Extra pool building costs

[atttech-2]

Has anyone had to pay extra to run conduit for pool lights back to the equipment pad? I just had my electrician out today. The original contract called for 200' of electric work from my home panel. Now, they are adding in the length of conduit needed to run 3 pool lights and adding over $1k to my electric estimates. I couldn't believe it! I would've never had imagined that the wiring from the pool to the equipment pad was not included in the price of the pool.

Here's the exact wording of the contract:

Furnish and install up to 200' feet of electrical conduit from Owner's existing panel, includes a GROUND FAULT INTERRUPTER for pool lights as per Code requirement, and includes cost of necessary permits. Owner responsible for panel meeting Code. (Additional electrical conduit over length shown is $7.00 per foot.) Does not include filling in trenches after conduit is placed.

Ours was included, and $7 per foot for a trench that is already open for the plumbing seems steep to me.

I would try to get the price down or take it to arbitration it's not as if they did not know where the lights were going in the first place, even if it was going to bump the price up it was a measurable known issue that should have been covered in the original contract this sounds like a bait and switch unless you added the lights later in the process.

 

[Esloser]

How do you determine if you are going to need to upgrade your gas meter? They are installing a 1 1/2" line, but it looks like mine is a 1' line going into the house. But, going into the gas meter also only looks like a 1" line.

One thing you may want to look in to regarding your gas meter. Instead of upgrading ours which was going to be 375.00, for the same money we had the gas company put in a new meter just for the pool and outdoor kitchen. Makes it really easy to keep track of what you are spending heating the pool , spa or both.

 

[Esloser]

Exactly! The lights were always there. I could understand the charge from the panel to the pool equipment. But, I can't understand how the installation of the lights from the pool to the equipment isn't included. It's 145' from my panel to the equipment pad - well under the 200'. If I had known that the lights were supposed to be included in that 200', I would've pointed out the faulty thinking at the time. There's no way 3 lights (50' each) and a run from my house to the pad is under 200'.

 

[jeffnsheila]

I believe if you are going to use a heater for pool or spa you will need to upgrade your standard meter. At least Everyone I have talked to here in Houston that put in a heater had to upgrade their meter to handle more gas flow. Your Pool builder should be familiar with that and be able to tell you if an upgrade is needed.

 

[Esloser]

My guessing my pool builder doesn't know. They put it in the subcontractor contract that the buyer would be responsible for upgrading the gas service or gas meter "if necessary". I called my utility to see what they have to say.

 

[PoolingAround]

I'm in the process right now of rebuilding my yard.

I already had a sprinkler system, but 80% was destroyed by Pool Builder. Cost for the work performed today:
Cost per new zone(includes pipe, wire, sprinkler heads, trenching, solenoid valve & installation) $375 - I needed three new zones
Cost to reconnect existing zones and rework a zone partially destroyed $250
Cost to add a new exterior faucet tee'd off sprinkler main line at shed & trenching work for french drains $130

Total $1505 for sprinkler rebuild.

Sod is going in on Friday.
Cost per pallet of St. Augustine $120 ea, a pallet covers 450sqft. I need 6 pallets
Delivery $75 total
Cost for sod installation $50 per pallet

$1095 for new sod & installation.

That sod install/buy price is legit! Any chance you are in houston? I still need to do mine!

 

[Vickery]

Send that sod installer to SE NC! That's a BARGAIN here!

 

[Technobuyer]

My gas company upgraded my meter for free. My pool builder didn't know jack about the gas to run the heater. Nothing. I did have to pay a plumber to run a line from the meter across the house to the pool heater. Very pricey, and a cost that wasn't figured in to the pool price as the pool builder, again, didn't know a thing about the gas end of it. Or he intentionally played dumb on the cost in the planning phase. Either is likely, and both are bad, but I digress...

Other cost items you might consider that haven't been mentioned are extra flat work(plus concrete finishes) and pool/landscape lighting. We ended up pouring more concrete than planned. We also went for stained/stamped vs exposed aggregate in bid. We like it, and I'm glad we did it, but it's $$$.

On the lighting, I don't mean the lighting in the pool but rather the lighting around the pool. That lighting can be really pricey or really cheap depending.

 

[goober71]

I don't have a heater or a spa, so i didn't have any costs related to the gas meter. It did cost me $700 to get 2 pallets of sod installed and 3 sprinkler zones repaired (re-using existing heads, i just changed out the nozzles for the new locations). Also paid the spray deck guys an additional $250 to coat our existing patio around the outdoor kitchen to match the new deck.

G

 

[gocubs418]

Most things mentioned here my Pool Builder takes care of when doing business with them. 3 pallets of sod, 3 zones of sprinkler repair, and fence take down and put back up.

The only real extra costs were outside furniture and the test kit.

 

[PoolingAround]

Most things mentioned here my Pool Builder takes care of when doing business with them. 3 pallets of sod, 3 zones of sprinkler repair, and fence take down and put back up.

The only real extra costs were outside furniture and the test kit.

By taken care of you mean you paid for it in your pool build cost.

 

[gocubs418]

By taken care of you mean you paid for it in your pool build cost.

Of course, but I knew that going into it. A lot of PBs out here will not let you know about that then hit you for more money

 

[PoolingAround]

Of course, but I knew that going into it. A lot of PBs out here will not let you know about that then hit you for more money

Gotcha. I know pool builders upcharge like crazy so I wonder how much it cost you compared to outsourcing. I say that though with my pool being finished for sometime now yet my yard is not sodded.........:grrrr: