So-Cal Ponds I am writing this review to explain my dissatisfaction with the work performed by So-Cal Ponds in 2023. During the project, large stones were placed on a steep hillside adjacent to my pool without any visible bracing or reinforcement. In 2025, one of those stones rolled down the hillside and into the pool, damaging the pool plaster. To his credit, Dominic, the owner, came to my home to assess the damage. He offered to remove the stone from the pool and relocate the stones on the hillside for a few hundred dollars. However, this did not address my main concern regarding the original installation. In my correspondence, I explained that as a professional landscaper, it is reasonable to expect that proper reinforcement and erosion-prevention measures would be considered when placing large stones on a steep slope. These are foreseeable factors that fall within a professional's expertise at the time of installation. Unfortunately, So-Cal Ponds did not agree to correct the issue at no cost, and I will now have to pay out of pocket to have the stones removed from the hillside and relocated to a safer area. I have sought legal counsel regarding this matter and have been advised that I have a strong small claims court case. So-Cal Pools customer service has been a huge disappointment with their lack of professionalism. They do not stand by their work. Addendum: Please refer to my Google review where Dominic falsely states that he would move the stones on the hillside for FREE. read more

SoCal Ponds - The rock that fell off the hillside into the pool. - Landscaping Near Me - Tujunga, California

We had the SoCal Ponds crew install a new lawn and do a bunch of other things around our house and could not be happier with the experience and results. The project was a complete transformation, and an unused lot filled with bushes and trees is completely unrecognizable, a big green lawn with gorgeous planters and hedges around it. The team -- we worked primarily with Eric and Dom -- communicated well, helped work with our vision while offering their own ideas to maximize the land. Most of all, they were really attentive to details to help protect the house and existing infrastructure. We will happily go back to SoCal Ponds for more work in the future. read more

SoCal Ponds - Landscaping Near Me - Tujunga, California

I grew up with ponds, from our house in Nederland, Colorado to Sonoma County--so having a pond at my first house in LA was a no brainer. Dominic and the crew at SoCal ponds were great. From initial consult to wrapping up our pond, the crew was professional and worked super hard to execute on our vision. Can't recommend SoCal Ponds enough--they're fantastic and you get what you pay for. Will give them a call when I inevitable want to go bigger :D. read more

SoCal Ponds - Landscaping Near Me - Tujunga, California

So-Cal Ponds does so much more than just water features. Don't let their name fool you -- They make landscape magic! How to put into words the joy they have brought us from the work they did on our back yard? Our family wanted a complete overhaul and transformation of our yard -- from a flat, grass and flagstone traditional backyard, to a Garden Wonderland. We met with various companies, but after meeting Dominic - we knew we'd found the perfect team. Instead of being daunted by the task we'd set, he and his crew were excited by the challenge. They took our somewhat off-kilter ideas and priorities, and worked with us to make sure it was all incorporated into the final plan, even helping to find a wonderful landscape designer to ensure what we'd imagined could be built. Despite the inevitable setbacks, So-Cal Ponds always found a way forward, usually better than what we'd envisioned before. This included creating an underground water reservoir to save any water runoff (including pond cleaning) to help our yard to thrive. Our previous small pond was transformed into a Koi dreamscape, big enough to cool off in during the summer heat. And our flat, water guzzling, grassy yard is now a triple level, drought-tolerant mini forest, complete with Tiki Grotto. The drip irrigation and low voltage lighting is wonderful and trouble free. UPDATE: After the Eaton Fires, So-Cal made sure to check in and come by to get our pond back up and functioning within just a couple of days. They are a gift to our community!! read more

See all

We've known Dominic and the So Cal Ponds crew for quite a few years now. Dominic originally re-engineered the plumbing on our newly completed water feature, so it would work properly. It's given us immense pleasure, but we had an unanticipated pump failure. Dominic was very quick to respond and sent Victor to replace the pump. We couldn't be happier. Victor was fantastic. He was professional, knowledgeable, and super-personable. He had the work done quickly and was very respectful of the surrounding landscape. In addition, Dominic's office staff (thanks Marissa) is also great. Thanks Victor and thanks So Cal Ponds. read more

SoCal Ponds - Water feature. - Landscaping Near Me - Tujunga, California

Our water feature had not been professionally serviced for many years and based solely on Yelp reviews, I contacted So-Cal Ponds. In a few days, Dominic responded & visited our location for an analysis & estimate. He was very thorough, professional and provided a very fair estimate for all the work that needed to be done. Within a week, our pond & waterfall wass operating better than ever. So-Cal Ponds was very prompt & performed excellent service. I will plan to have them service our water feature semi-annually. Also, the office staff (Marissa & Marie) are very communicative & responsive as well. Thanks, So-Cal Ponds. Matt L Valley Village read more

Thank you so much for having Victor as an employee. I was very impressed with his expertise, knowledge, and efficiency. He took great care to make sure that the pump and filtration installation by for the koi pond would work at its best. He was very patient to answer all my concerns and questions. He provided simple explanations as to the system function and use. I appreciated his politeness, cheerful attitude, and how obvious it is that he enjoys his work and takes pride in what he does. I look forward to a long connection with your company! Thank you -a satisfied customer, Edward Eagle Rock epdubu@roadrunner.com read more

I had requested service to service our Koi pond, which Victor had done. He was on time and asked questions about what was wrong. After discussing he knew exactly what to do. The waterfall is now working properly and other maintenance items were addressed and fixed. We highly recommend So Cal Ponds to anyone and Victor for doing a great job. Best........Rodriguez Family, Sun Valley CA read more

Needed my pond checked and things tidied up. Dominic was responsive, the company sent out an estimate after and the employee showed up and completed the work. The area was left clean and suggestions were given for maintenance on my part. This is a local business and they did well. Thanks! read more

SoCal Ponds - My water area is back to normal. Clean and water flowing at the correct level. - Landscaping Near Me - Tujunga, California

Dominic, Eric and team installed new drains to help with flooding and other water issues we were having from all the rains in 2022. They were always on time and quick and clear with communications and contracts. When they found a big root in a drain and even a broken pipe, they were generous about fixing it while sticking to the original contract terms. Would definitely call them again! read more

We had So-Cal Ponds out to clean and install a new pump in our exiting pond. The pond is now healthy and the small waterfall is great. They did a nice job and I appreciate that when the pump happened to malfunction that they fixed it at no charge. Would recommend. read more

So-Cal Ponds recently came to clean our stream. It had stopped working, as well. Dominic oversaw the entire job; he was great to work with, and very knowledgeable. Victor was incredible! He worked very hard. There were lots of roots he had to work with. He never showed any frustration with this situation. He was kind and respectful. The stream is as beautiful and tranquil as the day it was installed! Victor explained the importance of adding the beneficial bacteria and cleaning the filter pads. We ended up needing a new pump, which was expected. The whole experience, from the initial call with Marie, to the expertise of Dominic, to the intensive labor and superb work ethic from Victor, was incredible...worth every penny! read more

So cal ponds is amazing. Dominic really cares about his business and he will do you right. They installed my creek a few years back and I had them come back for maintenance and to add new lights. Quality work is worth every penny. read more

Thank you So-Cal Ponds for fixing my leak and making my pond better than when I bought this place. I recently bought my Monrovia home which came with a gorgeous pond, koi and turtles. Sadly it soon started to lose a lot of water. After researching options, I chose So-Cal Ponds and couldn't be happier. Not only did they quickly identify the problem and get me a quote but they got me scheduled and the job done in no time. The two men who did the work came with appropriate PPE and very nice. They showed me pics of the problem and had the pond rebuilt in a few hours. They even added extra rocks to make it work and look better. I highly recommend So-Cal Ponds. read more

SoCal Ponds - a small pond in the backyard - Landscaping Near Me - Tujunga, California

See all

So here is the tea.. So-Cal ponds scheduled different technicians every week to our home. No one knows what happened the weeks prior because it is not the same technician cleaning our pond. They do the bare minimum and excuse my language, but they don't give two shits about your fish. My mother hired this company, and I've always kept my eye on them while they work. They used to service my home and charge us for an hour when they would not work the full hour - they only worked about 30 min. FACTS. THEN, So-Cal Ponds sent us an email to get a Spring Cleaning, so I followed up and scheduled this. Come time for the appointment, they didn't show, did not call us to inform us, and they pretty much canceled our appointment and said that we never scheduled an appointment!!!! WTF. On top of that, they also refused to continue servicing our pond with about 25-30 koi fish due to a filtration problem. They simply did not care to try & fix this hurdle....We were EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED with how they treated this dilemma. (our fish could have died because of the bad filter!!!!! And again, they did not want to fix it) Never calling you again or working with this company. I dont feel bad for this review either. Your management needs help. Try Aquatic Gardens, they solved my problem within 2 weeks. it was a one man show (Shawn) who truly cared to help us buy a new filter, install it, and after 1 week, our pond was SOOOOO CLEAR. I will post pictures soon of So Cal Ponds work vs Aquatic Garden. read more

Dominic and So-Cal Ponds did a fantastic job in our yard! We don't have a pond - this was for landscaping work including trees, plants, irrigation, lighting, a vegetable garden, and DG installation. All of the workers were punctual, respectful, and friendly. Dominic was very easy to communicate with, knowledgeable, fair/trustworthy/transparent with pricing, and flexible as we requested modifications/additions to our original bid. Thank you for making our backyard dreams into reality! read more

See all

First appointment was for a Thursday but they wrote it in for a Friday. Their bad. Second appointment they cancelled because he got injured on a site visit. Third appointment came to my door 10minutes before end of 10-12 time window. (No one called as they had promised to reduce window and firm up a time.) and when I said I was on a tight schedule and could not meet he listed off all the times I had changed appointments, this apparently being the third, telling me I had wasted 3hrs of his time. Not true, not friendly, not worth it. REPLY TO DOMINIC: I was told by your office manager I would receive a phone call to reduce the time window and this never happened. If it is such a time commitment to drive to our part of town I am surprised you would not call before getting on the road to confirm. When the window is 10-12 and you show up at 11:50 - this means the actual meeting time to occur would surpass the window. For my schedule that day it was just not possible to speak with you past 12 noon. So especially when you are pushing the limits of a promised time window I would strongly recommend you call before leaving your location to make sure it's still on (many people do this!)- this is much better tactic than arriving at the last minute and getting pissed off. read more

I found Dominic on-line more or less five (5) years ago. We acquired the property then as well as the contractor whose taking care of the pond from the previous owner. We have decided to change as we are no longer happy the way our pond being service. I saw at least five (5) contractors and reviewed everyone's proposal. Dominic presented the most simple and natural way to maintain a pond. That makes him different from the rest. No chemicals needed just rocks and plants for the filtration. We've never had issue with the building up of algae. The water looks natural and healthy as we got baby fishes every year. He kept one same guy to do the maintenance for our pond. His name is Phil, he's been with us for a long time already. I think the person whose going to stay in this kind of job should have a passion and a heart for nature. We are happy and satisfied with So-Cal Ponds for the maintenance of our pond. read more

These guys did a great job!!! I tried a few other pond businesses in the past but these guys are exceptional. I am beyond happy with their..everything.. pricing, quality of work, design, and knowledge of pond ecosystems, irrigation and lighting. They are passionate about the work that they do which was obvious when they redid my pond!! It looks great!! read more

Dominic is a very nice guy, his company came out as promised and arrived to service the pond as scheduled. He is very personable and professional. His knowledge and passion for ponds is impressive. There are not a lot of pond service companies out there and to know that Dominic truly cares is a great quality. read more

SoCal Ponds - Landscaping Near Me - Tujunga, California

I had So Cal Ponds over to do my major pond cleaning. This is about 8000 gallons of a 10,000 gallon pond that had been a swimming pool and the first time we didn't do it ourselves... It is a tremendous amount of work to harvest over 120 Koi, Hi Fin Sharks, Channel Cats and Goldfish then clean and re-fill this water feature. Some of these buggers are HEAVY. Dom's crew arrived on time and worked beautifully through all the levels of care. Though I wasn't thrilled about being billed for the lunch hour, I know they worked diligently and worked well together to get this job done in the day's time frame we allotted. Fast forward ~90 days later . . . as a second round of applause, I frantically contacted Dom on the July 4th holiday as I woke at 3 a.m. to raccoons playing in the last foot of water in my pond. I never have a coon problem because it is typically too deep and they don't get into it. Apparently a major leak occurred due to a liner mal-function near the water falls which has since been detected. Not the fault of Dom or So Cal Ponds. Dom emailed me immediately and offered some solutions. HE also offered to meet me at his shop to pick up the AmQuel product for adding tap water. It was very comforting to at least have a return communication and someone to bounce the possibilities off. I am a small business contractor and I understand how difficult it is to reach out to and communicate with every caller. Sometimes people fall through the cracks. Glad I wasn't one of them. Thank you for great service, Dom ! read more

I hired Dominic and his crew to do a small landscaping project for me. They cleaned up a hill, installed irrigation and planted new ground cover. They cleaned up after themselves and went through all the work with me as well as helped with watering schedules. Had a small issue with one of the valves (manufacturing issue) and they were out immediately to repair it. Definitely stand by their work. I wish I would have had them tackle this project sooner! read more

It's a very nice place they are helpful there however,The place is pretty expensive. Quite honestly you can go on Amazon and buy some of the stuff half the price do you only reason I went there to buy the stuff was because I needed it right away instead of one star I would give them two stars for pricing. read more

Sadly, I have to write that I would not recommend their services. We were charged $175 for a filter cleaning. After arrival we learned this consisted of removing the filter top, breaking up any compacted media and then backwashing to clean the filter. Dominic arrived an hour earlier then the office had stated he would be arriving and spent 35minutes completing the items above. The pond was left murky but we were told it would clear up in a few days. After he left a few days passed and we noticed it was not returning to the clear water it was before. After investigating we learned our pump was not priming. Dominic had recommended a $435 repair which included a new pump lid and pvc backwash line into one garden area which we declined due to price and ordered the lid direct from the company and replaced it. We also decided to keep our backwashing as it had been the last two years where we recycle the water using a hose to water our potted plants. Sadly we continued to notice the pump no longer priming. Finally we investigated the connections and noticed that the line connecting our pump to filter was loose. We also noticed that the fittings to our AquaUV light was loose where he had installed a new bulb for us. When mentioned to Dominic, sadly there was no apology but rather his response of: "Gina, I'm sorry you say that. I didn't loosen or disconnect your fittings on the filter when I serviced it. I decided to write this review because after receiving this response it was even more upsetting that responsibility wasn't just accepted since obviously to service a filter and do a cleaning, the connections need to be loosened and the top needs to be removed. UPDATE: I have yet to receive a call from Dominic or an apology but received the response below. The above is a review and an account of my dealings with So Cal Ponds and is in no way meant to "slander" a small business but share my dealings with others as I would a friend or associate that would ask. There was no "follow up" to their work as stated below. I was emailed by Dominic's Office assistant to sign up for their monthly services and additional work. Dominic did not contact me to see how the pond was doing or to follow up and it wasn't until two weeks later that when I received an additional email asking when I wanted to sign up for additional services that I thought I would express our dissatisfaction. All he had to do was say he was sorry. read more

It is so nice to find a business that MORE than meets your expectations. The workers were wonderful and GOOD! We had never had lights in our stream and they asked if we wanted to add this feature. We thought it was a great idea. They installed the lights and you can't even see them they are so well placed. The price was reasonable and we would highly recommend them. read more

Perfect and Professional Always!! 3 year Customer. We have had So-Cal Ponds Since They Built our Custom Tiki Style Pond and Waterfall 3 years ago. The Weekly Service Is Always Exceptional, but if it is not, Dominic or his crew has responded in a very timely manner to remedy any issue we have had. One time we had a leaky filter and Dominic came out within an hour of us telling him about it and replaced a bad grommet. It leaked 1 month later and He came back out and fixed it again at no charge. It has been good since with no issues. We Highly Recommend So-Cal Ponds!!!! read more

See all

I went on Yelp because I needed help and repair on a pond. I read the good reviews of Dominic at So-Cal Ponds. i spoke with him and he came out and took a look at the pond and told my son that he would get back to us. I have called him multiple times , left message and have NEVER gotten an answer. Nothing! Not a call back nor email. It is an awful way to do business . i hope reading this discourages anyone else from this bad business behavior. I can understand if he could,t fix the problems or even if he didnt want to but not showing the courtesy of a return call is bad form, bad behavior and bad business! Jeffrey read more

I was having trouble getiting landscapers to show up for bids, return my calls, or show that they were at all interested in my business. When Dominic came to look at my fountain, he mentioned that they do landscaping as well, and the rest is history. A quarter-acre of subterranean irrigation and sod (among other services) later, I am very pleased with Dominic and his crew. They are reliable, knowledgable, responsive and pleasant to be around. Dominic has come by multiple times to check on the sod, adjust irrigation times and levels, and see if we needed anything. When some pieces of sod didn't take, he replaced them without being asked, then texted me to suggest additional hand watering to make sure it would thrive. He and his crew mulched a huge portion of my property and dug out and placed a broken-concrete path that pulled together our front courtyard beautifully. He even helped me find a great maintenance gardener to make sure the grass was well tended! I am so glad to have found Dominic and So-Cal Ponds (and Gardens!) and highly recommend this company. read more

We have used So Cal ponds for all of our ponds and have had the best experience. They are punctual, respectful, very friendly and knowledgeable. Whenever we have a problem/question, we call and get immediated assistance or answers. Try them, you will NOT be let down. read more

I have a customer for my construction company who had me build a large greenhouse for him. While building this the customer had a koi pond put in next to it, Damien established the environment for the fish and dealt with their ongoing needs. I know that this can be a tricky task, I wish I could find someone who could provide the same level of service for this customer's orchids. read more

Dominic and his team are total pros. I needed a professional to consult on river I was designing. Dominic came to the site and provided invaluable assistance and advice for my build. He continued to offer help several times when I ran into trouble. The end result was better than I could have imagined. So-Cal ponds is highly recommended. read more

We have a pond that was installed in 4.5 years ago that was rapidly losing water. We stopped using it for about four months because we were unable to find someone to repair it. I recently found Dominic Carone's company, So-Cal Ponds on Yelp. He answered my phone call and was extremely courteous, knowledgeable, and straightforward on the phone. He came out yesterday and diagnosed the problem right away. I was very happy with his troubleshooting expertise. He very much loves ponds and is great at his work. I am happy to say that I now have a go-to company to maintain my pond through the years! As a follow-up to my review in December 2016, my pond required two follow-up repairs as the rapid water loss continued. Dominic was extremely responsive and dependable in coming back twice. The problem with the defective lining placement was properly diagnosed and repaired last Friday and now the pond is up and running. We are extremely appreciative of Dominic's expertise and courteous service! read more

No words can explain how amazing this company is... The owner even does a ton of the work himself which is rare to find these days!!!! I had always wanted a pond of my own, and never really found the right fit in a pond specialist. Dominic came out to take a look at my yard and we immediately hit it off. He totally understood my vision and the direction I wanted to take. He asked me all the important questions, most of which I never knew were relative to a pond, but it helped educate me on the process. We chatted for over an hour at the initial meeting and within a few days he provided me with a price so fair that I didn't hesitate at all before awarding him the project. Although his schedule was booked Dominic managed to find a spot that he could squeeze me in. A few weeks later his team showed up and it was like poetry in motion watching them work together. Everyone on the team knew what their job was, and my pond quickly started taking shape right before my eyes. The project was completed in the timeline Dominic had given me, and it turned out absolutely beautiful. There was such a sense of detail and perfection in every aspect of the pond build it was a very refreshing experience from start to finish. If you are in the market for a pond don't look any further than So-Cal Ponds! read more

If you have a pond or want one or a water feature Dominic is the man to call. These guys are the best. They have vision and skills that others just cant compare with. We will never go anywhere else!!!! read more

Our pond was losing a significant level of water and reached out to Dominic at So-Cal Ponds after we previously had an appointment with the folks that repaired the pond a few years ago who called me at 4PM the day they were going to show up at 8AM to reschedule. Needless to say, I did not return their call - I appreciate things happen and I'm typically a go with the flow type of guy, but to call someone at the end of the business day to reschedule an AM appointment...let's just say they lost my business in addition to respect! Dominic came out to our house to inspect our pond, quoted a price and showed up on time the appointment date for the repair. He did mention that sometimes leaks can be troublesome to locate 100% and may require another visit. In our case, we noticed the pond still was losing some water and Dominic swung by one afternoon in the rain and made a temporary adjustment to see if that would help, which it did. Further, Dominic came back a week later (due to my schedule, not his) and put everything back together. The above did not include another trip to install a new pump that went out on us during this process, which got a little delayed on our end as we needed some new/proper electrical work performed to correct issues from the original company that installed the pond. The things we continue to learn when repairing and remodeling our home! All in all, this was a relatively small project per se, but you really could not tell as Dominic was very amenable throughout the process and wanted to make sure not only did the repair correct the issues, but that were we happy. We've done a lot of remodeling at our home over the years and were very loyal to the good teams we've been fortunate to work with and Dominic and So-Cal Ponds is right up there. HIghly recommend. read more

Dominic and SO CAL Ponds are AMAZING!! Thank you so much for the beautiful work and craftsmanship you put into our pond. You truly created a serene habitat for my scaly babies. They are thriving and happy thanks to you. You guys are awesome! Thanks again! read more

Disappointed with the service. Was promised follow-up, seldom got a call back, got better results with text. Have been waiting for 2months. Gave up on any resolution. Did not find him cost effective at all. Would caution anyone lese to get other bids. read more

So-Cal Ponds has a high level of expertise and is both professional and reasonable. I have been impressed by all my interactions with owner Dominic. He has a great knowledge of how ponds function as well as how to work with the plant and animal life that may live there. He has come up with creative cost effective solutions to improve my pond function. He is fair, honest and always quick to respond. I recommend this company highly. read more

My wife and I are simply blown away by Dominic and his team at So-Cal Ponds. In an culture of shrinking personal service So-Cal is the exception to the rule. Honest, friendly, genuine, and caring are the first words that come to mind. During our build the crew unearthed the property's old septic tank, removed it and then realized the hole was too big to completely fill in so Dom's solution was to give us a much bigger pond than originally quoted at no extra charge. We now have an amazing eco-environment in our back yard that looks and sounds incredible. We returned from vacation at the end of the build to find a leak in one of the valves. One call to Dominic and he was at our house in 15 minutes all the while his wife is 9 months pregnant and due any minute. From minute one you can tell this man's passion about his work. I can not recommend them highly enough. Not only have i found a wonderful pond service, i feel like I've gained a new friend. Do yourself a favor and get these guys involved in your pond build!! read more