SeanB.'s Pool Build

[SeanB.]

SeanB,

I am also looking to have a pool built in the Houston area. Would you mind posting what your total cost was not including landscaping?

Our builder includes the landscaping free on pool/spa combinations over $32k so it was not additional. We paid just under $35k. We were at $32k but added additional deck to bring us up to about 700 sq. ft. It is an 82' perimeter pool with a 7' spa, flagstone coping, and sundek if that helps.

If I had known we were going to spend the additional amount, I would have probably tried negotiating a little harder to get some extras thrown in when we drew up our contract. I'm still very happy with what we got though and think it's very comperable with other area builders. They aren't the cheapest in town, but they do quality work and from what I can tell, only use high end equipment. I never felt like they were cutting corners or giving me cheap equipment only to try and upsell later.

Having a good salesperson can make a big difference. If you decdide to get a bid from Richard's, send me a pm and I'll give you our salesman's name - he was excellent.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[26theone]

Those numbers look right to me. We had a few bids a year ago or so and thats about where ours came in at. We ultimately decided to wait till our youngest daughter got a little older and learned to swim. We will probably start in the early spring since we wont be able to use it from now will probably Mar/April anyway. Also I want my grass to be able to grow back quickly due to the excavation and it has already slowed growing quite a bit.
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Great job posting your progress with pictures!

[divnkd101]

Those numbers look right to me. We had a few bids a year ago or so and thats about where ours came in at. We ultimately decided to wait till our youngest daughter got a little older and learned to swim. We will probably start in the early spring since we wont be able to use it from now will probably Mar/April anyway. Also I want my grass to be able to grow back quickly due to the excavation and it has already slowed growing quite a bit.
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Great job posting your progress with pictures!

Not to talk you out of waiting until Spring but the majority of pool companies will offer great incentives for new constuction (I just saw a flyer for a 20% off new construction) during this time of year. Obviously, their season is on the downward slide, but given our warmer climate, allows them to continue building into the winter months. Good luck and keep us posted.

[26theone]

Not to talk you out of waiting until Spring but the majority of pool companies will offer great incentives for new constuction (I just saw a flyer for a 20% off new construction) during this time of year. Obviously, their season is on the downward slide, but given our warmer climate, allows them to continue building into the winter months. Good luck and keep us posted.

Hmm. 20% discount..that is significant. I will have to think about that. It seems most builds in the area take 30-45 days or so. Does that sound about right?

Curious how many feet of access did your builder need for bobcat access for excavation? I may have an issue there. I would prefer not to tear up any of my neighbors sod during the build.

[SeanB.]

It will depend, but they'll probably want about 8'.

[divnkd101]

Hmm. 20% discount..that is significant. I will have to think about that. It seems most builds in the area take 30-45 days or so. Does that sound about right?

Curious how many feet of access did your builder need for bobcat access for excavation? I may have an issue there. I would prefer not to tear up any of my neighbors sod during the build.

This time of year, 30-45 days is a good place to start. As Sean said, 8-10 feet would be ideal for the excavation portion. I won't post a pick on Sean's thread but here is a link where you can see the shot I took of our excavation lane. It is 10 feet from house wall to fence.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...ruction002.jpg

[No Need]

Pool and backyard look Great! 6 Weeks for everything? If so, that was fast.

[SeanB.]

Pool and backyard look Great! 6 Weeks for everything? If so, that was fast.

Thanks. Yah, it was pretty close to 6 weeks. We hit them at the tail end of the busy season or it would have gone a little quicker I think, but they did as promised.

The rest of the sod went in yesterday and the mastic was done today. I think we will be doing pool school on Monday when we will get to start up the swcg and that should be the last thing. Now I just need to get a rack to hold the brush/net and a deck box for any other pool supplies/toys.

[SeanB.]

Those numbers look right to me. We had a few bids a year ago or so and thats about where ours came in at. We ultimately decided to wait till our youngest daughter got a little older and learned to swim. We will probably start in the early spring since we wont be able to use it from now will probably Mar/April anyway. Also I want my grass to be able to grow back quickly due to the excavation and it has already slowed growing quite a bit.
.
Great job posting your progress with pictures!

You are probably going to want to have those areas re-sodded. It'll go much quicker that way. The areas that get destroyed litterally have no grass left at all. It would have taken quite a while for that to grow back. If you tell them you want that when you sign a contract, you shouldn't have any trouble getting it included at a reasonable price.