How Much Do Hollow Plastic Ball Covers Cost?

Hollow plastic ball covers are priced per project, not per ball off a shelf. The total depends on three things — how much surface you’re covering, which ball you need, and freight — so the honest answer to “how much does it cost?” is: request a quote with your surface area. What we can explain is what drives that number and why lifecycle cost is the figure that matters.

What drives the price

• Surface area. Coverage runs at about 10 balls per ft², so a larger pond needs proportionally more balls. (See how many balls per acre.)
• Ball type. Standard Armor Ball® is rated to 35 MPH wind; the water-ballasted Armor Ball® AQUA reaches 75 MPH. The more exposed your site, the more ballast and cost per ball.
• Freight. Balls ship in bulk by the truckload, so distance and load count affect delivered cost.
• Material spec. Virgin vs. recycled HDPE and any documentation requirements (NSF/ANSI 61, SDS, material certs) can factor in.

Why lifecycle cost beats sticker price

The upfront price is only part of the story. A ball cover changes the math because it:

• Lasts 25+ years with a 10-year warranty and no maintenance — no annual servicing, no moving parts.
• Saves water by cutting evaporation up to 90% — water you’d otherwise buy or pump.
• Cuts treatment and energy costs by limiting algae, odor/VOCs, and heat loss (R-2 insulation, up to 70% heating-cost reduction).
• Reuses — balls can be redeployed if a basin changes or is decommissioned.

Spread across a 25-year life and netted against those savings, the cost per covered square foot per year is typically far lower than a one-time price tag suggests. The evaporation ROI calculator and heat-loss ROI calculator let you put numbers to the savings side.

A fair word on the cost critique

A 2018 life-cycle analysis questioned whether shade balls “pay back” purely on water saved. The fair answer: water savings are one benefit among several, the balls are reusable, and a 25+ year design life spreads the cost over decades — see our full take in the lifecycle cost of ball covers.

Learn more: Lifecycle cost · Calculators · Request a quote