Should I go it alone?

[NWMNMom]

This included a lot of grading beyond what the landscapers had done. The fact that he had a small dozer on hand and a dump truck on call for dirt if necessary (which I paid the dump truck driver directly for) are the kind of things that would be hard yourself. It is amazling how a dump truck full of dirt spread out over a 15x30 area becomes ... only a few inches.

You added fill? What type did you add? Did you have it compacted then before installing the pool? I have been told by a pool installer guy that pouring a slab is our only alternative ($4,000 for product and labor we can't afford) or that we will have problems when adding fill because it will NEVER be solid enough no mater what to hold pool wall weight, but we can't dig or risk no drainage as we have such a high water table. On the other hand, we have been advised by other people to use Class 13 gravel/fill (ND) or Class 5 gravel/fill (MN) - both of those products have fractured gravel/rock, black dirt and high clay content for compaction and high friction value (I'm quoting the sand and gravel guys) or recycled ground concrete (wondering if that would be too abrasive?) Don't know what the gravel products are called in other states. Did you use any of these products? Appreciate any answers you could give, thanks.

[CarlD]

You added fill? What type did you add? Did you have it compacted then before installing the pool? I have been told by a pool installer guy that pouring a slab is our only alternative ($4,000 for product and labor we can't afford) or that we will have problems when adding fill because it will NEVER be solid enough no mater what to hold pool wall weight, but we can't dig or risk no drainage as we have such a high water table. On the other hand, we have been advised by other people to use Class 13 gravel/fill (ND) or Class 5 gravel/fill (MN) - both of those products have fractured gravel/rock, black dirt and high clay content for compaction and high friction value (I'm quoting the sand and gravel guys) or recycled ground concrete (wondering if that would be too abrasive?) Don't know what the gravel products are called in other states. Did you use any of these products? Appreciate any answers you could give, thanks.

That's to make HIS life easier and relieve HIM of liability. There is no reason to use concrete if you have a properly prepared site. However, if he's uncomfortable installing on fill and sand, it means he either doesn't know how to do it, or is lousy at it. Find someone who knows how to use sand...Been there, done that too.