New Build in Jacksonville, FL-All finished, Pics inside!

[Wr213]

Hello everyone. Like most any newbies I have been devouring all the information shared here in trying to educate myself to make an informed decision. We have interviewed 5 pool builders and kinda settled on 3 at this point. All A+ BBB rated with great reputations in my area. Their quotes are somewhat similar except that they present the information in a different manner, which forces me to read to discern what is what in terms of equal items. With that in mind I am posting their quotes with a picture hoping you all can help me figure out what is the best option and even point out some areas that I need to address with these builders. I would like to make a decision soon as I have been reviewing designs for over two months. Some concerns we have is the distance between the edge of the porch and the sundeck, not sure if having the sundeck 3 feet from the edge of the porch is that much of an issue. We have plenty of yard, just not plenty of budget. When we started with the designs, the bids were in the 55k range. By reducing deck size and pool size we arrived to the current bids. PB#2 has the EnviroPool+ cleaning system which we really like but don't have an alternative to compare it to. I will appreciate any feedback on that. Thank you all in advance.

PB#1 $46,899
Pool: 15' x 30' Perimeter: 86’ Area: 431 sf Depths: 3.5 - 5.6

• Filter: 150 sf Pentair Clean & Clear®Cartridge Filter
• Pump: 1 hp 2sp pump
• Lighting: (1) Pool Light 5G LED color changing light
• Interior Finish: Pebble (Krystal Krete) 10 year warranty
• Pool Cleaner: Zodiac automatic pool cleaner.
• Electrical: Electrical included for components purchased
• Digital timer: PE 153 digital timer
• Sanitizer: Intellichlor salt chlorine generator

Deck: Total Area: 1006 sq ft of pavers -

• Type: Old Town, Stonehurst, 4x8, or Mega Old Town Pavers
• Coping: Standard brick bull nose coping
• Deck Drain: Included
• Footers: Included 80'
• Step riser We will build an additional step for the lanai

Screen:

• Charcoal screen color and bronze aluminum color
• 2 doors
• Removing existing screen walls
• Super gutters included with down spouts

Standard Features:

• Engineered Construction Plans
• All Applicable Building, Electrical & Plumbing Permits
• In-House Field Supervision
• Pre Grade and Site Prep
• Pool Layout and Pre-site with Customer
• Form Pool, Complete Excavation with Hand Trimming and Shaping
• Removal of Excess Fill Dirt
• Dewatering During the Excavation of the Pool
• #3 Steel Reinforcement Placed 12” on Center Each Way
• Structural Bond Beam Construction w/Seven Irons and Perimeter Wrap
• Min 4000PSI Gunite Construction of the Pool Shell
• Deluxe Shallow End Entrance Steps
• Old Town, Stonehurst, 4x8, or Mega Old Town Pavers (Standard) (other shapes and colors are extra)
• Custom 5’ x 18” Deep End Love Seat
• High Flow Surface Skimmer
• All Plumbing Heavy Gauge 2” Schedule 40 PVC Plumbing w/ Minimum 2 ” Suction Lines
• Plumbing Run from Pool to Equipment Location
• Equipment Set on Concrete Pad
• Complete Electric Hook Up to 100’
• Choice of Waterline Tiles (Standard 6”)
• Deluxe Maintenance Kit and Start Up Chemicals
• Complete Job Site Clean Up / Access Grading
• Personal Operating Instructions / Pool School

PB#2 $45,500
16x31, 358 SQFT of pool area, deck dimensions 23 x 45, 856 sqft of deck area, Paver deck, paver coping, 3 year warranty on pool equipment and one on the deck.
1. Pool package, custom designed in 3D by one
2. Reinforced gunite concrete shell.
3. Standard pool 3ft to 6ft deep.
4. 10 year warranty quartz finish.
5. Choice of 6x6 custom waterline tile.
6. One set of steps and one swim out with tile.
7. Acrylic deck with cantilever edge.
8. One 120 volt 300 watt white Jandy light in pool.
9. Jandy energy efficient programmable variable 8 speed pump.
10. Jandy cartridge filter.
11. Automatic Inline chlorinator.
12. Maintenance equipment: vacuum head, vacuum hose,
brush, telescopic pole, leaf net, and water testing kit.
13. A personal pool orientation, with one month of
maintenance and professional start up.
14. One gunite incased skimmer and one pool cleaner line.
15. EnviroPool+ 8 jet circulation & sanitation system.
16. Automatic overflow water leveling system.

PB#3 $43,604
Type of Pool: Concrete
Model: Freeform Design
Dimensions: Average 15 x 30/392s.f.
Interior Finish: Quartz w/Aggregate
Color: TBD
Depth: 3’6 to 6’
Main Drains: Two VGB Approved
Entrance Steps: One Set
Swim Out Bench: Included
Skimmer: One
Returns: Four
Tile-Concrete: Waterline
Cap Tile-Concrete: Edge of Steps & Benches
Light-Concrete: 300w120v White Light
Plumbing: As per specs
Vacuum Line: Included
Deck: 502s.f. Pavers
Existing Patio: 203s.f. Included-Pavers
Color: To Be Determined
Coping : 86 lf Paver Coping
Equipment: Hayward Two-Speed Pump, Hayward Cartridge Filter, Time Clock,Digital Salt System
Cantilever Edge : Included
Electrical: Included
Start Up Chemicals: Included
Manual Cleaning Equip: Included (Pool, Net, Brush, Vac. Head And hose)
Double Step-Up w/3’ Sheer Descent: Included
Adding all the options below:
Option #1: Additional Cost for VSP
Option #2: LED Colored Light
Option #3: Footer for Screen Enclosure
Option #4: Automatic Pool Cleaner
Option #5: Screen Enclosure 19 x 42 x 10 down to 8’

 

[mgmoore7]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

Couple of notes variable speed multi-speed is definitely desired. I am not sure that the floor cleaning system is worthwhile personally I have not really hurt anyone like them enough to make it worth the cost with a screen enclosure you're not going to get a huge amount of debris on the floor.

 

[Wr213]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

After much reading and learning and many interviews with pool builders, we finally decided on a PB and a pool design and started our build. We are in Middleburg, FL, a suburb of Jacksonville, FL. The experience with the different pool builders here in Jax was somewhat uneasy. Not all PBs speak the same language nor use the same parts so it was difficult to compare apples to apples. Nonetheless, we were able to narrow the choice to three PBs, then two and finally selected our PB. Our experience has been great thus far. Our saleslady is very responsive and proactive, often beating me to the punch in matters of the build and coming often to check on the progress and preparation. After reading this forum and talking to some people in my area about this builder I was both, startled and at ease. Our PB is A+ BBB and Angies List A’ rated, yet there are cases where I can see that issues can happen that is not all on the builder. Either way, so far so good. I will attempt to update this thread as often as there is something meaningful to report or post and I will appreciate any and all comments/recommendations that you all can offer. The build started on August 5^th and today they just poured the concrete. I just hosed it down as instructed by the concrete guy and the rest of the plumbing as well as electrical and decking us supposed to start shortly.

Pool

• Size: 30'x15', 411 SQFT, 15,600 Gallons - Freeform
• Depth: 3.5' x 6''
• 9.5’x5.5’ Sunshelf with 1 bubbler & umbrella sleeve
• Quartz Florida Stucco Aqua Clear
• Single LED light facing away from house
• Stepped back wall with one 36 inch and two 24 inch sheer waterfalls
• Artistic Pavers, Shellock Tan in Hopscotch pattern, 12”x12” and 8”x8” on deck and 4”x8” coping
• 4 Returns
• 2.5" piping
• 2 Main drains
• Dedicated Vacuum line

Equipment

• Hayward Variable Speed Pump Maxflow VS2302
• Hayward Aquarite Salt System
• Hayward Star Clear filter C17502
• Hayward Colorlogic Led light
• Hayward OmniLogic Automation

Other

• Mansard Screen Enclosure, Phifer 20x20

Here are the pics of the build thus far:

This is the artistic rendering from Pool Studio

The dimensions

The selected watertile, tile for the wall, deck pavers, etc

This is the yard where the pool is going...

This is the hopscotch pattern

This is the framing

The digging

The rebar framing

The concrete is in...

 

[Frequent Flier]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

Thanks for sharing. We just had our 6th consult today and are waiting for for some quotes / renderings to come back to us.

We're in Jax as well. Other side of the river in Mandarin. Would be interested in who you got quotes from and why or why not certain ones were or weren't used... Message sent.

 

[Brentr]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

Looking great, just a few notes, run extra electrical to plan for a summer kitchen. Also run electrical to inside of pool cage and run water to inside and outside or pool cage. You can never have too many of these.

 

[Wr213]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

Thanks for sharing. We just had our 6th consult today and are waiting for for some quotes / renderings to come back to us.

We're in Jax as well. Other side of the river in Mandarin. Would be interested in who you got quotes from and why or why not certain ones were or weren't used... Message sent.

Message replied.

- - - Updated - - -

Looking great, just a few notes, run extra electrical to plan for a summer kitchen. Also run electrical to inside of pool cage and run water to inside and outside or pool cage. You can never have too many of these.

Thanks, will do. I had set aside a 50 amp line for the pool when I built the house so that should help. There is a water spigot just below the left windows on the sun shelf side, do you mean another line to the outside of the cage? Good idea, will look into that. Thanks!

 

[kimkats]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

So what is next and when?

 

[Wr213]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

So what is next and when?

Well, I am expecting the pavers and equipment to arrive shortly, the electrician and the plumbers are working as we speak. In the meantime I am to spray water on the fresh concrete to help it cure. Hopefully in 10-14 days we do the acid wash and then plaster. They told me 6 weeks and we started on the 5th August. They claim we are on track so we will see. I have not thrown any last minute changes their way as of yet so there should be no excuse. It rained yesterday but they were able to shotcrete anyways.

 

[kimkats]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

Since you are so close to being done I will share a set of links I put together for new pool owners.It is a lot of into but it will all make sense when you start using it.

Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Make sure to ask any and all questions you might have no matter how small! We have all been where you are at one point.


Have you see the test kit they will be giving you? If not ask about it. Let us know so we can fill in any holes.

 

[Brentr]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

Also make sure you have them put in screen doors on both sides of the pool cage, one should be a double door. The wife told me to do so and I did not listen and had to do so later on and it was more expensive to have them modified later. There are 3 links in my signature, one shows our pool build, our solar install and our summer kitchen. Take a look at them.

 

[Wr213]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

Also make sure you have them put in screen doors on both sides of the pool cage, one should be a double door. The wife told me to do so and I did not listen and had to do so later on and it was more expensive to have them modified later. There are 3 links in my signature, one shows our pool build, our solar install and our summer kitchen. Take a look at them.

Good suggestion, I will look into it. We were discussing extending the deck to the right as you face the pool, sort of what you have but contingent and then do the double door. I will price it and see. Thanks.

Have you see the test kit they will be giving you? If not ask about it. Let us know so we can fill in any holes.

Yes, I am getting one from the builder but have already budgeted the TF-100 test kit.

 

[Brentr]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

You can never have too much deck so if you can swing it extend the deck as much as you can afford. You will be quite surprised how much space furniture and tables etc will take up, and also plan for a summer kitchen later in the future. We have 1800 sq ft of pavers and wish we had more. Look at out links in the signature to get some ideas.

 

[Wr213]

Re: New Build in Jacksonville, FL

Hi all,

Just wanted to give you all an update. The pool is finished. Testing is done and all that is left is pool school on Monday24th October. All in all, not a bad experience. There were some delays thanks to Hurricane Matthew, but other than that, we broke ground on the 6th of August and finished today. All I have left is a punch list of some minor things, do landscaping, install new sod or golf artificial grass, palm trees, schrubs, etc, restore the sprinkler system as required, replace the wooden fence for a white Vinyl one on Monday and voila.

The PB was very responsive which made all the difference. Having read multiple threads on this board helped in keeping me from panicking at certain stages of the process. I think I called the PB foreman once, and that was at the beginning to inquire about my plumbing location, size, etc. Other than that, no issues. We were plastered on the 18th October and took two days to get the pool filled with water using two hoses. I was preparing for somewhat of an ordeal with the water pH levels, as I read here in multiple threads, but no issues thus far. Here we are, on the second day after the water went in, my levels are within the correct levels (CL >2PPM and pH between 7.2-7.8) as you can see in the test pic.

All in all, very happy and willing to recommend my PB to anyone. Again, thank you to Brent and Kim and everyone who reached out to offer advice and to this website for making this an easy adventure.


Shellock Coping

Pavers being installed

Screen Install

Beginning of screen installation

Entry way

Pool finished

Pool finished another angle

Pool finished another angle

Pool descents

TFT-100 Test results

 

[kimkats]

OH SO PRETTY!!!!!!! Love it all! Look at the sparkle in that water! You DO have a TFP! Nice job!

Kim

 

[Mothershipp]

It looks fantastic!!! I love the Shellock pavers. They look so pretty and the pool finishes match beautifully. Your builder did a great job! Enjoy��

 

[Brentr]

Dude it looks great, I was wondering when you were going to post pics Feel free to reach out for questions.

 

[ddjax]

Looks awesome! Congrats on getting to the finish line. Makes me look even more forward to finishing mine. Where r u in Jax?

 

[Wr213]

Thanks, I am in the Lake Asbury area, Orange Park.

 

[Wr213]

I just had the fire bowls fired up and matched to the Hayward's Omnilogic Blue Theme and I must say that I am very pleased. Spend a great night eating by the pool, starring at the colors with the sound of the waterfalls in the background in a total sense of bliss. Very relaxing setting. Here are some pics of what it looks like.

 

[kimkats]

WOWER! I bet you don't eat inside a for a LONG time! NICE job!

Kim