I agree completely with Bmore (especially the 'hoot' part!). And Bmore is much nicer than me. This is your money, and the only way to insure things go the way you want is by seeing what's going on. Unless you're paying extra for the service, I doubt any PB would be there 100% of the time. And with subs, that's about what you need. What the PB passes on as ok with a segment of work, may not meet the same standard as yours. I know on my coping, if I hadn't said anything, the PB would have let it go. He wouldn't have let a structural or mechanical failure slide, but an aesthetic issue..... That's a whole different matter.
And again, about trust..... I trusted my PB completely, but he wasn't the concern. It's the subs. It's not unusual for the PB to not know all the subs working on your project. And there will be many, many subs.
For me, the other issue would be surveillance of my property regarding unwanted guests (unless you have guards or others living on your property). Even in gated/guarded communities, it's too easy for non-essential people to slip in. I'm sure your PB would understand your desire to have film in case of some sort of intruder or damage to your property.
And now days, a good security system with cameras is becoming more and more the norm. I'm finally considering it for my small property. I wish I had installed one before the pool build since now I know it would be a good idea to have anyway. Do you know if others in the neighborhood have a surveillance system?
You have a unique situation in building a pool from a very long distance. I'd hate for you to have regrets or major headaches.
Take care,
Suz.