Starting at zero: what are pros & cons of hiring local vs national builder (Napa, CA)
Hi I'm new to this site, glad that I found it. I'm looking for advice re: hiring a local vs national builder. My plan is to build a basic gunite pool, few bells & whistles meaning no spa, no fancy masonry or slide features. Just a BIG simple rectangle with a heater, a light or two, basic tile, some concrete around the perimeter, and an auto cover. It needn't be fancy, I just want to swim!
I would prefer to hire a local and reputable builder who has years of experience. However, someone I know who lives in Las Vegas said that hiring a national company that can provide a solid warranty is the better way to go.
It seems to me that if you hire a national company that subs their work out to questionable or inexperienced subs you could be in big trouble, and so what if you have a national warranty - it could be a HUGE pain dealing with a national company to admit to errors and fix them in a timely manner.
I could be wrong, but common sense tells me to find the best and most established local builder.
There are probably lots of anecdotal cases of problems with both. The question is: how can I minimize my risk? Thanks!
PS the 1st local builder I met this week told me that the basic pool I described (20x40 feet) = $80k. That # was higher than I anticipated. Thoughts?
Hi I'm new to this site, glad that I found it. I'm looking for advice re: hiring a local vs national builder. My plan is to build a basic gunite pool, few bells & whistles meaning no spa, no fancy masonry or slide features. Just a BIG simple rectangle with a heater, a light or two, basic tile, some concrete around the perimeter, and an auto cover. It needn't be fancy, I just want to swim!
I would prefer to hire a local and reputable builder who has years of experience. However, someone I know who lives in Las Vegas said that hiring a national company that can provide a solid warranty is the better way to go.
It seems to me that if you hire a national company that subs their work out to questionable or inexperienced subs you could be in big trouble, and so what if you have a national warranty - it could be a HUGE pain dealing with a national company to admit to errors and fix them in a timely manner.
I could be wrong, but common sense tells me to find the best and most established local builder.
There are probably lots of anecdotal cases of problems with both. The question is: how can I minimize my risk? Thanks!
PS the 1st local builder I met this week told me that the basic pool I described (20x40 feet) = $80k. That # was higher than I anticipated. Thoughts?