Opinions on CPC pools and local contractors.

[smw]

Complete newbie here. Well I actually had a pool from birth to 22, but it was an above-ground old thing, and technology has improved a bit in nearly 20 years since my father took it down. So now that I want to install my own in-ground pool, I figure it best to first consult with more experienced people than I.

My first choice material was fiberglass. I initially liked Leisure Pools for this deep blue color, and the shape (a smaller model) fit well for my needs. The contractor seemed nice, but I got cold feet when I also found enough red flags via the "Sticky" in this forum (less than 10 installs, amongst other concerns). So I'm less inclined to pursue that one, although out of curiosity I would be interested in feedback on this company's pools.

I'm next interviewing River Pools and Spa in Virginia om Friday for a CPC fiberglass pool. The contractors website claims 275 testimonials, and will give contact data for every customer that they every had. But the salesman is pushing salt water equipment, which this forum seems to suggest against (although opinions differ, it simply seems like the weight of opinions consider sale unnecessary). An opinions on either CPC or River Pools would be appreciated.

I'm also interviewing Town and Country in Virginia for a gunite pool. Upon review of much data, it gunite strikes me as a second choice material for me (note: not invoking gunite v. fiberglass war) because I like to minimize maintenance, but it would allow for a larger pool in the space that I have available. Any opinions on Town and Country would also be appreciated.

 

[vapool]

smw--where in VA are you located? We got a quote from Town and Country, and they were WAY higher than other quotes. They also charge extra for everything...lights, pool skimmer, you name it. We did get a quote from Capitol Pools, which installs CPC, and were impressed with them. They've been in business for a while, and their references all gave stellar testimonials. Not familiar with River Pools. We went with Pools By Young (gunite), and are pleased with them. For gunite, you may also want to look into NVBlu and Lewis Aquatech. Good luck

 

[vapool]

Oops...sorry. Upon reviewing my notes, I realized that Capitol Pools installs San Juan (but we were still impressed with them!). The CPC company we met with was Perkins Cancela-Vaz. They're relative newbies in the pool business (which was the only red flag raised), but they've been in the concrete business a long time and installed pools as subcontractors for others. It's a husband-wife team, and they've done beautiful concrete work for multimillion $$ homes, with a lot of repeat business and glowing references. Don't think there's really a difference in pool quality, and it seems the shapes are similar, but CPC does offer more color choices than San Juan. Let me know if you want contact info for any of these guys

 

[smw]

Thanks for the tips Vapool. In northern virginia, so I have access to the dealers you mentioned.

I was told in advance that T&C includes everything upfront, thereby avoiding surcharges later. Whether this is the basis for the higher quote, or if they are just more expensive for comparable work remains to be seen. I'll set up an interview with NVblu, which I have also received recommendations on.

 

[vapool]

T&C was the only gunite company that gave us a quote on the spot, and it had a base price that was basically the gunite shell, and everything else was priced out (except oddly the Jandy PDA system, which was the only thing included in the base price). To be honest, never gave them much thought since the salesman was supposed to email us a bunch of info that he left in his other car and we never heard from him again. The priced out items were definitely higher than the other companies we looked at -- 7300 for pebbletech, 1300 for diving board, 2150 for Polaris, 850 for swimout, 4950 for Looploc and 5000 for heat pump. Good luck!

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

Just a word about SWG's... This forum is neither for nor against them. Many folks here have them, and probably many more would have them if the budget allowed! They are a very convenient method of sanitizing your pool properly, without lugging jugs of bleach or adding anything unnecessary to the water. Plus the salt gives the water a nice 'feel'.

There is some discrepancy regarding the corrosiveness of salt to metal and some softer natural stone, but with good material choices and some regular rinsing of any metals that are very near your pool, you should not have a problem. Most here have never had a problem.

Good luck in choosing a builder, and welcome to TFP!

 

[keithw]

I cannot comment on any of your builders but I have a CPC pool and am very pleased with it. I looked a quite a few fiberglass pools before settling on CPC. To me it looked to be the sturdiest and thickest that I saw.