Cracked Plaster

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It is in your best interests NOT to "go along with it". It's just going to crack again. It needs to be fixed correctly and not just put a band-aid over over the cosmetic portion - this is a structural issue.
The recommendations given above are sound. The skimmer was not installed correctly and integrated into the pool shell.
 
HRR8998 said:
I’m going along with it because the pool has a 20 year structural warranty and we already have a pre-completion issue that’s acknowledged and if the issue continues or gets worse it will be the PB’s problem.
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I don't know why you think getting the PB to fix the problem correctly will be any easier in the future then now.

I would insist on a structural fix now and not simply patched plaster.
 
He will have patched it up 2 times in just the short period if you go that route. Worse is what is happening with that patch below all this now. It's indisputable that he made the error in the build, and a plaster over settles nothing to keep it from cracking out soon again. The problem is never going to go away. I wish the best, but if you ever want this fixed under the PB warranty and not your own pocket, and sooner than you anticipate, I think your only shot is now.
 
Back in 2011 I had my pool resurfaced and prior to the remodel I had some small cracks in the area of the old skimmer. As part of the remodel I had the skimmer replaced and re-tied into the existing pool wall. Here are a couple of pictures showing a proper rebar cage around the new skimmer. To tie the new structure to the pool wall they drilled holes into the pool wall into which the rebar was inserted and epoxied in place. Then they sprayed gunite (after taping the top closed) over the whole structure to tie the skimmer into the pool wall.

C35467A3-FFEA-4BF3-9BBC-8AE0D0804CAF.jpeg
And after the gunite was applied.
D024081D-DD5F-4F34-B81A-A04840AB4EDF.jpeg
In my opinion (just as a pool owner and an engineer by trade) you need to have something like this done to your pool to fix it properly.

As others have said your current skimmer structure is not tied to the pool wall and has already cracked and broken away from the pool wall. No amount of replastering is going to fix the fundamental structural problem. You have the pictures to show that there is no rebar around the skimmer, that can’t be the best practice in pool building.

The skimmer and associated gunite need to be chipped out, a proper rebar cage built and secured to the pool wall, and then re-gunited. Only then should the plaster be repaired.

I wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less, but it’s your pool.
 
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OP said in another thread that he is in central west FL so I am going to assume Tampa Bay...I looked at my build thread and 4 other Tampa Bay build threads and none have gunite around the skimmers...definitely doesn't mean it's right (I agree with the logic everyone has presented above) but my guess is OP will hear a bunch of, "we never do it that way and haven't had a problem in 30 years!" :LOL: That being said there clearly IS a problem and I would be pressing for the PB to actually fix it, not just put a plaster patch and hope it holds...especially if you haven't paid in full yet.
 
You’re correct I’m in the Tampa area, a little south east of Tampa. Your quote about 30 years makes me think you may know who my PB is. We may need to have a sidebar conversation!
 
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So an update. The plaster company drained about 6 inches and made a repair, pic below. They then put the hose in and filled it back up. They recognize it looks like brown stinky stuff and said they will be back tomorrow to finish it with it being underwater.

At the same time, I spoke with a structural engineer today, told them the story and sent a bunch of pictures. They are coming out tomorrow to check out the hairline crack in the bullnose grout. Their preliminary theory is that the rebar between the form for the skimmer hole and the wall may not have been tied together properly and the weight of the water in the pool caused a shift. They also think that if it did shift then it’s probably done shifting and the repair, going along with this theory, should be sufficient.

PS- I’m still holding back 10% of the construction cost. I was actually 5 minutes away from releasing the money to the PB when my wife texted me after she found the crack!

Here is a pic of what it looks like now and the rebar.
8d9332ee-f5f1-4821-8cce-305389afe719-jpeg.445509


Edit- the grout has been fixed.
 

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Sounds like the engineer is assuming the skimmer hole form was not properly tied to wall form, if I read your explanation correctly. Even so, ties matter not once encased in gunite. The issue they may not be considering is that it appears there never was a form build for the skimmer that could even be tied to wall before gunite. Their second point is lacking. Structures in soil are always moving as the soil expands and contracts through the seasons.
 

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Interesting. No, I don't know who your builder is...just comments about how they've been in business for x # of years and this never happens are pretty common. It's definitely not my builder b/c mine doesn't respond nearly as quick as yours did lol.
 
Sorry you are going through this! I wish you luck but as others have said this sounds more like a band-aide for a problem that will come back. Not sure if this helps at all but I have had two pools built (different PB on each) and in both cases the skimmer has been formed along with the perimeter, had a rebar "cage" around it that ties in the rest of the rebar and then completely encapsulated with gunite. Pic for reference after gunite before decking. Maybe you can show this and ask the PB why this was not done? It literally looks like they just stuck yours in the ground and then tried to bond it with a thin coat of concrete (or something) on the front. I also agree with others that it will only get harder to get it fixed down the road. You were wise to hold back the 10% and I would 100% use it as leverage now to get it fixed correctly. IMG_0797.jpeg
 
HRR8998 said:
So an update. The plaster company drained about 6 inches and made a repair, pic below. They then put the hose in and filled it back up. They recognize it looks like brown stinky stuff and said they will be back tomorrow to finish it with it being underwater.

At the same time, I spoke with a structural engineer today, told them the story and sent a bunch of pictures. They are coming out tomorrow to check out the hairline crack in the bullnose grout. Their preliminary theory is that the rebar between the form for the skimmer hole and the wall may not have been tied together properly and the weight of the water in the pool caused a shift. They also think that if it did shift then it’s probably done shifting and the repair, going along with this theory, should be sufficient.

PS- I’m still holding back 10% of the construction cost. I was actually 5 minutes away from releasing the money to the PB when my wife texted me after she found the crack!

Here is a pic of what it looks like now and the rebar.
8d9332ee-f5f1-4821-8cce-305389afe719-jpeg.445509


Edit- the grout has been fixed.
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Not the throw more problem on top of all, but have you looked at the tile alignment where you have that vertical line of missing grout in this pic compared to the alignment of tile on the LH side? The skimmer is off center, angled to shell, which shows in how they had tile and grout it in, but the cracking at tile line going up indicates it is now detached.
 
Daily update…the structural engineer was out this morning and feels confident about the integrity of the shell. They are leaning towards an improperly installed skimmer or the plaster did not bond/adhere properly to the white stuff in the picture below. Interestingly, this is the only area of the pool that has a problem and the only area that had this white stuff applied 2 days before plaster.

The PB is coming tomorrow to talk with us.
6F61B44F-EB97-48E1-9FB6-21CCA388E526.jpeg
 
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This picture below pretty much sums it up on why the skimmer has detached from the pool. It looks to be just sitting in the dirt. That can be verified by removing the skimmer lid and examining. They both should know plaster will not reattach it to the pool.
 

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