Price premium for quartzscapes

[ranger521]

Just discovereed this forum a few days ago. You all have already helped with some of the questions we have regarding our pool renovation. However, there is so much info here that my head is spinning a bit too.

We are deciding between plain white plaster, which we have today, and quartzscapes. The quote is for an extra $26 per linear foot over the price of the white plaster. We don't have a basis to know if that is an appropriate price. The pool ranges from 3'-5 1/2'.

Thanks for all the help you've given us.

 

[Lana537]

Hello,

I cannot directly answer your question as to "appropriate price" and this is why not:

It seems to me that any surface product prices have to do with where you are and who is doing the application. You are in Ohio; I'm in North Carolina. It almost doesn't matter whether this is a good reasonable price for the product. It IS the price from that one provider where you are. The only way you will ever be able to know if the upcharge is fair is if you happen to have 1) another contractor or two who can bid on the same product(s) so you can compare prices, and 2) you have some way of knowing that the reputation and skills of all the contractors are the same.

I didn't shop the product price when I started to renovate my pool. I shopped the pool builders and the surface applicators by their reputations and portfolios. I got their prices for the various products out there and decided whether I could scrape together the bucks for the surface I wanted.

Maybe in California, Arizona, or Florida, and such places, where pools are common and companies in the business are abundant, you could find out whether the prices being quoted are appropriate, but when you live in more odd places, maybe a long haul from any licensed applicator, as is my case, you pay dearly. I am also very aware and very hopeful that I have gone with a good builder and he is using talented, experienced people.

Best wishes to you on your project and beautiful new pool.

Lana

 

[ranger521]

Thanks for the feedback.
We're just trying to get some sense from other people who have used quartzscapes of the premium they paid over plain white plaster. We are trying to get input from other PBs here in Austin, TX as well, but input from others who have used this product is also helpful.

One PB told us "that's just mixing colored quartz in the plaster. I do that for no extra charge". It's hard to know if that is in fact similar to quartscapes or not...but the way he talked about it raised concerns about whether the quality would be any good. I don't think we'll use that guy, but it does raise concerns about the $26 per linear foot premium our preferred PB wants for quartzscapes...