Water Features in Templeton, CA

Paso Robles Landscaping designs and builds water features for Templeton homes: bubbling rocks and urns, basalt column fountains, pondless waterfalls, short streams, wall spillways and dry creek beds that carry winter rain. Templeton is unincorporated, so building and electrical permits come from County Planning & Building, while most in-town homes get their water from the Templeton Community Services District (TCSD). Summers here are hot and dry, so the features that work well are small, recirculating and placed where you can hear them from the patio. Call 805-712-4440 or request a free estimate.

Water Rules That Shape a Templeton Feature

• Recirculating only. The state's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) requires recirculating systems for water features and counts a feature's surface area as high water use in the landscape water budget (23 CCR 493.2). MWELO applies to new landscapes of 500 square feet or more and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more that need a permit, plan check or design approval (23 CCR 491). Every feature we build recirculates, whether or not your project triggers it.
• TCSD ongoing requirements. The District's water conservation requirements prohibit landscape irrigation between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and any watering that sends excessive water onto a sidewalk, driveway or street. We set auto-fill valves and overflows so a feature never runs off the property, and we schedule the drip zones around it for early morning or evening.
• Your water source. In-town lots are on TCSD water; many rural parcels around Templeton are on private wells. We size the reservoir, the auto-fill and the pump to your source and pressure, and we confirm per lot.

The District also has a lawn and irrigation rebate program for its customers. If a water feature or dry creek bed is part of a lawn conversion, check the current terms and apply before any lawn comes out. See our irrigation in Templeton page for drip and controller work.

Permits and Placement

• Power. A new outdoor circuit for a pump or lighting is electrical work. We arrange the County electrical permit when one is needed and use GFCI protection and weatherproof boxes.
• Walls. A spillway built into a retaining wall follows the wall rules. Under County Code 19.02.020, a wall up to 4 feet from the bottom of the footing does not need a building permit unless it holds a surcharge or sits within 3 feet of a property line and retains more than 2 feet of soil. See retaining walls in Templeton.
• Ponds and open water. A small fountain or pondless waterfall on an existing yard usually does not need a building permit. A deep pond raises safety and permit questions, so we steer most clients to pondless designs with the reservoir buried under rock, and we confirm per lot with the County.
• Oaks and septic. Many Templeton lots have mature valley and live oaks, and some have septic systems. We keep reservoir pits and trenches out of major root zones and well clear of tanks and leach lines. On rural parcels with large clearing, the County's Oak Woodland Ordinance can apply.

Pondless Waterfalls, Fountains and Dry Creek Beds

A pondless waterfall moves water over stone into a buried reservoir, so there is no open pool to evaporate in the July heat, collect leaves from the oaks or draw mosquitoes. Bubbling rocks, urns and basalt columns are even smaller: a basin under a grate, a pump and a few gallons of water. Both are easy to winterize and quiet enough to sit next to.

Not every feature holds water year-round. A river rock swale or dry creek bed carries winter runoff from downspouts and patios to planted areas where it can soak in. Paired with stepping pads and rock and gravel, it looks finished in the dry months and does real work during winter storms, with no pump and no fill water.

What We Build

• Bubbling rocks, basalt columns and urn fountains for entries, courtyards and patios
• Pondless waterfalls and short streams on sloped lots, with the reservoir out of sight
• Wall fountains and spillways built into seat walls and retaining walls
• Dry creek beds and swales that handle winter rain
• Low-voltage lighting, boulders and low-water planting on drip around the feature

Water features usually go with a patio and planting; see Templeton hardscape, fire pits in Templeton and decks in Templeton. If a pool is part of the plan, we do the master design for the whole backyard and refer you to pool builders we have done whole-yard projects with. You sign a separate contract with the pool builder, and we coordinate the schedule and build everything around the pool: decks, patios, walls, lighting, kitchen and planting. See pool projects in Templeton.

Cost depends on the feature type and size, stone, the pump and power run, access and the hardscape around it. We give you a written estimate after a site visit; see our water features and Templeton landscaping pages.

Nearby Areas We Serve

From Templeton we also work in Paso Robles, Atascadero, Paso Robles wine country, Creston and Santa Margarita. See every community on our San Luis Obispo County service area page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do water features have to recirculate in Templeton?

Under the state Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, water features in landscapes it covers must use recirculating systems. We build every feature to recirculate, whether or not your project triggers the ordinance.

Do TCSD watering rules affect a fountain?

The District prohibits landscape irrigation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and watering that causes excessive runoff onto sidewalks, driveways or streets. We set auto-fill and overflow so the feature never runs off the property and schedule nearby drip outside those hours.

Do I need a County permit for a water feature in Templeton?

Templeton is unincorporated, so County Planning and Building handles permits. A new circuit for a pump needs an electrical permit, and a spillway in a wall over 4 feet or a deep pond can need more. A small pondless feature on an existing yard often needs no building permit. We confirm per lot.

Why pondless instead of a pond?

A pondless waterfall keeps the water in a buried reservoir, so there is less evaporation in summer heat, no open water for leaves or mosquitoes, and less upkeep.

How much does a water feature cost in Templeton?

It depends on type and size, stone, pump and power, access and the hardscape around it. We give a free written estimate after a site visit.