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I have been doing extensive research on the pros and cons of GC ing my own pool and would like some input. I have quite a lot of knowledge in the building construction trades but next to zero in pool building I have subscribed to Ben Chois website on "How I Built My Own Pool" I would love to hear from someone in Tallahassee or surrounding area and welcome any comments or even critiques.
We are in the process of having a pool company build our pool and I can say i wish I would have done it myself. If you have the time to be there when the contractors arrive and make sure everything is doen to your satisfaction then I would say go for it. Building a pool is NOT rocket science..being an engineer I did A LOT of research before we chose to hire the company we did and even though I thought they would handle everything and I could just sit back and wait to swim I found out that I still had to check up on them every day and double check the work that has been done.
Do your research and find out exactly what is needed and dont skimp on your plans...hire someone to engineer your pool and have detailed drawings ready for the contractors and if you have any mechanical aptitude at all I would say you can handle it. If you know any freinds or relatives that have pools go visit withe them and find out what they may have done differently or what was a particularly difficult time for them and study it...you can never have enough information. I did this and I have felt extremely prepared even though I hired a GC for my pool...in some cases I have asked questions that even the superintendent of my pool complany couldnt answer but the contractors could...
GOOD LUCK!
Having just built a pool using a local contractor, and having had a very positive experience (60 days, start to finish), I can tell you that the value add of a good contractor is in several areas:
(1) They know the subs, and get preferential responses to their calls. You are a one-time buyer, the subs don't need you nearly as much.
(2) The contractor, if they are good, will check the site before and afte each sub visit. They know what to look for. As a first time pool builder, you won't. IMHO, even reading this site won't prepare you to do it yourself.
(3) When one sub doesn't show up, things will snowball. See #1.
Key to this is finding a good pool contractor. Get references, and consider their size. My guy was recommended, and he does 30 pools a summer. There are contractors who do many times that. That made a difference to me, as I knew my contractor would personally see the site once a week (even if just for 10 minutes), and that his crew was small and (hopefully) reliable.
It worked out for me.
Thanks for the imput I do have the time to oversee this project as I pretty much decide when i'm in town or not. I am a very detailed person and am also very patient, did I mention that i'm very anal this could prove to be rough on subs but i also believe it will help me achieve a better product. I live now in a neighborhood in southwest
florida where they literally build three pools a day one house after another I think i'll take my digital and start catalouging some photos. Perhaps the men here in Bonita Springs will know someone in Tallahassee.
I am also thinking about being my own GC. If anyone know of some sub in the Jacksonville FL area please pass their name along.Quote:
Originally Posted by Omer61
Marc
I've never knocked an owner builder, even those that I came to finish up on knick knack repairs. These are typically tile and coping or concrete issues.
I always ask how much they spent on the entire project. The savings are usually smaller than they'd have expected. the biggest problem they experienced was getting the already paid Sub to come back on knick knacks.
without the luxury of open invoices to hold over the sub's head they have no leverage. The subs will always charge an owner builder a little more money than they charge a smaller pool construction company. The smaller pool construction companies get charged more than the larger pool construction companies. I'm not intimate with your area but in ours the only time you can get a quality gunite contractor as an owner builder is during the off season, the best guniters have full schedules with their pool builders.
quote" I'm very anal this could prove to be rough on subs "quote
There's a big difference between being detail oriented and anal.
Most craftsmen, are proud, and want you to be proud of their work.
but, coming across as a bellyaching peckerhead to them about their work never helps you cause.
I've closed quite a few potential owner builder pools by simply sitting down with them and being open about their incurred costs of owner contracting.
I usually put a dime kicker on their incurred costs and try to close. The only reason I can do this versus my competitors is that I keep the bulk of the process in house and don't depend on subs. A pool builder who subs out everything is never interested in a super slim deal. Not that I am either, but a little bit of something beats a whole lot of nothing, and keeping my crews busy is of utmost importance.
I'd bet that with a little bit of legwork you could find a builder who'll work with you.
If you find that your determined to take the owner/builder route and have any questions feel free to contact me. I'll give you quality advice on any aspect of pool construction based on a lifetime career of building pool/spas.
Thanks for supporting the industry with your pool purchase.
See Ya,
Kelly
Kelly, that is an exellent post that candidly describes both sides of the coin. Too often on this forum, business people are referred to in negative ways that I think are unfounded.
Folks in business are just like the rest of us....they want to make money. And like the rest of us, some are good at it and some are not......but they have the same goals (and moral values, for the most part) as the rest of us.