I humbly ask you to opine on a new Central Texas build.

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Sammyw

0
Aug 19, 2012
21
Austin, TX
Hi there,
We are located in Central Texas and we have finally decided to become a pool owner. Needless to say, this forum is undoubtedly one of the first stops one has to make before signing.

16x40 fiberglass pool and rock dig installation $35,750
21,000 gallons
3'10" - 6'6"
Backfill materials and hauling charges $3,000
Bond beam with rebar for stone decking $1,200
Electrical $1,300
ALL 2" PLUMBING ON SKIMMER AND MAIN DRAINS/SUCTIONS, ALL 2" ABOVE GRADE, 1 1/2" PLUMBING ON RETURNS, WATER FEATURES, DECK JETS AND SLIDE. Telescopic pole, leaf net, wall brush, vacuum hose and head, skimmer plate, test kit and start up chemicals.
Skimmer and 3 returns.
Perimeter tile allowance $2,700
G-force slide with paver anchors and installation $3,850
Waterfall: 1 x 48" sheer descent and 2 x 24" sheer descents.
24" $350 each and 48" $500. Plumbing, valves and lines $300.
2- DECK JETS $250 EACH INCLUDED
Lighting: LED lighting pal-2000 x 5 with remote control and timer $1,695
Easy touch control 4 function installed $1,300
Pentair cartridge filter CLEAN & CLEAR 320
Pentair intelliflo VARIABLE SPEED VS- PUR-10-1018
Pentair intelliflo salt system INTELLICHLOR IC40 $1,295
Pool cleaner KREEPY KRAULY PROWLER 830 $1,136
Propane gas heater MASTER TEMP 250k BTU $1,700

TOTAL $56,426
5% discount if paid in full $53,604

Thoughts?

(Apologies if you may have seen this post on another forum)
 
I would be concerned about a SWCG with a stone deck. Is your PB certain that the stone chosen won't have issues with the salt?
 
I'd get a larger heater and a larger filter. IMO, it would be worth the extra cost.

As stated above, be careful with the natural stone and the SWG. I sealed my travertine coping and I haven't had a problem--yet. I've heard some horror stories about people with flagstone coping and a SWG.
 
Good catch JohnT. Didn't notice that. We know about the issues with salt and stone and are actually using Belgard concrete pavers and coping. Supposedly these hold up to salt water. The PB is not doing the deck but is allowing us to buy the pavers wholesale through him.
 
Sammyw said:
Good catch JohnT. Didn't notice that. We know about the issues with salt and stone and are actually using Belgard concrete pavers and coping. Supposedly these hold up to salt water. The PB is not doing the deck but is allowing us to buy the pavers wholesale through him.
Click to expand...

Sounds much better than stone in regard to using a SWCG. We have stamped/stained concrete coping. Should hold up well to the salt.
 
Sammyw said:
ALL 2" PLUMBING ON SKIMMER AND MAIN DRAINS/SUCTIONS, ALL 2" ABOVE GRADE, 1 1/2" PLUMBING ON RETURNS, WATER FEATURES, DECK JETS AND SLIDE. Telescopic pole, leaf net, wall brush, vacuum hose and head, skimmer plate, test kit and start up chemicals.
Skimmer and 3 returns.
Click to expand...

Does this mean that the main drain is plumbed to the skimmer or separate or that there is no main drain?

Sammyw said:
Waterfall: 1 x 48" sheer descent and 2 x 24" sheer descents.
24" $350 each and 48" $500. Plumbing, valves and lines $300.
Click to expand...

If you aren't aware of it - this will increase aeration and cause pH to rise even more than it wil already with SWG. These are pretty but you will be using acid to lower pH.
 
But the sheer descents are so pretty! I love mine. We don't run it all the time, but if you need to raise pH, it sure is a nice way to do it! But seriously, one will have to add MA on a semi routine basis anyway due to the SWCG, I find that it hasn't increased the amount I use by too much. I'm still using the first 1 gallon jug of MA I bought this summer for about $7 or $8 at Lowe's
 

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Bluegrassman said:
But the sheer descents are so pretty! I love mine. We don't run it all the time, but if you need to raise pH, it sure is a nice way to do it! But seriously, one will have to add MA on a semi routine basis anyway due to the SWCG, I find that it hasn't increased the amount I use by too much. I'm still using the first 1 gallon jug of MA I bought this summer for about $7 or $8 at Lowe's
Click to expand...

Voice of experience vs. Voice of Confusion. Listen to this guy ^^^^ I don't have a waterfall or an SWG. I do read about it and hear about it and thought it was more of an issue than it must be.
 
LOL, Mine is a voice of only one season of experience! Hopefully someone with much more experience than me will chime in too. :)

Plus, his waterfall sheer descents total 96 inches compared to 42 inches on mine. I have a 12/18/12 configuration. I wonder if that would mean his pH rise would be twice what I see?
 
Sammyw said:
Holy ****, you guys have me confused. I thought I knew a decent amount of info but apparently not. I"ll be doing a fair amount of research on the main drain and ph increasing issues as well as the MA issue.
Click to expand...

Sorry :oops: Certainly don't want to add confusion. You will be fine. Just do a little more reading on this site. Don't worry. Your pool will be very easy to manage. :)
 
I think your pool builder has plenty of mark-up on that pool and equipment. :shock:

Are you sure you want fiberglass? In Texas, your choices of fiberglass installers is limited.
However, there are gunite builder-a-plenty.

I'm frugal and would shop around.

What's the "paid in full"? A cash discount? Or they want it upfront? <never>
 
bigdav160, you're correct about there not being many fiberglass installers around here. We're beginning to realize we may have to go gunite. Just liked the low maintenance, low chemicals less long term expenses that fiberglass tends to offer.

And yes, it was pay in full upfront.
 
We just had a 14x38 inground gunite with pebble sheen installed just outside of Houston for around $63k but this included a small outdoor kitchen, sprinkler repair and also a mosquito misting system. The pool has Flagstone coping and the back 38' wall is 16" raised stacked flagstone with 2 sheer waterfalls. Just for comparison, we have 2 LED lights in the main pool and 1 LED light in the 7' x 7' spa.

I think 2 LED's in the pool and 1 in the spa would be plenty in your pool unless you have some strange angles that would cause shadows in the pool, in that case, maybe a few smaller spa sized lights might be needed.

Are you getting a SPA? I don't see it listed in the quote - we have a 400K heater. If you do not have a spa, I would think about if you really want a heater at all - I would recommend the larger heater either way.

I would never pay for something like this upfront to get a discount - to many things can go wrong and you have no easy recourse if the PB has all of you money. I would also tend to shy away from any PB that would try to get all of the money upfront.
 

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