I think it's time we talk about these PB's.
PB#1, PB#2, and PB#3 are BIG companies here in DFW. They all have impressive showroom locations and build hundreds of pools a year. PB#4 is a smaller company with no retail location but excellent local referrals.
PB#1 did not come to us by referral. They have a retail location that we stumbled across while furniture shopping so we just walked in. The salesman/designer has been with the company for 15 years. The owners (father / son) work at that location, but I have not met them. I feel like PB#1's designs are exactly what we've asked for and nothing more. I don't feel like he's added any of his own touches to it. That said, I'm sure I'm sure he would make any change I tell him to. Once the other designs started flowing in I stopped tweaking PB#1's design. The salesman/designer is super polite and has worked hard to earn our business (e.g. when i pushed back on concrete pricing he made the pavers super affordable for me). A couple of things that concern about PB#1's design is that it doesn't take into account the slight slope away from the house (i.e. it shows the fire pit at the same level as the pool). I have not seen any of PB#1's pools except in pictures. PB#1 uses Hayward equipment. REVIEWS: Google = 4.4 rating / Facebook = 4.2 / Yelp = 2.2
PB#2 is supposedly the biggest pool builder in North Dallas (aprox. 400 pools a year). They came to us as a referral (ironically by somebody who went with PB#4). PB#2 uses many of their own trades. The salesman/designer rubbed me wrong when he first came to the house. Took me a bit to adjust to his dry sense of humor. Now I get him and quite like him. Of all the builders he has the most original ideas and I like his approach. He asks good, probing questions obviously geared to figure out what we value. But he's also good and educating us on how we'll likely use the pool and surrounding space. We've learned a lot, actually. One example... his first design had the pool a bit closer to house. We always envisioned a pool set back in the yard to show off how big the space is. His logic was that with that big covered living space on the back of our house, bringing the pool in closer would make that shady living space a part of the pool area. He said, "You already paid for that space. Let's use it as part of our design." He's been the most adamant that we build shade around the pool. We shoot ideas back and forth via text, even after hours. I like that cuz I'm usually thinking about the pool after hours. PB#2 used Jandy equipment. I recently read a very positive thread about PB#2 on this forum. REVIEWS: Google = 3.9 / Facebook = 4.6 / Yelp = 3.2. BBB = A+
PB#3 is a larger builder also, similar to PB#1 and about 1/2 the size of PB#2. Also a referral from the same friend who picked PB#4. I have not seen their pools in person; however they have two retail locations and have been building pools for 40 years in Dallas. Salesman/Designer is nice, but maybe a touch condescending. We were reviewing his design the other day and his answer to a few of my questions was... "I've been doing this a long time, so..." Definitely not quite the same vibe as we feel with PB#2 who seems open to all my dumb questions and encourages texting of my ideas. Also, PB#3 is the highest price for smallest pool, smallest cabana, and no putting green. For that reason alone I think they are out of the running. PB#3 uses Pentair equipment. REVIEWS: Google = 5.0 / Facebook = 4.9 / Yelp = 1.5
PB#4 is a smaller builder. He was recommended by our friend, our real estate agent, and somebody on this forum. The owner is the salesman, designer, and project manager. We've seen one of his pools in person and it was huge and impressive. The owner of that pool loved PB#4 but warned us they were slow. PB#4 was actually the second to visit our home back on 1/21. He showed up with nothing to write on, no tablet, no pictures, nothing! We shared ideas and criteria with him and he listened but obviously didn't take notes. I wondered how he'd remember it all! He just kept saying, "I know what you want." Anyway, he said he would have designs for us by the following week. We were anxious given the the recommendations we'd received. A week passed and nothing. I decided not to call and bug him. If he doesn't want the business I wasn't going to beg. After 10 days I was dying to know what he might have come up with. So I broke down and called him. He said he was almost done and would have them by last Thursday (a week later than promised). Thursday came and went... nothing from PB#4. So I think we're done. I have no idea what equipment PB#4 uses and he has NO reviews posted on Google, Facebook, or Yelp.
PB#1, PB#2, and PB#3 are BIG companies here in DFW. They all have impressive showroom locations and build hundreds of pools a year. PB#4 is a smaller company with no retail location but excellent local referrals.
PB#1 did not come to us by referral. They have a retail location that we stumbled across while furniture shopping so we just walked in. The salesman/designer has been with the company for 15 years. The owners (father / son) work at that location, but I have not met them. I feel like PB#1's designs are exactly what we've asked for and nothing more. I don't feel like he's added any of his own touches to it. That said, I'm sure I'm sure he would make any change I tell him to. Once the other designs started flowing in I stopped tweaking PB#1's design. The salesman/designer is super polite and has worked hard to earn our business (e.g. when i pushed back on concrete pricing he made the pavers super affordable for me). A couple of things that concern about PB#1's design is that it doesn't take into account the slight slope away from the house (i.e. it shows the fire pit at the same level as the pool). I have not seen any of PB#1's pools except in pictures. PB#1 uses Hayward equipment. REVIEWS: Google = 4.4 rating / Facebook = 4.2 / Yelp = 2.2
PB#2 is supposedly the biggest pool builder in North Dallas (aprox. 400 pools a year). They came to us as a referral (ironically by somebody who went with PB#4). PB#2 uses many of their own trades. The salesman/designer rubbed me wrong when he first came to the house. Took me a bit to adjust to his dry sense of humor. Now I get him and quite like him. Of all the builders he has the most original ideas and I like his approach. He asks good, probing questions obviously geared to figure out what we value. But he's also good and educating us on how we'll likely use the pool and surrounding space. We've learned a lot, actually. One example... his first design had the pool a bit closer to house. We always envisioned a pool set back in the yard to show off how big the space is. His logic was that with that big covered living space on the back of our house, bringing the pool in closer would make that shady living space a part of the pool area. He said, "You already paid for that space. Let's use it as part of our design." He's been the most adamant that we build shade around the pool. We shoot ideas back and forth via text, even after hours. I like that cuz I'm usually thinking about the pool after hours. PB#2 used Jandy equipment. I recently read a very positive thread about PB#2 on this forum. REVIEWS: Google = 3.9 / Facebook = 4.6 / Yelp = 3.2. BBB = A+
PB#3 is a larger builder also, similar to PB#1 and about 1/2 the size of PB#2. Also a referral from the same friend who picked PB#4. I have not seen their pools in person; however they have two retail locations and have been building pools for 40 years in Dallas. Salesman/Designer is nice, but maybe a touch condescending. We were reviewing his design the other day and his answer to a few of my questions was... "I've been doing this a long time, so..." Definitely not quite the same vibe as we feel with PB#2 who seems open to all my dumb questions and encourages texting of my ideas. Also, PB#3 is the highest price for smallest pool, smallest cabana, and no putting green. For that reason alone I think they are out of the running. PB#3 uses Pentair equipment. REVIEWS: Google = 5.0 / Facebook = 4.9 / Yelp = 1.5
PB#4 is a smaller builder. He was recommended by our friend, our real estate agent, and somebody on this forum. The owner is the salesman, designer, and project manager. We've seen one of his pools in person and it was huge and impressive. The owner of that pool loved PB#4 but warned us they were slow. PB#4 was actually the second to visit our home back on 1/21. He showed up with nothing to write on, no tablet, no pictures, nothing! We shared ideas and criteria with him and he listened but obviously didn't take notes. I wondered how he'd remember it all! He just kept saying, "I know what you want." Anyway, he said he would have designs for us by the following week. We were anxious given the the recommendations we'd received. A week passed and nothing. I decided not to call and bug him. If he doesn't want the business I wasn't going to beg. After 10 days I was dying to know what he might have come up with. So I broke down and called him. He said he was almost done and would have them by last Thursday (a week later than promised). Thursday came and went... nothing from PB#4. So I think we're done. I have no idea what equipment PB#4 uses and he has NO reviews posted on Google, Facebook, or Yelp.
It will be awesome no matter which design you choose.
He was not feelin' it???? Well he will not feel any of your money in his pocket!! He has priced it so you do NOT pick him. For some reason he does not want to do it so don't waste any more time or effort on him
