Waterfall Cost??

[ArtP]

I just got off the phone with my pool builder about starting on my remodel. They want to come by to sign the contract tomorrow, but I told them I'd never gotten an estimate for a waterfall/waterslide combo, made of concrete, like I'd discussed with the owner of the company. I asked if she had any ballpark estimate on what it would cost, and she told me they START at about $30,000 to build!! That seems really high, and frankly kind of absurd. Does anyone else have experience with costs for having a waterfall built?

I'd really like to know, before I sign the contract, if it's unreasonable for me to be shocked by that kind of price. I told her to forget about it if that's the price range, but if it's more reasonable in reality, I still want to consider it.

 

[Ahultin]

Our waterfall/waterslide/grotto , based solely on the price differential between my pool and my sisters built at roughly the same time by the same builder was, about a 20k add on. I run the waterfall daily as I like the ambient noise but many seem to regret a waterfall after installation as they don't use it. Also, know that with a concrete slide, the meantime between needing a resurface seems to be about 1-2 yrs

 

[ArtP]

Thanks for your input! So it does sound like they're a very expensive construction project. I thought the pool builder had indicated it would be a fraction of that when I talked to him in person, but maybe it was a communication error.

At a price point of $20k, it's simply not worth it to me.

 

[Toxophilite]

Our waterfall/waterslide/grotto , based solely on the price differential between my pool and my sisters built at roughly the same time by the same builder was, about a 20k add on. I run the waterfall daily as I like the ambient noise but many seem to regret a waterfall after installation as they don't use it. Also, know that with a concrete slide, the meantime between needing a resurface seems to be about 1-2 yrs

When I was heavily researching slides for ours, add-on, and wondering the cost of those things for what they were, I did stumble on the why for store bought ones. Like pool drains, they are required to be compliance certified, and not any maker or manufacturer is going to go through that process so the market is thin. Surface material was one such criteria of certification, among a whole host of others. But, PB's who ordinarily would not consider putting in a non-compliant drain will build and design any kind of slide you desire without worry.

 

[Ahultin]

Thanks for your input! So it does sound like they're a very expensive construction project. I thought the pool builder had indicated it would be a fraction of that when I talked to him in person, but maybe it was a communication error.

At a price point of $20k, it's simply not worth it to me.

Could also be a miscommunication in scope (though since you mentioned slide probably not)
A raised bond beam wall with a 2-3ft manufactured sheer descent running off the circ pump is bound to cost less than my 10ft + tall faux rock waterfall/slide/grotto with dedication pump and intake.

 

[Newdude]

I thought the pool builder had indicated it would be a fraction of that when I talked to him in person, but maybe it was a communication error.

Resin / prefab slides go for $1500 to $5000, so maybe it was information overload at the time and you heard the part about the less expensive route.

Or the PB misunderstood you and quoted you for the prefab.

Or one or both of you had brain flatulence.

 

[Toxophilite]

Thanks for your input! So it does sound like they're a very expensive construction project. I thought the pool builder had indicated it would be a fraction of that when I talked to him in person, but maybe it was a communication error.

At a price point of $20k, it's simply not worth it to me.

It could be that he had to price in extensive foundation work, as can't see he would want to set a full rock fall and slide atop you existing beam.

 

[ArtP]

Could also be a miscommunication in scope (though since you mentioned slide probably not)
A raised bond beam wall with a 2-3ft manufactured sheer descent running off the circ pump is bound to cost less than my 10ft + tall faux rock waterfall/slide/grotto with dedication pump and intake.

I actually already have a waterfall pump for an existing water feature, I believe the PB said they could tie into that return for a waterslide. Yours looks incredible, but I wanted something a little more modest and about half that size.

 

[Ahultin]

I actually already have a waterfall pump for an existing water feature, I believe the PB said they could tie into that return for a waterslide. Yours looks incredible, but I wanted something a little more modest and about half that size.

Lol, honestly ours was supposed to be more modest (at least that's how it looked in the 10 + yr old hand drawn layout) there was a whole lot of "Artistic License" thrown in there

 

[ArtP]

It could be that he had to price in extensive foundation work, as can't see he would want to set a full rock fall and slide atop you existing beam.

That's another thing - I don't really know how extensive the work is to install it, and whether they could just build on top of what's already there. But when the guy was in my backyard looking at my pool with me, I could have sworn he said it would be around $4-5k (which seems very reasonable and I'd definitely pay it).

Resin / prefab slides go for $1500 to $5000, so maybe it was information overload at the time and you heard the part about the less expensive route.

Or the PB misunderstood you and quoted you for the prefab.

Or one or both of you had brain flatulence.

I do specifically remember him saying that they don't like to install pre-fab slides in Arizona because of the sun/heat exposure, and that they build theirs with manmade rock work and shotcrete. But it's possible he misspoke or I misheard him about the pricing. I will ask him again tomorrow.

 

[ArtP]

Well I talked to the PB owner and he seemed kind of reluctant to give me a price for a slide - he said the plastic standalone ones run about $4,500 and a shotcrete one would be "a little more". He also said he's had trouble contacting the guy who normally builds slides for him, but that he'd keep trying to get me an actual price.

When I asked him about the $30,000 figure I got on the phone from another employee, he said that's for the "really big ones" with slides, waterfalls, and grottos. He showed me a plain concrete slide with no waterfall or anything, and said that was the cheap option. It looked ok, but a little boring and possibly not worth the price. He also offered to stub the plumbing for a waterslide at the location I wanted so I could have it built later - I might take him up on that.

It also occurred to me that if they do the plumbing work and build a slide, it shouldn't be that hard to add some concrete fake rocks and build/plumb a waterfall onto the side of it. Anyone DIY something like that before?

 

[thewolf56]

Well I talked to the PB owner and he seemed kind of reluctant to give me a price for a slide - he said the plastic standalone ones run about $4,500 and a shotcrete one would be "a little more". He also said he's had trouble contacting the guy who normally builds slides for him, but that he'd keep trying to get me an actual price.

When I asked him about the $30,000 figure I got on the phone from another employee, he said that's for the "really big ones" with slides, waterfalls, and grottos. He showed me a plain concrete slide with no waterfall or anything, and said that was the cheap option. It looked ok, but a little boring and possibly not worth the price. He also offered to stub the plumbing for a waterslide at the location I wanted so I could have it built later - I might take him up on that.

It also occurred to me that if they do the plumbing work and build a slide, it shouldn't be that hard to add some concrete fake rocks and build/plumb a waterfall onto the side of it. Anyone DIY something like that before?

I did an owner-build last year and this waterfall/grotto/waterslide combo cost significantly less than $30k including the additional artificial rocks around the pool. Being in Mesa, you actually have a few more options than I do in Goodyear (due to service area). I have some contractor names if you want o get other quotes that were reasonable at the time.

 

[ArtP]

I did an owner-build last year and this waterfall/grotto/waterslide combo cost significantly less than $30k including the additional artificial rocks around the pool. Being in Mesa, you actually have a few more options than I do in Goodyear (due to service area). I have some contractor names if you want o get other quotes that were reasonable at the time.

View attachment 493064

Excellent! I am so glad to hear from someone local. Feel free to message me. I love the look of what you have and it's almost exactly what I was hoping to get. How do you like it? And if you know and don't mind sharing, what was the cost for just that portion of the work?

If I have my PB stub the plumbing, I would have the freedom to find any other contractor to do the work later on.

 

[darkrider]

We considered doing a slide, but settled on a jumping rock, as our waterfall was being built into the side of a hill and already had a 4' drop. The all in cost for materials and labor was right at $18K. Not cheap, but the fact that it really has become a focal point in our yard, I think it was money well spent! We run ours pretty much every time we're out at the pool.

 

[ArtP]

We considered doing a slide, but settled on a jumping rock, as our waterfall was being built into the side of a hill and already had a 4' drop. The all in cost for materials and labor was right at $18K. Not cheap, but the fact that it really has become a focal point in our yard, I think it was money well spent! We run ours pretty much every time we're out at the pool.

It does look very cool! And jumping is probably at least as much fun as sliding, but my pool is only about 5.5' deep at its deepest, so I figured the slide is the safer route for me.