County Engineering criteria apply, and the outfall decides which one. We start with the sealed civil set and match our excavation, storm sewer and site grading to it.

On most commercial sites the pond is the biggest cut on the job. That dirt does not have to leave. Tested pond spoil can build the building pads and paving subgrade, so the site balances its own earthwork. We build to the sealed plan, check grades as the cut goes down, and hand the engineer a pond whose as-built volume matches the calcs. Cut, haul, outfall, riprap and turf each get their own line on the estimate.

Ponds at a Glance

  • Excavated to the engineer's plan volume
  • Side slopes cut 3 to 1 or flatter, per plan
  • Outfall pipe and restrictor set to invert
  • Pilot channel and bottom graded to drain
  • Maintenance berm and backslope swale built
  • Spoil reused as site fill when it tests

Coverage

Detention & Retention Pond Services

Six pond jobs we take on for commercial sites, new or existing.

Dry-Bottom Detention Ponds

Graded floor, concrete pilot channel and cross slopes that drain the pond dry between Houston storms.

Wet-Bottom Retention Ponds

Permanent pool, safety shelf and flatter slopes dug to the depths on your civil sheets.

Outfall & Restrictor Structures

RCP outfall, restrictor pipe or plate, and the emergency spillway, set at the plan elevations.

Backslope Swales & Slope Protection

Berm swales, interceptor inlets, riprap and turf that keep sheet flow off the side slopes.

Pond Spoil to Site Fill

Pond dirt tested, moved and placed as pad and paving fill so the site balances its earthwork.

Pond Restoration & Silt Removal

Silt dug out, slopes reshaped, restrictor cleared and grass re-established on older commercial ponds.

Our Process

How We Build a Detention Pond

Five steps from the sealed plan to a pond that passes final inspection. Have the civil set handy when you call (832) 576-3278.

  1. 01

    Plans, Soil Report & Groundwater

    We read the civil sheets and the geotech report: pond volume, side slopes, inverts, groundwater and any dispersive clay. HCFCD wants a soil report for every pond it will maintain.

  2. 02

    Layout, Locates & Erosion Controls

    We file the 811 ticket and check the surveyor's stakes. Silt fence and a rock entrance go in before the first cut, and the storm water plan is in place first.

  3. 03

    Excavate to Grade & Place the Spoil

    The pond is cut to the plan elevations and side slopes. Spoil is hauled off or placed as site fill in tested lifts where the lab allows it.

  4. 04

    Outfall, Restrictor & Spillway

    The outfall pipe is laid to invert and the restrictor set at the pond end. The emergency spillway and riprap get built, and backslope swales are graded on the berm.

  5. 05

    Final Grade, Turf & As-Built Check

    The bottom and pilot channel are checked for drainage, and slopes are seeded or sodded. Grades are ready for the engineer's as-built survey and final inspection.

Timeline

How Long Does Detention Pond Construction Take?

Planning ranges from the sealed civil plan to the engineer's final sign-off.

Project TypeTypical SizeDuration
Small commercial dry pondUnder 1 acre-foot1 - 2 Weeks
Retail or office pad site pond1 - 5 acre-feet2 - 4 Weeks
Warehouse or industrial site pond5 - 20 acre-feet4 - 8 Weeks
Wet-bottom retention pondVaries by pool depth4 - 10 Weeks
Existing pond silt-out and restorationAny size1 - 3 Weeks

Engineering & Compliance

Pond Criteria We Build To

The engineer sets the volume. The agency sets the rules. We build the pond so both check out.

Slopes, Bottom & Berm

  • Grass side slopes no steeper than 3 to 1 (HCFCD, Harris County)
  • Floor cross slope draining to a pilot channel
  • HCFCD: 25-foot minimum corner radius for mowing
  • HCFCD: 20 to 30-foot maintenance berm, set by depth

Outfall & Restrictor

  • Restrictor set at the upstream end of the outfall
  • County outfall: Class III RCP, 18-inch minimum
  • City: two-stage restrictor, 6-inch minimum orifice
  • Emergency spillway on every pond

Slope & Erosion Protection

  • Backslope swale where ground falls toward the pond
  • Interceptor inlets pipe the water to the floor
  • Riprap at outfalls and overflow points
  • Permanent turf on every disturbed slope

Volume & Sign-Off

  • Cut to the plan volume and elevations
  • Dry pond drains within 48 hours of the storm
  • At least 1 foot of freeboard to low ground
  • Grades ready for sealed record drawings

Why Jimenes

Why Choose
Jimenes Construction

One Crew From Cut to Grass

Ponds stall when the excavation, pipe, riprap and turf are four different subs. Our operators and pipe crew run it with one superintendent, so a grade problem gets fixed the same day.

Built to Pass the As-Built

A pond dug short or left with a high spot fails the volume check and holds water. We check grades during the cut and at the bottom, before the surveyor arrives.

Spoil That Works for the Site

Hauling off pond dirt and then buying fill means paying twice. We plan the cut with the pads, so tested spoil builds the rest of the site.

Line-Item Pricing

Cut, haul, fill placement, outfall pipe, restrictor, riprap, spillway and turf each get a line. Any change to the pond gets priced and signed off before a machine moves.

Credentials

Insurance, Warranty & Sign-Off

Texas issues pond builders no license card to check. So each pond bid carries our insurance certificate, and the engineer's final inspection letter backs up the finished grades.

Permitted & Inspected City of Houston and Harris County
General Liability $2M per occurrence
Workers’ Comp Full crew coverage
Warranty 1-yr workmanship

Where We Work

Our Service Area

Houston-based and building detention ponds inside the city and across Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties. If you searched for a detention pond contractor near me, this is the ground we cover. Each county and city has its own pond rules, and your engineer's plan tells us which ones apply.

Do not see your town? Call us, we travel for the right project.Check Your Address

Good Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions about your pond? Call and talk to the superintendent who will run the cut and set the outfall.

Talk to a Builder
(832) 576-3278
What is the difference between a detention pond and a retention pond?

They hold storm water in two different ways.

  • A dry detention pond fills during the storm and drains out through a restrictor, designed to empty within about 48 hours.
  • A wet-bottom retention pond keeps a permanent pool and stores the storm water above it.
Under HCFCD criteria, a wet pond only gets detention credit for the volume above its normal pool. See our storm sewer page for how the water reaches the pond.

How deep is a detention pond?

The outfall sets the depth. A gravity pond can only go as deep as the ditch, storm sewer or channel it drains into. Groundwater and Houston's clay soils also limit the cut. For wet ponds, HCFCD criteria set the permanent pool at 3 to 8 feet deep, and Harris County rules ask for at least 6 feet. Our excavation crew digs to the elevations on the civil sheets and holds the outfall invert.

How long does water stay in a detention pond?

Not long, by design. HCFCD wants a dry pond empty within 24 hours where possible, and 48 hours at most. Inside Houston, a dry pond must drain off the property within 48 hours. Water still standing after that points to silt, a clogged restrictor or a bottom that was never graded to drain.

What are the detention requirements in Harris County?

The outfall decides the rate, and the engineer confirms the current criteria.

  • Draining to an HCFCD channel: under the District's current manual, most small sites store at least 0.65 acre-feet per acre of the tract.
  • Draining to a county roadside ditch: about 1.0 acre-foot per acre.
  • Draining to a county storm sewer: at least 0.75.
Inside the city, Houston asks for 0.8 acre-feet per acre of new impervious cover on commercial tracts up to 20 acres. Credits for existing pavement can lower that number.

How much does it cost to build a detention pond?

Every pond is priced from its own civil plans. The bid moves on the volume to dig, where the spoil goes, and how the water gets out.

  • Acre-feet of cut, and on-site fill versus haul-off
  • Groundwater and dewatering
  • Outfall length, connection, restrictor and spillway
  • Riprap, turf and backslope swale length
We price each one as its own line. Ask for the free estimate.

How do you maintain or restore an old detention pond?

An older pond loses volume as silt builds up and slopes erode. Restoration usually means a few things.

  • Dig out the silt so the pond holds its design volume again.
  • Regrade the bottom and pilot channel so it drains dry, with no standing water.
  • Clear the restrictor and repair eroded slopes and backslope swales.
In unincorporated Harris County, a recorded notice makes the owner responsible for upkeep. Inside Houston, the storm water quality permit renews every year. See erosion control for keeping silt out of the pond.

Dug. Piped. Checked.

Let's Build a PondThat Passes the Survey.

Free estimates from your civil plans, line-item pricing, and our own crews from the first cut to the last square of sod.

Get a Free EstimateOR CALL (832) 576-3278
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