New Pool Build in LA County - Gunite Inspection Advice?

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Shadow Lord

Active member
Oct 27, 2013
26
Hello All,

We are finally starting our new pool and as many know the number of choices and differing advice is staggering.

Our pool will have a shotcrete shell and I have been told by one builder that he recommends a shotcrete inspection w/ cores while others have said it is unnecessary. The cost quoted to me is $475ish. So the questions:

1. Do the experts out there recommend a shotcrete inspection w/ cores?
2. If so does $500 sound about right for costs?
3. Where would I go to find an inspector?
4. Would the fact that the Nozzleman is ACI certified and/or the shotcrete came premixed from a batch plant and certified by a weighmaster change your decision (or the lack of the two for that matter)?

Any other advice before I sign tomorrow? :D

Thanks!
 
Quite a few cities in Southern California require samples to be poured and tested. I would say it's not necessary unless required the inspectors/city.

Ask to see the tickets from the cement truck driver to confirm they brought what you are paying for.

Who did the engineering for the pool? Pool Engineering Inc out of Anaheim?

What Shotcrete contractor?
 
Hi Brian,

No idea on who is the Shotcrete contractor. Engineering I assume is by the local company doing the pool. Unless they all farm it out to one place?

I will certainly ask for the tickets - if the mix comes from the plant I am less concerned then if they are mixing at the nozzle. Firm has a good rep around here both with couple of people whose pools they have done and also with the pool pros that service pools around here. This is mostly my OCD.
 
Shotcrete isn't mixed at the nozzle like gunite is so unless unless the contractor is telling the driver to dump a bunch of water into the drum, you should be getting exactly what is stated on the ticket.

Keep an eye on the guys if they start reaching for your garden hose. It would be a good idea to ask where the rebound will be placed and who/when it will be hauled off.

If you look at the notes on the engineering details in your plans, several cities are listed that require a special inspector to either oversee the entire shoot or at least be there to see samples prepared. See if any of the cities pertain to you. LA City is known for being especially difficult, often requiring their own licenses for contractors and material suppliers...some of that may trickle out to the county.

I'd be shocked if Pool Engineering didn't do the structural portion of your plans.
 
Brian,

Interesting. I figured most of these guys did not do their own engineering but I didn't think it all got farmed out to one company. We are signing our contract tomorrow and I want to make sure I am not missing anything as far as the shotcrete goes. Good to know the shotcrete can't be mixed at the site.

BTW: My pool equipment is pretty much a mirror of yours.
 
I'd say over 90% of the pools in the area use Pool Eng.

You'll be very happy with the equipment. The only things I'd recommend differently is a Raypak 406A instead of the Master Temp and a Stenner acid pump over the IntelliPH (if you are going that route).
 
Where are you located? Depending on where you live and what kind of soil you have, you might need a deputy inspection has to be present:

http://netinfo.ladbs.org/rreports.nsf/0/533b2048299ec7ec8825694b006d91af/$FILE/24346L-2011LABC-10-01-2012.pdf

https://www.ladbs.org/docs/default-...-swimming-pools-ib-p-bc2014-014.pdf?sfvrsn=14

Pool Engineering did my pool and totally missed the surcharge from the hill and wall next to the pool. I failed the steel inspection and had to pull out a bunch of 3/8 and replace it with 1/2" While they updated the drawings at no cost, I had to eat the change ($800).
 
Frank, did they actually do a site visit and do the plans? Usually they provide a generic engineering sheet and approve the site plan they are given. If a designer did the plans then the error falls on him, not the engineer as they only engineered the job they were given.
 

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bdavis466 said:
You'll be very happy with the equipment. The only things I'd recommend differently is a Raypak 406A instead of the Master Temp and a Stenner acid pump over the IntelliPH (if you are going that route).
Click to expand...

I was originally going to go "fully automatic" with an IntelliChem unit and IntelliPH. However, after reading on the forums here I decided against that. I saw many people recommend the Stenner instead of the IntelliPH. I am still deciding on that as I will have a pool man who will add acid weekly so may not be as much of a necessity.

I had specified a Pentair MasterTemp 400K ASME HD but I am interested to know why the Raypak 406A? Costs, performance, both?

Also I thought that you got a better warranty through Pentair if all of your equipment was Pentair instead of mix and match?

Thanks for all the advice and help.

- - - Updated - - -

Frank Rizzo said:
Where are you located? Depending on where you live and what kind of soil you have, you might need a deputy inspection has to be present:
Click to expand...

The PB has indicated a deputy inspector will be on site but my understanding was that they are not there the whole time - i.e. they are there for 15 to 30 minutes and they go to the next job.
 
3 or more items from Pentair will get you the 3 year warranty, so you are already there.

The Raypak will be less than the heater you spec'd by $4-800. You do not need the ASME or cupronickel heaters. Save your money on those.

Wait on the acid pump and get it out of your head right now that you'll have a pool service. Taking care of your pool is easy and there are thousands of people on this site that are eager to help you do it.
 
bdavis466 said:
Wait on the acid pump and get it out of your head right now that you'll have a pool service. Taking care of your pool is easy and there are thousands of people on this site that are eager to help you do it.
Click to expand...


The pool man is not because I think it would be particularly hard to take care of the pool but more of a time constraint. I am holding off on the acid pump for now. I may put it in, in any case but not a high priority item. Can you point me to a good thread where people have discussed why the Stenner instead of the IntelliPH (aside from price of course)

I also checked with the PB and yes the design will Pool Engineering Inc. The shotcrete will be at 4000 PSI (in contract - initially was going to do shotcrete at 3000 psi) and a deputy inspector will be present the whole time.
 
^ I dunno and probably never will. The steel guy was pretty cool and it ended up being about $850 if I recall. And the Grading inspector wanted a soils report so I had to hire and Engineer (Oro) which was another $800. It was kind of a blessing because if you remember waaaaay back to March, we got a good amount of rain and I ended up with a lot of junk under the rebar. When they pulled out all of the #3 it gave me a chance to get it all out before the laid the #4. They also changed the spacing to 4" OC in the deep end and on the surcharge wall.

I still had to have a deputy inspector present for the shotcrete and he witnessed the slump test. I never heard of anyone else having to go thru that.
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