Owner Build W/ Rock Blasting - Loomis, CA - Equipment List HELP

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ADouglas

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May 26, 2016
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Loomis, CA
Owner Build W/ Rock Blasting - Loomis, CA - Plaster Issues

Hello, I've been a lurking around for about a month and have gained a lot of great information on our future build. Thanks to members for posting their builds to help out other future pool owners.

A little about myself, we live on 5 acres in a small town called Loomis that is 26 miles from Sacramento in Northern California. My wife and I met playing water polo for the same university so swimming is in our blood. Fortunately, all 3 of our kids got these same genetics and 2 are on swim team (ages 4 & 6) and our youngest (age 2) also loves being in water. We moved to our house in 2012 and started planning for what our property would be in the years to come. First was a remodel to the house adding space for the family and guests. That was completed in October 2015 and now its time for the pool.

To date we have the design complete (although input is greatly appreciated, especially on equipment) and we are currently sending it out for bid. I am debating on an owner build (if I can find the time) or hiring it out for a turn key package. Part of this decision will be the budget and where the turn key pricing comes in at.

We would really like to have the pool usable before the end of the summer but I am loosing hope that is achievable. Does anyone know if there are any cost savings by postponing the build to the winter (off peak time of year)?

Below are some of the pool specs and more info can be seen on the plan sheet:

-20x44 pool with 13x9 shelf and water slide
-32,605 gal
-8x8 round spa
-814 gal

-(2) Pentair Clean & Clear Filters
-Intelliflo XF variable speed pump
-1-1/2" Pentair Kreepy Krauly Racer
-(2) Intellibrite 5G LED Large
-(2) Globrite LED small for spa and shelf

Current Design:


Picture of existing backyard (large rock to be relocated to location on plan):
 
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Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

Hi! I'm new here and just found this board. We're just starting the pool building process and trying to gather as much information about the process as we can. I was excited to find yours because we are in Roseville - just a few miles down the road from you! We're currently getting quotes from a few pool builders but we've also talked to quite a few people about going the owner builder route as well. And from what I've gathered from them, if you build during the off season (starting October), it's much easier as an owner builder. Reason being is because the pool builders sub-contract out part of the work to the same contractors you would be hiring as an owner builder. And during the busy season, these contractors are more willing to go with the pool builders because they consistently give them business. So the owner-builder takes a back seat to them. During the off season, the sub-contractors have a lot more time, and might be willing to negotiate on price more since they don't have many jobs in the pipeline.

Also, I've heard that building in the off-season means less competing jobs and your pool construction will take less time. Again, I haven't built our pool yet so this is just what I've learned in talking to other people.

Your plans look really nice and I'm looking forward to following your progress!
 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

ajang27 - I would agree with the people you have talked with that during the off season it is easier to get subcontracts to bid and show up. I found another owner builder in Loomis and I am using a lot of his contacts. I have had some trouble getting others to bid our project
 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

After talking with some pool builders we have decided to go the Owner Builder route to save some money and control the subcontractors. We quickly realized we will not have the pool done this summer so taking our time to do it right and save some money makes sense.

We started the excavation yesterday and quickly ran into our first hurdle. The deep end has a very large granite rock (this area is known for rock) and we will have to blast it in order to stick with our original plan. The other option would be to change the pool location/design but we could easily hit another rock elsewhere and at this point it is hard to walk away from our original plan.

The blasting company cannot be onsite until next Tuesday to drill the rock and the blast will probably occur next Wednesday. Our contingency budget for unforeseen issues has been met on day 2! haha

Below are pictures.









 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

Update - Drilling today, Blasting tomorrow...

After the holes are drilled they will be filled with explosives and then buried under roughly 4' of soil to reduce the "blast" zone and protect the house.

Drill Pattern:



Drilling:



 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

those boulders are amazing, you could just stack those up on the side of the pool for a waterfall and grotto and you'd not even need to buy any. Plus you'd be reclaiming your own boulders!

Wow!
 

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Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

gocubs418 said:
That is amazing... I can't believe they literally pack explosives in there and blow out the rock.

So you said this blew your budget out of whack?
Click to expand...

To remove rock like this is typically around 8-10k. It all depends on how the blast goes and I will update when I get the final bill. I used to work for a GC that developed a large commercial site a few miles from our house that had over 100 days of blasting and cost over 2 million to just remove the rock.

gwegan said:
Are you putting solar heat on the pool?
Click to expand...

We are plumbing for solar, still on the fence if we will install now, later or never. We have had friends that simply use solar covers and that seems to work fairly well. I see you are local, what has your experience been and what would you recommend?
 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

Has anyone had experience with heat pumps or electric spa heaters? I ask as we would like to keep everything electric because our house has a large PV solar system feeding it and our electricity bill is basically $0. Our only other option is propane that gets expensive.

Our pool designer called out a Hayward Model CSPA XI 11 for the spa and nothing for the pool. I am thinking about eliminating the Hayward spa heater and replacing with a combo pool/spa heat pump. This looks to be more expensive but if it dramatically increases the time it takes to heat the spa then it might be worth it?

Does anyone have an in ground spa 800+/- gallons that is heated by electricity? If so, what do you use (brand/model) and what is the typical time it takes to get to 100 degrees?

Thanks!!
 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

Two benefits of solar are it extends the season and it generally gets you a pool with a constant temp. My wife hates the cover on the pool.

Because of tree cover and the orientation of my house I don't have the best coverage for extending the season and I have like zero sun after 4 pm. But I would not trade it for anything. I like a warm pool and it makes the pool very swimable all night long even without a cover. With a cover its even better. The solar contractors will compete on price -- at least they did for me. The market has never fully recovered from 2008 2009 so while pools can be expensive contractors will compete.
 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

gwegan said:
Two benefits of solar are it extends the season and it generally gets you a pool with a constant temp. My wife hates the cover on the pool.

Because of tree cover and the orientation of my house I don't have the best coverage for extending the season and I have like zero sun after 4 pm. But I would not trade it for anything. I like a warm pool and it makes the pool very swimable all night long even without a cover. With a cover its even better. The solar contractors will compete on price -- at least they did for me. The market has never fully recovered from 2008 2009 so while pools can be expensive contractors will compete.
Click to expand...

Good to know! I don't really like the look of a solar cover and would like to swim into the night with an extended season. I installed our PV solar system myself so this would probably be similar. What company did you use and get quotes from? Any recommendations on manufacturers? I will have to start researching this.
 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

I used Sierra Pacific and have Fafco panels. I beat them up on price.

I got bids from Aztec and one other.

If you search around on here you can find the names and how to get other panels and DYI if you want to.
 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

We've got PV and solar water heating for the pool. The power needed to push water through the panels matches up very well to the surplus PV power that would get sold to the grid for peanuts.

Once the weather gets hot, the house aircon is chewing up all the PV, but the pool no longer needs heat (or maybe an hour or two in the morning before the house gets hot), so it's worked out pretty well. The only gap is if we get a 4 or 5 day stretch of cloudy weather, but there's less swimming going on for then anyway.

I'm getting a cover, even though my wife and I both see them as ugly too. My plan is to use it in spring only to get the pool warmed up a bit earlier. No one seemed to want to swim any more when autumn arrived, but it should work then as well.

Heat pump is not yet off my radar, and I have the pipes and pad sitting there ready to go. But if I had it to do over, I would have tried to take up less roof space by optimizing placement of the PV on the roof a bit better, which would have made room for more solar water heating panels. They're simple and reliable and the fewer conversions of energy the better, I think.

We have no interest in winter swimming, but if we did, it would have to be pool cover (or win lotto) and gas. It doesn't freeze here, but we get nights near freezing and stretches of weather around 50.
 
Re: New Pool Build - Loomis, CA

Needsajet - Thanks for your input, it is great to hear from someone with a PV system. I am hoping to run our system similar to yours but need to figure out the best way to heat our spa.

Excavation Update - The Blast is complete!! Excavation is back underway and I will see the completed dig later today when I get home from work (hopefully the blast got everything). Below are some pictures and a video.

Drilling complete:



Setting up for the Blast:



Explosives!!



Setup complete:



Now to bury everything to protect house and control blast zone:



The Blast (hopefully this video works?):



Post Blast Excavation and Rock:



 
Re: New Owner Build Pool with Rock Blasting - Loomis, CA

Hey, that's very cool. Thanks for all the pics and the video.

Down here, hot water is currently the only cost-effective storage of excess PV energy (or an electric car if you happen to already own one, haha.)

There's a device called an Immersun, which monitors PV generation and the amount being exported. It redirects the exported surplus to a circuit connected to a particular device. It works especially well on resistance water heating because a heating element heats as long as it's getting watts. It's used with a dual element electric water heater, with one element tied to the regular house system so you always have hot water. The other element is tied to the Immersun to soak up excess PV, whenever the thermostat also indicates heat is needed. I have no idea if it's available in the US, but it might be an option for a spa.
 

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