jboyea said:
Wow That IS the Leisure PB in Slidell I was talking with, the only dealer around for Leisure. Last week I looked at a pool they had just put in and it looked really great, the pool was the same model we were looking at getting. I am torn now because of the problems Michael had, the PB seems like he really knows what he is doing and has answered all my questions clearly and satisfactory. Could that be a one time problem? The BBB does not show any real issues.
Yes, he was cordial, well-mannered, and came across as being very knowledgeable to me too. And in all fairness, he probably does know how to properly install a fiberglass pool... he just didn't do so in my case.
There wasn't one single error that led to us being in this position (though if I had to blame it in one thing, it would be his decision to proceed with setting the pool in the dark), but rather a series of poor judgment calls that compounded.
Good example... the morning construction began, I noticed the outline they were spraying on the grass appeared to be to close to the fence. I brought it to their attention, but they dismissed my concerns, saying that this was "overdig" and that the pool would be in the correct spot. The next morning, when it was clear the pool was NOT in the correct spot and was not only closer to the fence than what we wanted, but also closer than code allowed, he again talked his way out of fixing it... "don't worry, the inspectors never look at that".
It probably would have taken the crew only 30 minutes to correct the mistake before digging began when I first noticed it, but they chose not to. Then, it would have taken maybe a half day of work to fix it when it was indeed set in the wrong spot (other installation steps, plumbing, etc. had not yet begun and the pool only had a foot or so of water in it), but again they chose not to. This eventually led to a failed drainage inspection and a halt-work order (not to mention the pool not being where we wanted it to be, which caused other problems).
A similar series of poor decisions resulted in the pool not being installed correctly, followed by him insisting I would have no problems after I noticed it was badly unlevel (I asked that it be pulled out and re-set level, he refused), which, according to the expert who later inspected the pool, led to it being irrepairably cracked.
Don't get me wrong... I understand that in the real world, jobs sometimes don't go exactly as planned, but if a contractor is going to improvise and cut corners to try and keep a project within budget, he needs to be prepared to take responsibility for his actions if it doesn't work out as hoped.
In my case, he has stubbornly refused to do so, which is why after an entire year, we still have a damaged and incomplete pool, and an unusable backyard that our kids can't even play in.
So, in summary, I'm sure most of his builds go well and result in good pools. But what if it happens to NOT go well? Based on my experience, he will refuse to properly fix it, and will put forth a great amount of legal effort to try and stick you with a severely deficient installation. The chances of this happening to you are probably slim, but you'll need to make the decision as to whether or not you want to risk it.
As for the lack if BBB complaints, it should be noted that one of the "resolved with BBB assistance" cases listed there is mine. I filed a detailed complaint, and the builder responded with a brief and vague statement devoid of any real information about the situation. I followed up with a detailed response, and again he submitted a short statement, this time noting that the matter was on the way to litigation, at which time the BBB ended their involvement (which is their standard policy). But the case is most certainly not "resolved" and was incorrectly categorized as such.
We have also looked at Viking pools but I did not get a good feeling at all from that dealer in Mississippi, he would not put anything on paper for me to compare. Looks like Viking bought out Royal pools.
Here's another builder to look at...
http://www.jbhpools.com . Also, I think there's a Leisure dealer in Laplace... I don't know how strict Leisure is about dealer territories, but maybe give it a try.
--Michael
I do want to do laps and this will be a good layout for that.
