Master Certified Aquascape Contractor
(515) 208-4099Price Out Your Water FeatureGet a Quote
Get a Quote
Young child crouching at the edge of a clean pond watching colorful fishCleaning ServicesHealthy pond with fish swimming below a small waterfall and fernsWater Feature MaintenancePerson sitting on a stone bridge dipping their feet into a repaired pondRepairsCustom pond with twin waterfalls and fish swimming in clear waterPondsBasalt column fountainscape set in dark river rock beside a paver patioFountainscapes and Pondless FeaturesClear backyard pond with a stone edge, water plants, and a hot tub beyondRecreational PondsPond lit with red and teal underwater lights next to a fire pit at nightLightingPrice Out Your Water Feature
Ankeny garden pond surrounded by plantings with a backyard bar and patioPortfolioAward-winning pondless waterfall in Ankeny with stone steps and a slab bridgeProject HighlightsDisplay pond framed by pink tulips at a Central Iowa garden centerWhere to See Our Work
Just Add Water owner Chris holding a baby while sitting at the edge of a pondAbout UsDes Moines backyard pond in spring with a boulder waterfall and flowering shrubsNew to Your Water Feature?Just Add Water crew excavating and shaping a new pond on a marked-out siteOur ProcessVisitors gathered around a backyard pond during a Just Add Water pond tourPond Tours and EventsClose view of the award-winning Ankeny pondless waterfall and slab bridgeAwards and RecognitionThree children sitting on a flat rock at the edge of a backyard pondReviewsRocky stream and waterfall with yellow iris in an Ankeny garden pondFAQDisplay pond framed by pink tulips at a Central Iowa garden centerService AreasTwo Just Add Water crew members resting on boulders in front of an excavatorCareersMeet the Team
BlogVideos
(515) 208-4099Price Out Your Water Feature
Backyard pond and waterfall glowing with underwater lights at night beside a house

Lighting

Pond and Landscape Lighting in Des Moines and Central Iowa

Enjoy your pond and waterfalls long after the sun goes down.

Get Your QuoteView Our Portfolio
Pond lit from below at night with warm lights on the stream and surrounding trees

Why add LED pond lighting?

Bring your pond, waterfalls, or fountain to life at night with underwater and landscape LED lighting. With busy schedules across Des Moines, Ames, Ankeny, Johnston, Indianola, and the surrounding communities, it is often hard to enjoy your yard during the day. LED lighting makes the most of your water feature easy, day or night.

Night view from a deck of a lit waterfall, patio, and garden lights

Energy-efficient systems, professionally installed

Today's LED fixtures give you versatility, easy placement, and great value. Choose from energy-efficient Aquascape garden and pond LED options and customize your nighttime scene with adjustable spotlights and waterfall lights. Every fixture is permanently sealed and watertight, and they are backed by a limited 5-year manufacturer warranty. The component housings are die-cast metal with a durable coating that holds up in all weather, fully submerged or in the landscape.

What we light

Good lighting starts with the water itself. We place underwater lights at the base of waterfalls so the falling water glows, tuck fixtures along streams and spillways to trace the path of the water, and set lights beneath the surface so the pond reads clearly after dark. Every fixture is aimed and hidden so you see the effect, not the light.

From there we light the landscape around the feature. Adjustable spotlights wash across character boulders, up-lighting brings out the shape of trees, ornamental grasses, and plants, and low path lights guide guests safely from the patio to the water's edge. Homeowners in Des Moines, Ankeny, Johnston, and across Central Iowa often tell us the pond becomes their favorite view at night. Color-changing fixtures and smart controls let you set the mood from your phone and put the whole scene on a schedule.

Adding lighting to an existing pond

You do not need a new pond to enjoy it after dark. We retrofit LED lighting to existing ponds, pondless waterfalls, and fountains all the time, including features we did not build. During a site visit we look at how the feature is laid out, where power is available, and which spots will have the biggest impact, then tuck the fixtures in among the rocks and plants so they practically disappear during the day.

Retrofits are a great fit for homeowners in Ames, Indianola, and the surrounding communities who love their feature but only see it on weekends. If your pond also needs a little attention first, we can pair the lighting with a cleaning or repair visit so everything looks its best when the lights come on.

Project spotlight: Bringing Colorado to Iowa in Ankeny

In Ankeny, Bringing Colorado to Iowa recreated the feel of a Rocky Mountain stream with tumbling water and big boulders. Color-changing LED lighting carries the scene into the night, washing the falls and stone in soft color so the stream is just as striking after sunset as it is during the day.

How it works

A simple, stress-free process

Your yard should be a place where you can fully relax. We have built a simple process that delivers the result you want with zero stress.

  1. 01

    Get in Touch

    Connect with us through our form or give us a call. Tell us what you have in mind and we will schedule an on-site consultation.

  2. 02

    We Build It

    Once we agree on the estimate and timeline, we draft the contract and start building your lighting.

  3. 03

    Love Your Lighting

    When the work is done, we walk the finished project with you. Then enjoy your beautiful new outdoor space.

See Our Full Process

Investment

Pond and pondless lighting prices

Every lighting package includes professional installation by our team and a 5-year manufacturer warranty on the fixtures.

Pond Lighting

Pond Lighting, 3-Light System

$1,700

Three LED fixtures for a pond and waterfall, professionally installed, with a 5-year manufacturer warranty.

Pond Lighting, 6-Light System

$3,300

Six LED fixtures to light the pond, waterfall, and surrounding stone or plants, professionally installed, with a 5-year manufacturer warranty.

Pondless Lighting

Pondless Lighting, 3-Light System

$1,500

Three LED fixtures for a pondless waterfall or stream, professionally installed, with a 5-year manufacturer warranty.

Pondless Lighting, 6-Light System

$2,800

Six LED fixtures to light the falls, stream, and nearby landscape, professionally installed, with a 5-year manufacturer warranty.

Prices are averages and may vary with the size of your project and your choice of features. You will receive an exact quote after an on-site consultation.

Schedule Your ConsultationPrice Out Your Water Feature

Recent work

Inspiration from real Iowa yards

Browse our recent work for inspiration on your own backyard upgrade.

See the Full Portfolio
300+

Fountainscapes and pondless features installed and upgraded

500+

Ponds installed and upgraded

2,000+

Ponds repaired

Google Reviews

Happy customers are the proof

5.0 out of 5 from 51 Google reviews

“We had a leak in our Koi pond so Just Add Water came and did a complete remodel of our waterfalls and landscape. Added lights and it is now our absolute favorite sitting place. We enjoy it in the winter from our all seasons sun room and patio in the spring summer. Amazing work in three days!!!!”

Wayne SchellhammerGoogle review, May 2024

“Just Add Water is top notch! Knowledge of rock placement and water flow is really an art form. Very attentive to detail and questions answered quickly and completely.”

Jody EubankGoogle review, February 2024

“Just Add Water has assisted me with my pond for several years and just rebuilt it. They are amazing. So knowledgeable and very responsive re: all things water related. Highly recommend!”

Sherman HillGoogle review, July 2025

“Great experiences and service for several years. Especially good at designing for different spaces and looks.”

Rob BrookhartGoogle review, February 2023
Read More Reviews

Related

Real Central Iowa projects, planning tools, and more ways we can help beyond lighting.

Boulder-lined stream and pond in an Ankeny backyard

Project story

Bringing Colorado to Iowa

A Rocky Mountain style stream, waterfalls, and color-changing LED lighting in Ankeny.

Learn more
Aerial view of an ecosystem pond with a patio and gravel border

Portfolio

Browse our portfolio

Ponds, waterfalls, fountains, and lighting we have built across Central Iowa.

Learn more

Estimator

Price Out Your Water Feature

Pick a feature, size, and options and see a price range in a few minutes.

Start the estimator

From the Knowledge Center

Ideas and guidance for enjoying your water feature after dark.

Read Pond Lighting articles

Lighting FAQ

Frequently asked questions

  • Lighting for a pond starts around $1,700 for three lights and about $3,300 for six. For a pondless waterfall, three lights start around $1,500 and six lights about $2,800. Larger scenes with landscape lighting cost more. We can add lighting to a new build or price it on its own for an existing feature.

    Price out your feature with lighting

  • Yes. LED fixtures use a fraction of the power of older halogen lights, so you can enjoy your pond every evening without a big jump in your electric bill. They also last much longer, which means far fewer bulbs to replace.

  • Yes. We add underwater lights, waterfall lights, and adjustable landscape spotlights to existing ponds, pondless waterfalls, and fountains across Des Moines and Central Iowa, including features we did not build. The fixtures tuck in among the rocks and plants so they practically disappear during the day.

  • Yes. The Aquascape fixtures we install run on low voltage and are permanently sealed and watertight. Their die-cast metal housings have a durable coating made to hold up fully submerged or in the landscape, through every Iowa season.

  • Aquascape LED fixtures are backed by a limited 5-year manufacturer warranty, and every system we install is professionally set up by our team.

Have a different question? Call (515) 208-4099 or see our full FAQ.

Light up your pond and enjoy it after dark

Tell us about your yard and we will price out your water feature, or reach out for a full quote.

Price Out Your Water Feature Get a Quote