Add Spa with Pool Renovation?? Estimates?? Houston Tx Recommendations?

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DeanG

DeanG

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Jul 8, 2013
27
Friendswood (Houston) / TX
Howdy!

Moved into our house in 2013 with an existing pool that's 10-15 years old. Thanks to this site, I've have a great looking pool from the 1st month we moved in. The pool has been kept in good shape, but is showing some age. We're looking at doing some renovations/updating.

Here's what we're looking at doing:

-- Darling wife would like to add a hot tub/spa. We use the pool from Mid-March to October, so a spa would definitely get used. Looking at something added to one end of the poolm, raised 1-2' above the decking, sized for 4 adults with spillover to the pool. I've seen some designs with 1/3 of spa extending into pool and remainder cut back into the decking.

We just replaced the pool heater with a Pentair 400000 BTU heater, so there's no worries about hot water. Would be interested in replacing the 2HP single speed pump with a variable speed pump.

-- I'd like to add a tile line since the pool was built without one. The gunite/plaster runs up out of the water to the coping. There's been a pre-existing scum/discoloration line that I haven't been able to get rid off. There are also some long (6') narrow cracks running parallel to the water line on one end of the pool. They're probably leaking since the water level seems to settle at or below them. Some have been patched, but it's kind of ugly.

-- The pool also needs to be replastered/recoated since there's places the white base is showing thru the blue color coat.

-- Would also like to replace the existing single fiberoptic light fixture with a couple LED fixtures. It barely lights up the middle of the pool and leaves the ends pretty dark.

-- Add a hand railing to the deck at the steps to use when getting in and out of the pool.

My questions:

1) How difficult/expensive/crazy would it be to add a new spa to an existing pool? This would involve some demo/rebuild. I've seen quotes online from $10K to $50K. I'd prefer to stick to under $20K for the whole project. Haven't contacted any builders yet which brings me to my nex question..

2) Any recommendations/warnings for builders/modelers in the Clear Lake/Friendwood/Pearland area of Houston? I'd like to use someone local.

Thanks in advance for any information.
 
Welcome! I have no advice to give, but please post pictures of your existing pool so we can get a visual on where things stand then you can get better, more informed advice from the experts here. Plus, we LOVE pictures and would love to follow your remodel!
 
Hope this works.. My first time posting pictures...

This is looking from 1 end of the yard across the pool. This is the shallow end of the pool and doesn't have as much deck area as the far end..

https://flic.kr/p/DkD669

These are portion of the patched cracks in the end of shallow end of the pool.

https://flic.kr/p/CWHud8

This is the deeper end. There used to be a slide here. This would be the end best suited for adding a hot tub..

https://flic.kr/p/Dvdj3p

Underneath this little wooden table is a capped return line that used to connect to the slide. There's a valve near the pump to control flow to this outlet.

https://flic.kr/p/DsUggw
 
I'd get a standalone spa instead of the major reno/cost of an added in-ground attached spa. I can't see any way you'd be at $20k for plaster and an in-ground spa. You could be under that and have a super comfortable awesome spa. Yes, you have to maintain the water separately but is the big $$ difference worth solving that issue?
 
Honestly I think you are looking at a minimum of 10k if you did the work yourself to schedule subs for a plaster job and add a tile line. That is if there are no issues to deal with. Plus 1200 for 2 LED lights and the labor to add those to the shell if you don't already have a niche in place for them could at least add another few thousand.

If you hire a company they'll probably add at least 30% to that number bringing it up to 20k.

Here is the extra stuff to budget for if you need to add a hot tub...
1. New pump
2. Permits for new work
3. New plumbing
4. Deck repair/replace
5. Engineering to tie into existing shell
6. Excavation
7. Gunite for spa
8. Rebar for spa

Plus because you are working around the existing pool I think costs might be slightly hire than adding a spa to a new pool. Usually spas add between 10 and 20k to a pool job depending on how fancy they are. I think 40k for all you are desiring would be a more realistic number.
 
Thanks for all the helpful advice.

After getting several estimates, we've decided on:
1- Replaster with Diamondbright Aruba
2- Add a tile line with Matertile Crackle Azul
3- Replace the coping with Travertine
4- Add a Glo-brite LED to the wall in the deep end to shoot light down the length of the pool.
5- Remove the fiber optic light in the side of the pool.
6- Recoat the deck with a darker color, Nevada Sand.

The GLO-Brite got installed last week and they've started on the coping and tile this week.

We're really looking forward to our "new" pool!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Looks like you have good pool that will be awesome after the updates. With what your doing, it will almost be brand new but much cheaper than new. So are you going to do a stand alone spa instead? Love your big palms at the back of the pool.
 
jojoman said:
Looks like you have good pool that will be awesome after the updates. With what your doing, it will almost be brand new but much cheaper than new. So are you going to do a stand alone spa instead? Love your big palms at the back of the pool.
Click to expand...

We've talked about a stand alone spa, but with the limited space in the yard, it'd take up 1/4 of our deck area.

The palms were here when we moved in, they really add to the "oasis" factor of the pool. My avatar picture is the top of the 40' fan palm that you only see the base of in the pictures. :)

Once the pool renovation is done, the next project is the landscaping around the palms.
 

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You could always go with a small stand alone spa, I bought an older (1998 model, but spent its life inside) Hot Spring Jet Setter about 5x7 ft foot print for about $1,500 a couple of years ago and love it, although I don't use it as often as I would like. It is advertised as a 3 person tub, but hot tubs are like tents they really hold half as many people as advertised. I did not want to spend $9,000 on a new one as I was not sure I would like it that much, and think I made the right decision, the current Jetsetter is a little bigger, and has a few more bells and whistles (color changing lights, etc.) they have also mirror image flipped the seating layout, but not enough improvement yet for me to spend an extra $7,500. Although if I had to do it over again, I would probably move up one size to the Hot Spring Sovereign or Aria as the Jetsetter really is a 1 person tub, 2 if they are friendly.

Ike

ps to give you an idea on size
attachment.php
 
The tile and coping are in. The really great news was there was no damage to the pool beam. That was the biggest worry due to the cracking plaster.

The plaster prep crew comes tomorrow. The deck clean/recolor is Friday. The new plaster is scheduled for Monday. All depending on the weather of course.

e9cdab67dc207953dfcf7305e5385b69.jpg


1cd527f4bc03ddb397699230a75d1e02.jpg


685ccdfb04358fa65966b5358d67f537.jpg




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Isaac-1 said:
You could always go with a small stand alone spa, I bought an older (1998 model, but spent its life inside) Hot Spring Jet Setter about 5x7 ft foot print for about $1,500 a couple of years ago and love it, although I don't use it as often as I would like. It is advertised as a 3 person tub, but hot tubs are like tents they really hold half as many people as advertised. I did not want to spend $9,000 on a new one as I was not sure I would like it that much, and think I made the right decision, the current Jetsetter is a little bigger, and has a few more bells and whistles (color changing lights, etc.) they have also mirror image flipped the seating layout, but not enough improvement yet for me to spend an extra $7,500. Although if I had to do it over again, I would probably move up one size to the Hot Spring Sovereign or Aria as the Jetsetter really is a 1 person tub, 2 if they are friendly.

Ike

ps to give you an idea on size
attachment.php
Click to expand...

That's a cozy spa. We saw some at the home show that were a little bigger, but more triangular. Something to think about.
 
Be ware of the cheaper models that are often seen at home shows, etc. Stick with the better brands (Hot Spring, Jaccuzi, Dimension One, Bull Frog, Caldera, Arctic Spas, etc.), there is a lot of junk out there.
 
Things are moving right along and looking great!

eac0e9811ef3e5d4864b414daa0d6e38.jpg
79fb50288fc685d62f5ecb77cb762671.jpg
ce9615ecb5dbf8a171c4df77b63a9aeb.jpg


The deck color (Nevada Sand) was completed yesterday.

The plaster crew was arriving as I left for work this morning. Should be filling with water by tonight!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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