Cost of separate color for Pebble Tec with Tanning Ledge and Beach Entry

[jeremywitte]

We are 80% finished with the pool - pending Pebble Tec spray later this week. We have decided to have a separate color for the tanning ledge (Sand) and main pool (midnight blue). This option wasn't explained to us during our design, and we decided to go with a separate color.

Our pool builder wants to charge $2000 to add this separate color. This appears high, as we aren't asking for additional Pebble Tec, but a separate color. I fully understand there are charges for this - but is this extreme?

Thoughts?

[PoolDoc]

As a rule, we can't help much with questions like these -- pricing is VERY local, and it's of no use to you to find out builders in Miami only charge $100 for two tone finishes. (just for example: I'm making this up since I have no idea what builders here in Tennessee or there in Texas charge for this!)

[Sean OBrien]

True enough regarding regional issues and contractors (not just pools - but everything else they do as well).

If you go to the Pebble Tec website, you should be able to find a couple of their "licensed and trained" expert installers. Call around to the ones which are local and a few which are a little less local (you can often save a bit of money by having someone from a more rural area drive a bit further as they tend to have a lower workload compared to those located in major cities and suburbs). See what they charge on their installs for the same finish. Keep in mind, that cheaper isn't always the better option with something that you will be living with for several years to come (and $2000 over the course of 5-10 years isn't too much). At the same time, more expensive isn't always better either.

That said, it looks as though the material is more difficult to mix up than doing something like a two tone paint job (or even a two tone plaster coat). I am assuming application is similar to shotcrete/gunite since you mentioned it is being sprayed. If that is the case, between the first color and the second color the machines will need to be broken down and cleaned in order to remove traces of the previous finish. Then a new batch will need to be mixed and sprayed. Depending on how it goes on, it might add an entire extra day to the procedure, though again - without knowing the application process, I can't speak to certainty regarding that.

It should give you the jist of things though, beyond any variations in the cost of one color to the next there are additional labor costs which are involved to switch between the two colors. Labor costs add up pretty quickly, even before you start to look at including a reasonable margin to keep the lights on.