A Houston Pool Build Inside the Loop

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I would recommend a robot Marla. The infloor systems are extremely expensive and depending on who you ask, some work much better than others.
It will be less costly to buy a robot yourself. PBs put a nice markup on everything they provide. They money you could save could buy you some nice patio lounges or give you some extra money for landscaping.
 
I would tell them it is something you want and that you will be pricing them on your own so...........let them see if they can/will beat your pricing.

I am all about being up front and letting them at least try to find a better deal.

When you talk to them have a list of filters and pumps that you want as far as size and style. That will help them and you compare apples to apples.

Kim
 
I guess I'm the odd ball. Haha. If you can afford the Paramount In Floor system (PV3 or PCC2000) my vote is for it.

My reasons can be summarized:

- convenience. It gets everything. The spa, steps, etc. Robots don't get these so you have to manually clean these.

- I'm lazy. You don't have to constantly drop in and remove a robot.

- you get one chance to go with the In Floor - at the build. I can always turn it off and add a robot later. Can't do the reverse.

- I'm not concerned about pipes under the pool. I have pipes under the foundation of my house and I don't give them a second thought.

- convenience. Did I mention I'm lazy and don't want to do any extra robot wrestling?

It does cost $3-$4K depending on builder in our area. So it's not cheap. But I think worth it.
 
We love our in floor system (PCC2000). It doesn't run that much for the energy cost to be an issue, but it keeps the pool clean. No robots to deal with, and I love being able to mix the water quickly after adding chemicals. It also keeps the water at a uniform temperature throughout the pool.
 
Marla, thanks for asking questions that I have also had on my mind!! In fact, I was just going to post a few in my thread! I love how we can all learn from each other.
Are you still waiting on bids?
 
Marlahoutex said:
When do you let PBs know that this is a bid process? When they come out to the site? Or do they just figure you are talking to others? (Yes I know never assume!)
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They know. We talked to 5. Each one acted as if they were the selected group, but they know there's competition.

For us the process followed this basic pattern.

1. Initial visit. They come out, take pictures of the desired pool area, get a copy of your survey (important!) and talk to you about your desired look, placement and features.

2. They go away and work on the design. This usually takes about 7 - 10 days.

3. They schedule a follow up visit (usually at their office) to present their design and price.

Now you have the foundation to begin negotiations. Want to change the design? Add/remove/modify features?

The next step is funding then sign the contract.

It's a process. They know that until you have signed the contract they are still bidding the job.
 

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Forgot to add. Of the 5 we talked to we only let 3 go through with the design. The other 2 we basically thanked them for their time and didn't pursue. Of the 3 we chose, we dropped one of them before they completed the design because we found out about the Paramount In Floor system later (it became a requirement) and they couldn't offer it.
 
Hi Marla! I was wondering the same thing! I had someone out today, I didn't tell him we were already talking to someone else. I felt weird about it. There's a thread with a ton of questions listed for prospective PB. Have you seen it? I'll have to go back through and find it. It was very helpful!
 
Think of it like dating. Some people tell the other person on their first date that they are not being exclusive. But most just expect the other is playing the field until told explicitly otherwise.
 
Marlahoutex said:
So if I have more than one PB per site visit in one day, how much time should I allow per visit? An hour ? 2?
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If you are prepared to ask questions and discuss, I would say an hour minimum. For starters, you don't really know if the first one will be on time. Also, if you find a connection you can talk that hour away without really trying.

The first ones we had out were acquaintances from our church. There was so much we didn't know. That meeting went 2 hours. The ones after that ran about an hour because we already kinda knew the problem areas and didn't have to get through all the basics.
 

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