Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Choosing the right Pool Contractor

Choosing the right pool contractor can be an endless game when you are looking for rock-bottom pricing! Sometimes that idea can really backfire on you and you will be stuck paying more money to fix problems created by the inexperience that comes with the low prices...

In my line of work, I have come across some great pool contractors and have come into projects where it has been absolute pool nightmares for the customer because their chosen contractor was not all he cracked up to be.

In the photo above we see a pool design I had put together. The drawing was completed a few months before the pool was dug in the ground. The chosen contractor sold the client on a great project and convinced them to change my drawing plan in an attempt to save them money. In reality, the contractor was essentially trying to save himself on construction costs so he could obtain more profit from this particular job.

My drawing showed the pool sitting lower in grade than what the existing grade at the back of the home was. The yard sloped downward and so it was important to drop the pool level with a small retaining wall between the home and the pool like in the picture...

The contractor's idea... leave the pool at the same level as the existing grade of the back of the home... which would give them more usable patio space and save them money! Well, on a flat lot, that would be true! Anyway, they trusted his advice and when he started the work, he only had to dig the pool half into the ground... there was the money savings...for him! After he set the pool up he realized that now the back of the pool called for an even higher and longer retaining wall than my original small step-down in the original plan.

He went back to the customer asking for a large sum of money to complete the project and that is when my phone rang.... questions arose as to why things were not working. When I came on site, it was obvious, the plan was not followed and this contractor did not have a clue about grade heights! Solution!...a painful one at best....pull the pool apart, dig the pool pit deeper and re-install everything...follow my plan and everything will work!!!!

The right pool contractor will start with the right design and the right contractor will consider all options before digging a pool in... How professional is it to start a project and ask for more money halfway through because the contractor did not see that what he was doing will end up needing a huge retaining wall!? My plan anticipated that factor and my solution was as shown in the picture. My plan was intended to save the client money and the headache of paying to build a retaining wall in TRCA protected land.

The contractor was fired shortly after my meeting once he fixed the pool height! The customer was forced to find someone else to complete their project...

8 comments:

Landscaping Calgary said...

A good lesson in why cheapest isn't always best!

Georgia Lawn said...

GREAT Advice! Thank you!

Robert said...

Getting a good contractor who is honest and who does a good job is really hard these days. You should get referrals and ask around. Inspect their work and ask previous clients if they had trouble in dealing with this contractor.

landscape design said...

Hi,

Chosing the right pool contractor is very important. I have had clients that asked me if I knew any good ones as their pool wall had separated from the pool - and ended up costing them thousands to repair it.

Landscaping Design said...

Sounds like we should spend more time and money not less on the landscaping and design.

Ryan Baker said...

Swimming pools are a big investment that you can't take for granted. The issues you've had are just a part of that. You make a great point: Take the time now to save money in the long run

Landscape architect Brisbane said...

It is very important to choose any professional of any field ,you should have to ask to show his work before signing the contract and Should ask for his expertise.

Unknown said...

Nice thought thanks for share this post this I also share with you something. For a few hundred dollars, an independent architect can sketch-out your dream pool, and you can use this drawing to get apples-to-apples cost estimates for your home pool construction.Chicago Pool Builder