Do You Need a Bid Sheet to Sell Water Features?
There’s a new debate in town and it involves whether to use a bid sheet when selling water features. Some say using a bid sheet is like selling a parts list. Others claim it helps the customer understand what they’re getting. Some say they don’t like sharing their labor costs. Others claim they’re not afraid to share that part of the job.

Whatever the case may be, Brian Helfrich, vice president of construction at Aquascape, Inc., has long espoused the value of using a bid sheet to price and sell water feature projects. It’s embedded in his entire sales process, much like installing a pump into a skimmer is part of the pond-building process. The bid sheet is just one more critical step in securing the sale of a project. As successful as Brian has been using a bid sheet to quote and sell a project, some pond builders cringe at the thought of sharing the cost breakdown of a project with their customers. Perhaps it’s because the strategy of using a bid sheet isn’t fully understood.
Pondemonium
Another Pondemonium is in the books! It was great seeing everyone in person after a 3 year absence due to Covid. We were proud to be recognized as the #1 Distributor in our region for the fourth straight year! Thanks to all of our customers, the True Pump team and our Aquascape support group for making it possible!
We were also proud to see four of our customers recognized as Aquascape "Top Frogs." Colorado Pond Pros was the #2 contractor in the country, BR&D Landscape was the #8 contractor, Rocky Mountain WaterScape was the #19 contractor and Hiner Outdoor Living was the #13 retailer. Congratulations to all of these companies for this outstanding accomplishment!
Aurora Water Restrictions
In August, the City & County of Aurora passed an ordinance severely limiting water usage. The ordinance limits the amount of turf in new developments and also says:

"The use of water in all public and private exterior ornamental water features and ponds is prohibited. (Ornamental water feature means any exterior decorative fountains, waterfalls, basins, ponds, lakes, waterways or other similar aesthetic structures).

While we agree water conservation is important, we also believe water features are not a "waste" of water. A water feature promotes cooling of the surrounding landscape and also provides a much needed source of water for many types of wildlife. The good news about this ordinance is that if does not affect current developments, only future ones. If you have a customer that lives in Aurora they can continue to operate their water feature (or install a new one) as long as they are in an area that was developed before the ordinance went into effect on September 30, 2022.
Aquascape Training
Another big announcement at Pondemonium was that there won't be another Pondemonium until 2024! Instead, Aquascape is working hard to promote Aquascape Academy for your continuing education needs. Beginning in January 2023 there will be two separate Academies! One academy is for those starting out in water features and the other is designed for those with a few years of water feature building experience already under their belt. Click on the links below for more information. In addition, Aquascape is scheduling regional hands-on training sessions around the country. Keep an eye on future newsletters for more information.
Product Update
Aquascape recently announced some of their new products set to debut in 2023. These include fiberglass resin basalt columns, a new Fire & Water Spillway Basin, a new and improved Automatic Dosing System and more! Click HERE to learn more about the new products.

Also, due to a paper shortage and increased printing costs, Aquascape is switching to a digital catalog. The big advantage of going digital is that the catalog contains clickable links to much more information than could be included in a printed catalog. Click on the catalog picture below to see it for yourself!
Aquascape Video
Couldn't make it to Pondemonium 2022? Here's a video recap of what you missed.
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