We've decided on a vinyl pool (to keep costs down) with an upscale look (which is driving the cost back up).
I would love some feedback the proposed equipment and how we might get our costs down w/o sacrificing too much.
For instance, we want a slide but have decided to plumb for that with the build and put it in the following year. We have a similar plan for a heat pump in the future. Not sure if there are other options like that that we haven't considered yet. TIA!

18x36 Grecian Vinyl
3.5’ to 8’
Includes: Pentair 1HP SuperFlo Pump, 24” Cristal Flo II Sand Filters, Pentair Rainbow Chlorinator, Standard Aluminum Coping, 3--‐Tread Ladder in Deep End, 8’ White Thermoplastic Step in Shallow, Pool Alarms (as needed), 6’ White Flyte Deck Diving Board,
Safety and Maintenance Equipment, Backwash Line up to 50’, All Permits & Inspections,
2--‐Savi Nexus Melody Color LED Lights or Blanco Lights, No Block Main Drain (VGB compliant), Automatic Pool Cleaner: Polaris 280 or Letro Legend, Balance water to APSP
Standards, $100.00 In--‐Store Credit, *680 sq. ft of Washed Pearock Decking, & Electrical
Allowance up to $1,550.00.

Options we are considering:
4’ Child Safety Fence around perimeter of pool includes single gate and latch $3,185.00

Drainage (per plan) $2,500.00 (we have an existing drainage issue in our yard that has to be addressed during the pool build)

Stock Brick Coping $2,500.00 (not sure why this is in here, maybe as a comparison point since I requested stone coping)

Stock Stone Coping $3,610.00

Pentair IC--‐40 Salt Generator w/Zinc Anode $1,800.00

Pentair Intelliflo Pump w/520 Clean and Clear Cartridge Filter $1,600.00

Aerators to Cool Pool $250.00 each

Steel covered steps $1200

Would your builder install options you don't buy through them? Many don't, but if yours will, you can probably find a few ways to get a little more out of the build. Of course, these are almost certainly installed prices, so you'll want to keep that in mind if you do shop around on any specific components.

A few comments, you'll get a lot more too

1) for the above part of the quote, what's the price for the basic pool package?

2) No need for the inline clorinator if you are going to do the chlorine generator. And, I highly recommend one. Very nice feature and worth the price.

3) Does the $1800 for the pentair chlorine generator include an Easytouch or intellitouch control unit? It should for that price.

4) Reconsider a diving board. Nothing but a liability and i wouldnt do a diving board with any depth less than 10 feet.

5) Consider letting the pool company only do the pool. In my experience, you're better off getting a good mason and or hardscape company to do the coping, concrete deck, water mitigation, etc.

6) How many skimmers, returns and size of piping for the plumbing?

7) Consider a 2 speed pump. Variable speeds are a waste of money in most cases, IMO

I'm sure i'll think of more, but this is a start.

I'm going to +1 on bk406 comment concerning "getting a good mason and or hardscape company to do the coping, concrete deck, etc." My pool company didn't know how to do either the coping or deck very well and it certainly shows. Actually the coping they did on the hot tub, I had them remove and did it myself instead of risking them doing it again (they never came back to do it - only removed it). You may pay someone a little more, but the final result is the only thing that counts.

IMO, if your goal is to achieve an "upscale" look to a vinyl pool, I would seriously consider avoiding the aluminum coping and the drop-in plastic stairs.

Do NOT skimp on this subject. Done improperly (and some here on the forum are), drainage will haunt you almost immediately. Do whatever it takes to get surface water away from your pool and out of your yard.

I am also +1 on bk406 thoughts.

YOU can search "pool cooler" on the forum and functionally do the same thing for a few bucks as the aerators......it won't be pretty but it will work.

Welcome to the forum.

For $1800 for that ic40 chlorine generator, you should be getting an EZ touch automation system. $1800 is way to high for just the salt cell. $1800 including install labor for the EZ touch 4 with ic40 salt cell is inline.

also, I'd stay about from the sand filter. It is the least efficient at filtering and adds the most resistance to the sytem.

A few comments, you'll get a lot more too

1) for the above part of the quote, what's the price for the basic pool package?


3) Does the $1800 for the pentair chlorine generator include an Easytouch or intellitouch control unit? It should for that price.

quote]


The basic pool package is $26,750

I asked the PB about the EZ touch here is his response:

" It does not include the Easy 4, the salt system includes electrical wiring, anode, cell power center, all of your start up salt, multiple bottles of stain and scale prevention while salt is being added to pool, & comes with a 3-year warranty. The Easy 4 is additional $500.00"

All 3 quotes we have are between $1400 - $1800 for SWG.

Well, for the $1,800, it should include the ET4. If the 1800 includes the wiring, then whats the $1,550 electrical allowance cover?

The IC-40, plus the power supply, runs around $900. An ET4 that includes the IC-40, and the power supply is around $1100. Now those costs are what i find online. The builders cost may be a little different plus he's making a little too im sure. The cost for the satian and scale remover is minimal. Salt for start up will need around 700 pounds for a 25,000 gallon pool. At wally world, that will run about 18 bags*$7 a bag= $126, give or take. IMO, $1800 should cover the ET, IC40, and wiring it up.

I agree with bk406

So in other words the builder shouldn't make a profit on his labor to install any of this. 900 for ic and power center, 500 for et4, plus salt and other odd chems at start up that doesnt give him much to ensure that he cares about his work. Im a builder and that is what I charge to put a new ic 40 system on.

maybe other builders buy differently than me...but when an entire EZtouch 4 system INCLUDING an IC40 cost about 1/2 of the price he was quoted, I'd say 50% is a very generous profit margin. Keep in mind...the install (electrical) was not included in the price he was quoted. Electrical is a different allowance.

So should the builder make a profit, absolutely. is a 50% margin a good profit? remember...$1800 was parts only.

The $1,800 included wiring the IC-40 power supply, I believe. There is also a $1,550 electrical allowance that i'm not sure what it covers. At any rate, $1800, should cover an ET4, Ic-40, and wiring it up, provided the other $1550 covers running power from the house to the ET box, or a stand alone IC-40 power supply for that matter. It's actually not a bad deal if the ET4 is included in the quoted price.
My ET4, and IC-40 was $1,200 installed, and wired up. The electric line out to the ET4 box was under my electrical allowance.

As I said, salt is cheap as heck, and why you would need scale and stain remover is beyond me unless your fill water has metal, then buy a $15 bottle of HTH sequesterant from wally world. For a vinyl pool, there is not start up time for salt like there is for plaster. Fill with water, stir in 700 pounds of salt and flip the switch and you have chlorine.

Dang bk406 wish all my initial start ups went that trouble free where I didn't have to go back and get salt level correct or any other corrections. Also how far was pool equip from power supply this could add alot to elec quote

The OP didn't say how far the electric line had to be run. He only said the electrical allowance was $1550 and the $1800 included wiring the IC 40 power supply.
Where I am, 120 feet of 1/0 aluminum in 1 1/4" conduit run from the main will run around $1600. That includes wiring the ET box as well.

As far as trouble free start ups, we generally encourage the pool owner to take control of that. Our best advice is to not pay the builder to put chemicals in the pool in the first place. We can teach a pool owner how to set up the pool water and keep it balanced with minimal cost with no cost whatsoever paid to the builder.