We started our pool dig today!

34x23' play pool 3.5/5/4 foot
101' perimeter
558 sq foot pool area
18,850 gallons
7' spa raised 18" with 5 tier water fountain
Turbo twist slide
Flagstone coping
Blue granite pebble sheen
Pentair equipment (SWG, cartridge filter, VS pump, gas heater, easy touch remote)
LED lights (2 in pool and 1 in spa)
8x8 flagstone tanning ledge with bubbler and umbrella sleeve
In-pool flagstone table with umbrella sleeve
947 sq ft exposed aggregate decking with multiple umbrella sleeves (volleyball sleeves)
Gas line for grill
Sprinkler re-route

Grand total: $54,000

Wow! That's an amazing price for your pool. We just signed a contract on our pool 10 days ago for a 15.5' x 32.5' freeform gunite, no spa, 3.5 to 4.5' depth, AutoPilot SWG, Pentair .75hp Whisperflo pum, Triton sand filter, 2 Pentair Intellibrite LED lights, 87' pool perimeter, 745 sq feet of salt finish concrete decking, Quartzscapes plaster finish....for $38,000. The sewer reroute and sprinkler reroutes will be additional costs we pay separately. We've also had to budget $3,000 for the fencing around the pool, plus another $3,000 for the modifications we have to make to our wooden deck.

Mhosborn, thank you! We are quite pleased with our pool builder (we had 5 quotes) and what he was able to do for our budget, although we did go over a bit, but we got everything we wanted plus the slide for the kids!

Rebar and plumbing tomorrow! The kids were quite surprised to come home from school today to find a pool dug out in their backyard! We kept it a surprise until today PB says they will be swimming by October 15th, I hope we don't hit any issues!

What really impresses me, Mom, is that you're getting a variable speed pump and the EasyTouch controller. Our PB told us adding those two things alone would cost us an additional $3000. Add the PebbleSheen and spa you're getting makes me wish we lived farther south than we do.

Every PB we met with (we also got 5 bids) told us a variable speed or two speed pump wasn't needed for our pool. So....we decided to go with a standard pump to hold costs down.

Mike

Day 2, plumbing and rebar installation. (5 returns, 1 dedicated pool cleaner, 2 drains and 2 skimmers, 2" PVC pipes)







P.S. Please let me know if you see anything that is concerning or any ideas/suggestions that would make our pool better!

Equipment (what is the last pipe on the right that doesn't connect to anything?)...


Close-up of pool equipment (is it okay that the SW cell is tilted?)...


More rebar and bricks used to raise rebar...


Again, if you see any concerns please let us know so we can address them with our PB. We are completely new to building/owning a pool! Thanks

8x8 tanning ledge with bubbler, umbrella sleeve and stairs leading into pool...


7' spa with 5 jets, 3 tier fountain and 5 tier cascading waterfall into pool...


Hose bib to fill pool... (what are thoughts on having this?)


Still plenty of room to play in the backyard...

Looking great!!!

Looks awesome. Curious to see if its normal how they did the hose bib attachment. Looks like a homemade sprinkler system I made here lol. But I'm sure it serves the purpose.

I would have them tie the autofill system to the sprinkler system. When the o-ring fails on the Y you are going to have to cut out PVC every time and slip on couplings to reinstall! Plus with the hose bib being on all the time you are going to hear the pipes growling when water is turned on.

BigT, I am curious too!?!

Max, I am confused by your post. It isn't an autofill, it is simply a PVC pipe run under the decking to the hose bib to fill the pool manually instead of dragging a hose to the pool. What will cause the pipes to growl? Our PB said he cannot legally connect the pool to the sprinkler system (something to do with code) but we could after the inspection, I'm just not sure how.

He can run the final run of pipe to the sprinkler line you can make the final hook-up, actually your landscaper will install the valve and probably hook it up for you. Tell your PB to do his homework, the code has changed in FW in 07 for autofill systems to pools! The way you have it now is the lazy PB way! It will work great for now because you so you don't have to drag the hose out. But when the hose bib starts leaking(which it will) you are going to have to do some plumbing, every time it leaks! Rigid plumbing has to be cut and glued! Also this system is manual, meaning you have to be there to do the filling! If you go out of town during the summer you are going to need someone to come over and open the hose bib and fill the pool! Hooked up to your sprinkler it can top off for you by a timer!

maxepr1 - i'm in the process of getting some quotes and would like to better understand what you are saying? I've also been told by several PB's that they won't hook it up to the sprinkler system (code issues). How complicated is it to do what you mention? I was also thinking of having my PB do all the sprinkler re route. Is it better to have a separate landscaper do the re route and then have them connnect it to the sprinkler system? I'm assuming the timer you mention is the same timer that I already have with the sprinkler system or would it be a separate timer? Is there a way that I can have it hooked up to the sprinkler system as always on and autofill (w/o a timer I appreciate your help with this - I'm not real fond of the bib that some PB's are recommending.

John, have your pool builder stub out a line from the pool ( either a line going directly into the pool or float type filler). Float type are basically just like the float in toilet. Fits in box like a skimmer box. PB generally don't do re-routes they sub it out to landscapers or sprinkler guys. Have the sprinkler guy install an additional valve and run the pipe over to where the PB ran the pipe out for you and then you/they can just glue in the connection and your done. Very easy to do yourself but you need the line stubbed out during the build or it's allot harder to do. Yes you will use the sprinkler timer to control the pool zone for filling. No sure what you mean by "always on and autofill"? The nice thing about the float system is you have to do nothing, when the float goes down it turns on the water and fills until the water raises the float and the float shuts off the water. Like a toilet. The sprinkler system has to be set for a number of minutes and then it shuts off.

+1 on plumbing it to your sprinkler system. It should be in a zone by itself.

Thanks for the info. By always on I was thinking that I would not have to set a timer and if it was low it would automatically fill and stop once it the correct level (like a toilet).


Mom - very sorry, I'm not trying to hijack your thread. I'm very interested in watching how your build goes. I will be putting your PB on my final list later in the year.

Msujohn, no problem, I am trying to learn more about the options as well.

Maxepr1, since I already have the line to the pool (it is connected to the hose bib) can I have the sprinkler folks connect it to our automatic sprinkler when they do the re-route? Our pool builder did mention this as an option, he just said he couldn't do the connection. After researching it more, it seems like it will be the less maintenance way to go!

Yes, you can. The landscapers can just tie into the line downstream somewhere and you should be good to go. Make to have the connection and valve not under the decking or landscaping. I would just leave the hose bid connected and when it starts leaking then cut it off and cap it. Just make sure to leave the Y shut off at all times if you go the sprinkler route.

Gunite being sprayed today!!!!! I've asked the wife to post some pictures so I can hate myself for being at work today

The gunite crew was here bright and early this morning at 6:30 and were spraying by 6:50, yikes! It is LOUD.









They went to refill the truck and just started spraying round 2!