Fountain installation in Boise, Idaho

Most people who ask me about fountain installation in Boise have already seen one they like, maybe a bubbling urn at a garden center or a stone column in a neighbor's yard. Now they want one at home, and the questions start. Where should it go? Where does the water come from? Do you need an outlet out there? I answer those before anything goes in the ground.

I'm Kabe Hockema, and I've been landscaping since 2012. I'm on every install myself. I build with Aquascape components: a buried basin that holds the water, a pump, and a feature on top, like a bubbling urn, a basalt column or a drilled stone. If you're still picking a style, my page on fountains covers the types. For everything else, start at my fountain contractor page.

When a fountain is the right call

A fountain gives you the sound of moving water without a pond. It takes little space, has no open water for a toddler or dog to fall into, and needs light upkeep. It's a good fit when a patio feels too quiet or too close to road noise, when you want water but not fish, or when the yard is too small for a stream or waterfall.

Before I dig: the spot, the power and what's underground

Most of what makes a fountain work is decided before the shovel comes out. I walk the yard with you and look at three things.

Where you'll see and hear it. A fountain should face the places you actually use: the kitchen window, the back door, your favorite chair. Sound fades fast with distance, so a fountain at the far fence is mostly something to look at.

Power. The pump plugs into a GFCI outlet, which is a safety outlet that cuts power if it senses a fault. If there isn't one close by, an electrician adds one. I plan a buried route for the cord so you don't see it.

What's under the ground. Utility lines get marked through Idaho's 811 service. I also check for sprinkler lines, roots and slope.

How fountain installation goes, step by step

• Mark and dig. I paint the outline and dig a hole a little wider and deeper than the basin.
• Build a firm base. The bottom gets compacted and leveled so the basin won't shift or sink.
• Set the basin. The basin is a tough plastic reservoir that sits under the rock. It has to be level, or the water will run off one side.
• Place the pump and tubing. The pump sits inside the basin, with flexible tubing up to the feature. I leave an access point so the pump can come out later without moving the whole fountain.
• Set the feature. The urn, column or stone goes on the basin lid. I shim it until it's plumb and steady.
• Backfill and cover. Soil goes back around the basin. Gravel and river rock cover the lid, so all you see is stone and water.
• Fill, test and tune. I fill it, run it and adjust the flow until it sounds right and the splash lands where it should.

Before I leave, I show you how to top off the water, clean the pump intake and shut the fountain down for winter.

What Treasure Valley conditions change about the install

Clay and builder fill. Many yards in Boise, Meridian and Kuna sit on heavy clay or on compacted fill left from when the subdivision was built. Clay swells when wet, and loose pockets of fill settle. I dig past the soft layer and compact a solid base so the basin stays level.

Hot, dry wind. On a July afternoon, wind carries spray past the rock and evaporation takes the rest. I size the gravel catch area to fit the spray. An auto-fill valve, which tops off the basin from a water line, saves you from dragging a hose out.

Hard water. Our water leaves a white mineral crust on stone and urns, and it can slowly clog a pump. I set the pump where it's easy to reach for cleaning and show you how to keep the crust down.

Hard freezes. Before the first hard freeze, the pump comes out and the urn or vessel gets drained. Because of the access point, that's a short chore, not a dig.

What drives the cost

Aquascape fountain kits start at $5,500. From there, the price depends on:

• The feature itself. One urn costs less than a set of three basalt columns.
• How far power has to run, and whether you need a new outlet.
• Access. A narrow side gate means more hand work than a yard a machine can reach.
• Digging conditions, like rock or dense clay.
• Add-ons such as an auto-fill valve, lighting and planting around the fountain.

Fitting a fountain in with other projects

Fountain installation in Boise is easiest while other work is going on. If a new patio is coming, I run power before the pavers go down. My page on patio fountain installation goes into that. A couple of low fixtures from my landscape lighting work make the water glow at night. If you want something one of a kind instead of a standard urn or column, look at custom fountain design.

Where I install fountains

I'm based in Boise and install fountains across the Treasure Valley, including Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Star, Middleton, Kuna, Garden City and Hidden Springs. I also work in Sun Valley and Ketchum, where the fall shutdown comes earlier.

Schedule a fountain installation consultation

If you're ready for fountain installation in Boise, schedule a consultation. I'll walk the yard with you, help you pick the spot and the fountain, and lay out the plan. You can also call me at (541) 961-7269, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.