Ok so I am all set.
This is how weird the world is. I find out that a PB in my area, who my dad actually went to school with, does concrete pools. I knew he did vinyl pools hand over fist in our area and he has a huge service business but never knew he did gunite. I called him about 2 weeks ago. He came up Monday after work. He got me a estimate on Tuesday and Thursday I decided to use him! And not cause he is from my area, but because his plan was the best. Well him and the other guy I stumbled upon a few weeks ago, but this PB is in my home town and my dad knows him well so that's a good thing. My dad never knew he did gunite either. He actually did a bunch of peoples pool who we know of and they were all gunite. Small world. Here I am searching and searching and he was right down the street. Yes his price was more than the large company price, but he will be there everyday. He lived 5 mins away (always a plus). My dad trusts him. My excavator who is my very very good friend has done work for him (ya he didn't realize either). the projects louis has been on were all vinyl.
So there you have it. Yes more money, but no mysteries with him if we run over PVC lengths I will be paying more, if we dig and hit some issues I won't be saying crazy hourly rates, he will be there everyday. He digs, he plumbs, his 1 guy does tile and coping, and they do electrical. Their rebar, shell, and plaster is done by 3 diff companies but these are the only 3 he uses.
He will be using all pentair equipment. We will have automation through easy touch/ screen logic with him. He uses only 1/2 on 12" grid rebar. His shell is min 8" throughout. Beam is thicker obviously. 3 lights. only guy who did 3 lights. pentair gobrites. he got more space for our free form out of our yard from the others. 2 skimmers, 2 returns up top and floor return through drain, but not by skimmer. from the filter pad.
All in all i'm happy. He is drawing up the contract and is taking care of the permits with my dad. We are going to finish the pool this year vs not finishing it cause we won't have a permanent fence but that's why my dad and him are doing the permits for me through the township.
So now we just have to sign and the plan is to dig as soon as the weather breaks. He is hoping april 1st-ish.
I'll post up full details when we sign. I have most of the models, but not all yet.
What I haven't decided yet was salt system vs chlorine. Very minor at this point.
We are going down to NPT to look at tile when I get the plaster samples from Diamond Brite and I have to grab 2 other paver colors and another sample from a diff paver company to take with us.
Right now we are leaning towards super blue. I have been being coached by a veteran pool builder from outside my area, who i stumped upon and has been awesome at consulting me dow this road, along with all you wonderful people here. I have some ideas for tile, but the problem is going to come with matching the blues in the tiles with the pavers that are in reds, grey family.
So there it is, my story if anyone is still listening.
I will say in closing that I am so glad I waited on this last year till now cause if i didn't I would not have ended up with who we picked. i would have made some really bad choices i think.
Only thing we gave up on cause of this builder being more than the large company was no spa now. the extra money to have him (along with what i feel is a better plan) ate up the spa, but my wife doesn't mind at all. she is much happier also.
Ok I'm off to start one of my lego creator building with my daughter. we have been sitting on 6 of them and the disney castle for over a year now. we have 3 done so tonight we are starting, i think, the movie theatre.
jim