Hi! My Name is Jessica Walker and I am new to the group. My husband and I are in the early stages of becoming pool owners and a coworker of mine recommended we join the group because it has helped him and his wife tons. We have come across some bumps in the road that I would love any input or advice about. We had our first quote come back and we were told we are needing a retaining wall which is very common in Florida because of the sand and we have some sloping. However, this wall will not fall on our property, nor is it our property that is causing the sloping, it belongs to the CDD here in our community. After speaking with some people they feel the same way my husband and I do, the CDD should have to pay for at least part of the wall but after speaking with one of the property managers he said he does not see that happening because we are the ones that want a pool. That's the first bump. Second thing is we were told this wall would cost 20k if done by the pool company. Might any of you live in Florida and have had to build a retaining wall for your pool? If so, did you find it was better to go through the pool company or did you use an outside contractor? Last but not least, my husband and I can't agree on concrete or fiberglass. What are your thoughts and reasons for going with one or the other? Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate you. Have a great day!!
Hello from the Sunshine state!
- Thread starter MrsWalker
- Start date
Welcome to TFP.
If you need a retaining wall then hire a structural engineer to design and monitor the installation. Having them work directly for you gives you more control over the situation. A pool can put a tremendous amount of stress on the wall and it has to be designed and constructed properly. If it fails, then the pool will also fail - so it is money well spent to avoid losing a complete pool.
The pool company may be giving you a price - to force you to look elsewhere for the retaining wall That is not their expertise. It is worth seeking out another contractor who speciality is retaining walls. however the structural engineer should be a 3rd party to either the PB or the alternative contractor.
So if I understand your situation - the retaining wall will be constructed on common property to the community. My view - if the developer did not require the need for a retaining wall to hold the house foundation in place, then anything added to the property would be responsiblity of the property owner. I think it is fortunate that the CDD is allowing you to construct the retaining wall on common property. If they didn’t - then you could not even add the pool.
I have several friends who live in hill country of Texas and retaining walls are quite common and ultimately very critical.
If you need a retaining wall then hire a structural engineer to design and monitor the installation. Having them work directly for you gives you more control over the situation. A pool can put a tremendous amount of stress on the wall and it has to be designed and constructed properly. If it fails, then the pool will also fail - so it is money well spent to avoid losing a complete pool.
The pool company may be giving you a price - to force you to look elsewhere for the retaining wall That is not their expertise. It is worth seeking out another contractor who speciality is retaining walls. however the structural engineer should be a 3rd party to either the PB or the alternative contractor.
So if I understand your situation - the retaining wall will be constructed on common property to the community. My view - if the developer did not require the need for a retaining wall to hold the house foundation in place, then anything added to the property would be responsiblity of the property owner. I think it is fortunate that the CDD is allowing you to construct the retaining wall on common property. If they didn’t - then you could not even add the pool.
I have several friends who live in hill country of Texas and retaining walls are quite common and ultimately very critical.
Hi and welcome to TFP! You are between a rock and a hard place for sure. @HermanTX nailed what I was going to say already. Very solid advice for moving forward.
I would love to see a pic of your area to see what you are working with.
I would love to see a pic of your area to see what you are working with.