Long story that i'll try to make short....
We have a large pool, per my signature line below. The pool and assorted elements (spa, waterfall, ramada) are all "built" but certainly not totally functional to my satisfaction. Minor and major issues:
1. Minor issue: He has agreed to do more cleanup prior to final payment, but I worry about how much. - funny how my definition of cleanup doesn't exactly match his. They basically ruined all the landscape rock between my driveway and the pool area - mixing dirt heavily into the rock. They have since cleaned out most of the dirt, but still not to the point where I can replace the landscape rock and have my RV gate swing freely, as it did before the build started. I think another 2-3 inches of dirt needs to be removed. He thinks it does not. That they have removed dirt "down to the original level" - which is essentially true, but in fact, the original level had landscape rock, not 99% dirt and 1% remaining landscape rock. I have my pop up camper at a friends house, and want to get it back asap, but can't do so til this area is cleaned up and rock replaced. The camper originally sat behind the RV gate on top of the landscape rock - easily hidden under the wall and gate per HOA requirements....
Contract is fairly silent on all this with a single line for "clean up."
2. Minor issue: They also cut through the water line for my front landscape drip system, and ruined the valve box. They replaced the valve box but not the valve or piping or wiring. Valve is probably still good, just buried. He agreed reluctantly to fix all of this, but I wonder if he really will...contract does say something to the effect that they aren't responsible for this stuff, which I never should have agreed to. They also cut my satellite cable, which cost me $65 to get repaired and he didn't offer to pay for.
3. waterfall. It's built, yes, but more water pours out the west edge than the east edge - by far. Waterfall guy here today and is trying to divert more water to other edge. Wet steps very steep and slippery, so he is applying some kind of grit to the rock. Wonderful.....
Grotto seat underneath has edges of cement that stick out above the tile line 3-4 inches, jabbing you in the back when you lean back. Not all of the grotto area, but 2 places significantly. Waterfall guy here today to fix the steps a bit, and he did nothing and voiced concern that they could do little to "chip away" and repaint the cement as I asked them to do. I'll bet the PB does nothing here. Grotto IS built, but certainly not to my happiness.
4a. Spa. Again, it IS built. Two big issues. I over did the design in creating this with the PB's support (and encouragement). We put in 16 jets - about 8 "large" ones and 8 small originally, but when PB went to buy the jet heads, we (with his ok) converted all 16 to the large ones. Now the VS pump won't supply sufficient pressure for all 16 of the jets. He is blaming ME for this design. Wants to either: a) add another VS pump (he originally said booster) or b) add electric valve to supply one set of 8 or another at a time, using the remove controller - something we never agreed to but is not a bad idea. We requested the extra pump as the option to go with and he responded with a demand for payment. I think he totally screwed up this design personally, and he is basically demanding final payment before this is corrected, so he can charge me more or do a Tick poor job finishing it - or take forever to get it done. He even threatened to "bring the ROC out to inspect it" - I said bring them in. I'd love to hear their opinion. AM I being too demanding here?
4b. The design of one side of the spa has a ~60 degree slant to it, and eight jets in the wall. This is so you can relax back and watch the big screen TV under the ramada. Unfortunately, jets normally stick out ~inch from the wall which is fine when the wall is 90 degree with a small ledge over the top of the tile. When you lean back against this side of the spa at this time, several of the jet-heads jab you hard in the back/lower back. I saw this as they were about to apply the pebble, and they tried to "mound" the pebble higher around a couple of the jets that stick out really far, but it simply doesn't work. His suggestion is to remove the pebble and tile and reapply thicker pebble to lessen the "angle" to about 70 degrees and create a "bowl" around each jet head, allowing a persons back to rest against the pebble and not hit a jet head. Fine suggestion, and i'm all for it, but I think it needs to be done before final payment. Again, he says the ROC will look at the jets and say "yes, that's completed." Does the ROC not look beyond completion to functionality??? Really???? I worry who is paying the ROC (the PB, not me) and wonder who they will side with.
Other minor issues remain that he says will be corrected today, such as copper colored step lights that were ruined when the acid wash was done to the pebble. "We'll polish them up as good as new but they'll always turn that color eventually." They also did not apply pebble (like PB said they would) to the underside of the bar top that is over the water. He said they "sealed" the cement...i worry they didn't.
Lots of lessons learned here...
Happy to hear any opinions. Did I also say he asked for final payment (minus a few bucks) a few days before pebble done - "I've had customers go into foreclosure right after I did the pebble and lost thousands of dollars". I refused and thus started the bad experience. His own contract states final 10% upon completion. Why change it now????? Crazy....
I HATE losing sleep over this !@#$%^&* and it has ruined a pleasant experience and the joy of having a new pool wonderland.
We have a large pool, per my signature line below. The pool and assorted elements (spa, waterfall, ramada) are all "built" but certainly not totally functional to my satisfaction. Minor and major issues:
1. Minor issue: He has agreed to do more cleanup prior to final payment, but I worry about how much. - funny how my definition of cleanup doesn't exactly match his. They basically ruined all the landscape rock between my driveway and the pool area - mixing dirt heavily into the rock. They have since cleaned out most of the dirt, but still not to the point where I can replace the landscape rock and have my RV gate swing freely, as it did before the build started. I think another 2-3 inches of dirt needs to be removed. He thinks it does not. That they have removed dirt "down to the original level" - which is essentially true, but in fact, the original level had landscape rock, not 99% dirt and 1% remaining landscape rock. I have my pop up camper at a friends house, and want to get it back asap, but can't do so til this area is cleaned up and rock replaced. The camper originally sat behind the RV gate on top of the landscape rock - easily hidden under the wall and gate per HOA requirements....
Contract is fairly silent on all this with a single line for "clean up."
2. Minor issue: They also cut through the water line for my front landscape drip system, and ruined the valve box. They replaced the valve box but not the valve or piping or wiring. Valve is probably still good, just buried. He agreed reluctantly to fix all of this, but I wonder if he really will...contract does say something to the effect that they aren't responsible for this stuff, which I never should have agreed to. They also cut my satellite cable, which cost me $65 to get repaired and he didn't offer to pay for.
3. waterfall. It's built, yes, but more water pours out the west edge than the east edge - by far. Waterfall guy here today and is trying to divert more water to other edge. Wet steps very steep and slippery, so he is applying some kind of grit to the rock. Wonderful.....
Grotto seat underneath has edges of cement that stick out above the tile line 3-4 inches, jabbing you in the back when you lean back. Not all of the grotto area, but 2 places significantly. Waterfall guy here today to fix the steps a bit, and he did nothing and voiced concern that they could do little to "chip away" and repaint the cement as I asked them to do. I'll bet the PB does nothing here. Grotto IS built, but certainly not to my happiness.
4a. Spa. Again, it IS built. Two big issues. I over did the design in creating this with the PB's support (and encouragement). We put in 16 jets - about 8 "large" ones and 8 small originally, but when PB went to buy the jet heads, we (with his ok) converted all 16 to the large ones. Now the VS pump won't supply sufficient pressure for all 16 of the jets. He is blaming ME for this design. Wants to either: a) add another VS pump (he originally said booster) or b) add electric valve to supply one set of 8 or another at a time, using the remove controller - something we never agreed to but is not a bad idea. We requested the extra pump as the option to go with and he responded with a demand for payment. I think he totally screwed up this design personally, and he is basically demanding final payment before this is corrected, so he can charge me more or do a Tick poor job finishing it - or take forever to get it done. He even threatened to "bring the ROC out to inspect it" - I said bring them in. I'd love to hear their opinion. AM I being too demanding here?
4b. The design of one side of the spa has a ~60 degree slant to it, and eight jets in the wall. This is so you can relax back and watch the big screen TV under the ramada. Unfortunately, jets normally stick out ~inch from the wall which is fine when the wall is 90 degree with a small ledge over the top of the tile. When you lean back against this side of the spa at this time, several of the jet-heads jab you hard in the back/lower back. I saw this as they were about to apply the pebble, and they tried to "mound" the pebble higher around a couple of the jets that stick out really far, but it simply doesn't work. His suggestion is to remove the pebble and tile and reapply thicker pebble to lessen the "angle" to about 70 degrees and create a "bowl" around each jet head, allowing a persons back to rest against the pebble and not hit a jet head. Fine suggestion, and i'm all for it, but I think it needs to be done before final payment. Again, he says the ROC will look at the jets and say "yes, that's completed." Does the ROC not look beyond completion to functionality??? Really???? I worry who is paying the ROC (the PB, not me) and wonder who they will side with.
Other minor issues remain that he says will be corrected today, such as copper colored step lights that were ruined when the acid wash was done to the pebble. "We'll polish them up as good as new but they'll always turn that color eventually." They also did not apply pebble (like PB said they would) to the underside of the bar top that is over the water. He said they "sealed" the cement...i worry they didn't.
Lots of lessons learned here...
Happy to hear any opinions. Did I also say he asked for final payment (minus a few bucks) a few days before pebble done - "I've had customers go into foreclosure right after I did the pebble and lost thousands of dollars". I refused and thus started the bad experience. His own contract states final 10% upon completion. Why change it now????? Crazy....
I HATE losing sleep over this !@#$%^&* and it has ruined a pleasant experience and the joy of having a new pool wonderland.
