Right way to get bids for our new pool?

[vinper]

most contractors have there base package pricing , start with that....

[pbdbk]

We are in the same process. So far our practice has been to explain what we would like regarding size, extras like a spa or water feature, deck material, etc. and see what the designer comes up with. If the price falls within your range you have the pool you wanted sitting, on paper in front of you. All you have to do is pick the builder. Well, it sounds simple if you type it fast but we all know it's more difficult than that. Our first quote came back higher than I hoped and we sat down with the designer for about 45 minutes and worked on options for getting the price down without losing what we liked about the pool. We managed to trip about $4,000 and still have a pool design that meets 98% of our wants. You will have to prioritize the features you want in a pool and determine how far down you are willing to whittle the list before you get to the point where you are within your budget or have shaved enough features off the pool that you no longer want it. The pool designer had absolutely no problem with this method and so far we are fairly impressed with him and his company. Got two more quotes coming in and can't wait to see them. We have tried to provide enough specifics to the designer so that he will end up with a pool the size we want and still have some room to come up with something different from the other quotes in terms of design.