Need advice on vinyl replacement work

[brettl]

Several large tree limbs ripped through our cover and in-ground vinyl liner during a bad winter storm. The liner was shredded and needs to be replaced. The good news is that insurance will cover all of the work minus our deductible.

I'm getting several estimates, but don't really know what I should be asking each dealer/pool guy. The cover is still on, so we don't really if there are any surprises underneath the liner, but we should be fine given what the insurance company has told me.

Besides references and such for those I do not know, what should I be asking these guys as it pertains to possible issues we could have with replacing a damaged liner?

Also, can the small business/independent pool guy we have used for small jobs or closings handle this or should I go with one of the big guys in the area? The small guy is coming out Saturday. I assume (and will ask) that he will have help because I know it's not a one man job, but is this something he could technically handle? I like him and would love to give him the work, but also want to make sure the job is done right. We may see a hit in our insurance rates, but technically the cost won't matter to me -- so should I go with the big guy, who in theory will back up their work?

Thanks

 

[Bama Rambler]

Your normal guy should be able to handle it without a problem if he has a little help. He should be able to look at it and tell you most of the possible problems you can expect to find.

 

[waste]

Hey

This question is suddenly striking near and dear to my heart. For over 20 years I worked for a 'big' company. I'm about to strike out on my own, in my off regular job time, and offer substantial discounts v.s. the big companies doing the same work. However, if I screw up once, honoring my work warranty could put a quick end to my endeavor It's something I'll have to think about when I price my services.

Your pool dude should be able to drop a liner without problem (it can be done 'solo', but extra hands certainly help!)

What the big co. has in it's favor is $ and equipment (if you need some floor or deck work done, they won't have to rent the stuff needed to do the job).

If you trust your pool dude, stay with him - even if he needs to rent some equipment to do the job, you'll probably still save $ and you have someone you can really trust do the work

 

[brettl]

I want to thank you both and offer an update.

After receiving four estimates, I am pretty sure that we are going with the small guy.

Besides the best value, he provided the clearest and most-detailed estimate. I definitely feel confident that he can do the job after talking at length, and I also feel he will be around if there is a problem. He's also a nice guy.