Joel Murray
★★★★★
Mitch from Full Force Contracting cleared 5 acres of our property quickly and professionally, leaving everything neat and tidy. Highly recommend!
Water where you need it
Dam Construction in Queensland
New dams built and old dams cleaned out and rebuilt — keyed in, compacted and given a proper spillway, so they hold water and hold together.
Trusted by real property owners
Land Handed Back Clean and Usable
Hayley Smith
★★★★★
The team at Full Force Contracting were very pleasant and easy to deal with and did amazing, neat work across my property. I would highly recommend their services.
Jack Willson
★★★★★
Great at what they do, made a massive difference clearing our property
Why this matters
A Dam That Leaks Is Just a Hole
A dam either holds water or it does not, and the difference comes down to things you cannot see once it is finished: whether the wall was keyed into suitable material, whether it was built up and compacted in layers, and whether the spillway was ever sized properly.
Older dams have their own problem. Decades of silt reduce capacity year after year until the dam runs dry months earlier than it used to, and undersized or eroded spillways put the whole wall at risk in a big event.
What we do
Built to Hold Through a Dry Summer
We build new farm dams and rework existing ones. That means assessing the site and the material, keying the wall into suitable ground rather than sitting it on topsoil, and building it up in compacted layers so it does not leak or slump.
Spillways get sized and shaped so the dam can safely pass a big event without cutting into the wall. On existing dams we desilt to restore the capacity you have lost, rebuild eroded walls and batters, and reshape the catchment and inflow so the dam actually fills the way it should.
How the job runs
Water That Is Still There in March
Most of what makes a dam work is decided before the first bucket comes out.
We assess site and soil
Location, catchment and — most importantly — the material we are building in. Some ground holds water and some does not, and you want to know that before the dig, not after.
We key in and compact
The wall is keyed into suitable material and built up in compacted layers, which is what stops seepage and slumping down the track.
We shape the spillway
Spillway and batters are shaped so a big event passes safely instead of cutting into the wall, and the catchment is set up to feed the dam properly.
Serving Queensland
Areas We Cover Around Dayboro and Beyond
Based in Dayboro and working across Queensland, from Brisbane through to Townsville. Regular work throughout the Moreton Bay, Somerset and Sunshine Coast hinterland regions.
The cost of waiting
Silt and Seepage Cost You Water
Leaving a dam alone, or having one built cheaply, usually leads to:
- Capacity quietly lost to silt until the dam runs dry months earlier each year
- Seepage through a wall that was never keyed into suitable material
- Spillway erosion cutting back toward the wall and threatening the whole structure
- Stock water running out in exactly the season you most needed it
Related services
Other Work That Often Goes With This
Plenty of blocks need more than one approach. Not sure which service fits your situation? Get a free on-site quote and we will walk the property with you and recommend the right method.
Excavation
Bulk earthworks, pads, batters, drainage and site preparation on rural and acreage properties.
Learn more about Excavation
Land Clearing
Full block clearing for building, grazing, subdivision and rural development, matched to the vegetation codes.
Learn more about Land Clearing
Stick Raking
Roots, sticks and buried timber lifted and windrowed to leave a clean, workable property surface.
Learn more about Stick Raking
Tree Clearing
Heavy timber pushed, felled and removed where mulching is not enough, including stumps and root systems.
Learn more about Tree ClearingStraight answers
Good Questions — Here's What to Know
Do I need approval to build a dam in Queensland?
It depends on size, location and whether it takes or interferes with overland flow or a watercourse. Small stock and domestic dams outside a watercourse are often straightforward, larger referable dams are not. Check with your council and the state before you commit — we will flag anything that looks like it needs approval.
How do you know whether the ground will hold water?
We assess the material on site, and on anything substantial we will recommend test holes so you are not guessing. Clay content is what makes or breaks a dam. If the ground is not suitable, it is far better to know before the dig than after the first wet.
Can you clean out an existing dam?
Yes, desilting is a big part of what we do. It restores capacity that has been quietly lost over decades, and while the machine is there we can rebuild eroded walls and batters and reshape the spillway.
When is the best time of year to build?
The dry, without question. You need workable, compactable material and the ability to get machinery in and out. Trying to build a dam in the middle of a wet summer makes a difficult job much harder and more expensive.
Get a Straight Price for Your Property
Tell us what you are dealing with and we will come out, walk the property and give you a fixed quote for dam construction. No obligation.