The best way to choose a builder is through a direct referral by someone you know. Usually, that person will be honest about their experience with the builder and can give you insights on other things to expect about the building process.
Some people choose to use social media, internet searches or advertisements to find a builder. The main thing to remember in all of these, is that most of what you find will be sponsored, manipulated or paid for. There are some services that claim to only list builders that have been verified but in many cases the builders are still paying for top placement with the service. Some websites gather information from prospective buyers, only to turn around and sell your information to multiple pool companies looking for leads.You can still find very reputable builders using these methods, but I typically recommend a little more due diligence and research before choosing one.
You’ll always want to speak with a few different builders when getting bids. Getting multiple bids allows you to get an idea on what the average pricing for a pool will be. If you get a bid seems extremely cheap compared to others, it should be a cause for concern if the design and size of the pool is similar to others you are pricing. Similarly, if a bid seems extremely high compared to others they may be overcharging.
Once you have found the average cost for building the type of pool you want, then you have to consider which Builder you feel most comfortable with. Being comfortable, while working with your Builder, will be very important because the project typically last 6 to 8 weeks. Most of the time, the person that meets with you and designs the pool is not the person that will be overseeing the construction of the pool, so it does not hurt to ask who will be building the pool and if you can meet with them to get to know them.
Before signing a contract, you’ll want to make sure you understand any additional costs you may encounter. Not all builders or salespeople will discuss these things with you.
First, you’ll want to have any and all utilities marked in your yard to make sure where you are placing your pool is not encroaching on any buried utilities. Most areas have a free service that will send someone out to mark the utilities. What some don’t know is that these services typically do not mark electrical lines that may be buried. You may have to hire someone to mark these lines prior to construction. Re-routing a gas or electric line can cost thousands of dollars, which will usually have to be paid by you. If this is not in your budget then you can discuss maybe moving the pool or changing the design so that you do not encroach on the lines currently buried. Also, if your pool will have a gas heater, you will probably have to upgrade the meter on your home. You can call your gas company and discuss the cost to upgrade.
Next, there is the cost of permits, which should be included in your bid. You can call your county, city and neighborhood association to discuss any and all permits they will require to build your pool. Make sure the builder is including the appropriate permits and has laid out who will be responsible for paying those fees.
Last but not least. know your builder’s payment schedule and what phase of work each payment is paying for. Also, you should ask for a release of lien from each contractor when payment is made for the work to be done. Unfortunately, many people have fallen victim to a builder going out of business that has not paid the contractors for the work performed. In that situation, the contractors have few options on recuperating the money due to them. Typically, a contractor’s only option is to place a lien on the home in which the work was performed. All too often, we see pool builders go out of business with numerous unfinished pools. Most of the time, the customer has paid much more than the work they have received only to find out none of the money was used to pay the contractors doing the work.
Building a swimming pool can truly be an exciting experience, but like any large purchase, take your time to understand the process and to educate yourself on what to expect.
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