I am going to attempt to contact my pool company and be as nice as I can, I feel a bit wronged here because I pay $600 to close my pool and it was filled with leaves and stuff and then they left all the drains open. The pool drains dump down a large hill so it's hard to hear or see it draining. When we went to take the cover off this weekend we were shocked to see the levels down the the drain line (parallel with my plumbing drain system). The liner shrunk and tore away from the jet covers and filter openings (also stairs). I new liner is $1900 and I think they want around $2500 for installation. Would I be out of line if I asked them to help me out on lowering the install fees?
Pool closing company left drain open on my 36,000 gallon inground pool. Liner dried out and shrunk, not sure my options.
- Thread starter watercooled
- Start date
I have a big sad for you and your liner 
It does not hurt to ask. If you don't ask they can't say yes..............Was the cover so tight you did not see that is was sunk down into the pool body? It is an in ground or above ground pool? Either way you need a liner asap with water in it to keep the walls safe.
It does not hurt to ask. If you don't ask they can't say yes..............Was the cover so tight you did not see that is was sunk down into the pool body? It is an in ground or above ground pool? Either way you need a liner asap with water in it to keep the walls safe.
If they say no, I'd be tempted to seek some legal advice - or at least get your liner done by someone else. I hate rewarding sloppy work. TBH, I'd be looking to them to be doing the install for free, and at least pro-rating the cost of the liner. You paid them to perform a service, and had a reasonable expectation that that service was executed correctly. It's not like there was some major outside force that magically opened all the drains.
I'd actually prefer to learn how to install my liner myself as I loathe depending on people. It's not that I don't trust folks it's that I live in an area where there are not a lot of options for pool installers (just a few companies that do small fiberglass only drop ins).
Opened my pool this week to a ripped and dry rotted liner (was well past it's expiration date, was white in color when it used to be blue). 13 years old I believe.
I did a search online for more than several online liner vendors and got quotes ALL in the same price range. 20 mil for a 20'x40' around 1700-2100 and 20-27 around 2200-2500. When I inquired locally they all seem to use the same distributor that charges over $6,000 and they all urge me to stay away from online vendors for liners.
I see countless DIY youtube videos of people ordering liners but no sure if there is a catch to ordering online or if I would truly see a $4,000 difference in price going local. I know you get what you pay for but is this just a matter of a common distributor over-charging? Getting quotes near $8-10k installed has me thinking "wow".
Would be nice to buy a liner for $2000 and maybe replace it every 5-7 years myself if I learn how to do it. My biggest concern is measurements as I have a roman/grecian hybrid (luckily no curved corners to measure). Not sure how "exact" my measurements have to be when ordering online.
Opened my pool this week to a ripped and dry rotted liner (was well past it's expiration date, was white in color when it used to be blue). 13 years old I believe.
I did a search online for more than several online liner vendors and got quotes ALL in the same price range. 20 mil for a 20'x40' around 1700-2100 and 20-27 around 2200-2500. When I inquired locally they all seem to use the same distributor that charges over $6,000 and they all urge me to stay away from online vendors for liners.
I see countless DIY youtube videos of people ordering liners but no sure if there is a catch to ordering online or if I would truly see a $4,000 difference in price going local. I know you get what you pay for but is this just a matter of a common distributor over-charging? Getting quotes near $8-10k installed has me thinking "wow".
Would be nice to buy a liner for $2000 and maybe replace it every 5-7 years myself if I learn how to do it. My biggest concern is measurements as I have a roman/grecian hybrid (luckily no curved corners to measure). Not sure how "exact" my measurements have to be when ordering online.
My pool is unique in the fact that it sits on a built-up courtyard on a slope surrounded by a massive rock wall. The plumbing and pumps all sit well below. They pool company is saying that even if the drains were open the water should not leak out due to the fact that have a pressure valve up top that has to be opened to allow that siphon and they always "leave them open". They are basically using this as their excuse to get out of liability. Somehow I lost pressure and maybe have some plumbing issue? I am thinking it just slowly trickled out. They quoted me $6500 for a new 40x20 liner which I thought was disgusting high and of course another 3-4k to install it so I am going to order a new liner and install myself but first have my lines pressure tested.
So sad that is what they are saying. VERY glad you are doing a pressure test to make sure the pipes are good. Will you use water or air to pressure test?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,353
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Not sure yet, hiring a different pool company to do the test. They are coming out tomorrow. Anything I should be concerned about?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,353
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I think it was 13 years old?
Shocked that my three local places all charge $6500 for a new liner, it's a 40x20 ft inground pool yet every single online vendor I checked charges between 1700-2100 for a liner. The locals all use the same distributor I believe and they are blaming covid for prices. Even IF the liner from them is better than what royal or poolwarehouse sells I would highly doubt it's $4,000 better. Vinyl liners have been around for decades.
Only pic I have of it uploaded online, the pool is elevated about 25 feet as the ground before the install was a sharp downward slope into the tree line. It's about a 50 foot drop off past the patio directly behind the back of the house. The original owner had a massive stacked stone wall built up for the pool patio. All the plumbing and equipment rooms sit below the pool.
Large distrubers such as online vendors typically have things half price of what a small local shop charges for it. Then add some more for installation/labor. $6500 would likely be about right if the install was included.
When the PVC/vinyl shortages were in full effect, some local companies were told they could only have X orders filled, so yours may be trying to get the most that people will pay with the few liners they can order. I haven't heard how it's going so far this year, maybe it's continuing or maybe those companies are still charging what people are still willing to pay.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,353
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
A 13 year old liner was at the end of its useful life.
Reimbursing for accidental damage usually does not allow for "betterment". So you could make a claim for the remaining useful life of the liner that the contractor took away from you. But once you say the liner was 13 years old there was little useful life you were guaranteed to have. If it was a new liner installed in the last year or two you would have a different claim.
I know that does not make you feel better. And you had not planned on spending for a liner replacement. But your liner was running on borrowed time.
$6500 was liner only...total quote was $9000 + any additional concrete work needed once they removed old liner.Large distrubers such as online vendors typically have things half price of what a small local shop charges for it. Then add some more for installation/labor. $6500 would likely be about right if the install was included.
When the PVC/vinyl shortages were in full effect, some local companies were told they could only have X orders filled, so yours may be trying to get the most that people will pay with the few liners they can order. I haven't heard how it's going so far this year, maybe it's continuing or maybe those companies are still charging what people are still willing to pay.
You're spot on with where my feelings are at. I am not totally upset about the liner, I really wanted a new look and was planning on it. I am more bummed about not being able to plan on my terms and the fact that every single pool installer is booked for the year here locally. I am going the route of learning how to install it myself. I just am really worried about making sure I measure correctly as I don't know how much play I have. If a corner I measure is 19.5 but is actually 19.8...stuff like that.
I am more upset that they charged me $650 to close the pool and I agreed to that but they sorta of carelessly left things improperly. IF my liner was new this would sting.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,353
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The Pool Company should have offered you a 20% discount on their inflated prices to compensate you. Not that you would have taken that offer anyway.
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,980
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
That is a really nice house and property I am a little surprised your pool is liner and not gunite/plaster. When we got ours it was explained to us that there is liner, fiberglass and plaster, in that order price-wise. I know there are "other than monetary" issues to go liner but surprising nevertheless. I wonder if it could be converted to plaster at this point. With your liner replacement price, you are creeping up on the price for a replaster. My neighbors plaster pool is 20 years old on the original plaster.
Stephs2125
Silver Supporter
- Apr 18, 2017
- 86
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Can you convert a liner pool to plaster? I did not know this....hmmmm......
CraigChing
Gold Supporter
- Jun 15, 2019
- 202
- Pool Size
- 22000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Everything I’ve read online says it’s a “start over”, no less expensive than starting from nothing.
Actually it usually costs more because you have to demo and cart the old pool.