Blog
Notes on measuring, sizing and quoting jobs, from the people who make the tools.
- Why PondTools is getting two siblingsThe trades next to pond building quote the same way, so the same software approach should work for them.
- What a Builder Site includes$509 a month for a site we write, build, host and change for you, with PondTools Pro included.
- How many gallons is my pond?Length times width times depth is close for a box. Ponds with shelves are another matter.
- The six things a pond kit leaves outFoam sealant, dechlorinator, starter bacteria, netting, silicone and a fill valve come to about $166.
- How much salt does a pond need?About 8.34 pounds per thousand gallons for each part per thousand. The hard part is the gallons.
- Estimating a lake's volume without a boatPondTools traces the shoreline from satellite and estimates the bed from USGS LiDAR.
- What public LiDAR can tell you about a roofPitch and direction for every plane, before anyone climbs a ladder.
- Three numbers for explaining solar paybackWhat it costs after incentives, what it saves each month, and the year those cross.
- Why ten percent waste is wrong for most roofsA plain gable wastes less than that, and a cut-up hip roof wastes more.
- Squares, pitch, and why the roof is bigger than the houseOn a 6 in 12 roof, every foot of footprint is about 1.12 feet of roof.
- Show the pool in the customer's own backyardA picture from their back door answers questions a brochure cannot.
- Sizing a pool pump from turnoverA 20,000 gallon pool turning over in eight hours needs about 42 gallons a minute.