Going along with an inground?

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plunging

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May 7, 2013
22
HOLY HOT am I mad

I have been dreaming and planing for a pool for at least two years. My husband finally gave in, since we are planning our backyard, he said OK get a pool, you always wanted it.

WELL..I started calling different companies and since I have been a crazy researcher, mainly by lurking on this site..I am so disappointed in how they even over the phone try to sell you things. I called 10 different companies and only qualified 3 to actually visit my house. I am so discouraged.

So, now I am thinking about running this install on my own...just incase they come and say crazy things. I always want a contingency plan.

Here is what I was thinking... please understand, yes we have a budget, but its almost about integirty at this point. I have no idea how a PB can say 40k for a 18x38 IG vinyl pool, without any extras, not even a heater!

I may do this or I may not. If I do, I will contract every part. ( I have already called concrete, electrician, plumbers)

I want to make sure Im not missing anything.

We are wanting a 18x36 or 38 depending on drawings. Plus a patio.. I will post pool specs either once I order or the PB submit their bids.

Here is what I was thinking it would take to DIY it... our yard is flat, easy access and I can get permits

1. permits
2 Order Kit- I know what I want, but will run it past everyone
3. Excavation
4. Plumbing, Electriction
5. Concrete

Am I missing any sub contractor?

Should I or should I not do this?

PB bids are coming in this weekend. Cant wait
 
If that 40k includes a decent amount of decking then I do not think 40k is way off base. We are putting one in as we speak and ours is 16x33 free form and with decking will be close to 38k, this price does not include electrician, permits, water etc....
 
Yeah, a standard 18x36 with decking of 4' on sides and 8' on the end runs about $28-32k here...

That is a 1.5 hp pump and a sand filter, two skims and standard steps, ladder and nothing else.
 
"Yeah, a standard 18x36 with decking of 4' on sides and 8' on the end runs about $28-32k here...

That is a 1.5 hp pump and a sand filter, two skims and standard steps, ladder and nothing else.
"-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\\\

If installers in your area are doing it for that much, can you send me their contact info. I would seriously look in to flying them up to my location paying the way for two weeks and having them put in a pool for 28K-32K even with flight and their expenses I would save my self 30K
 
I learned the process for subbing an IG gunnite doing it ourselves, so it can be done.
Not sure how IG vinyl differs but here the pool plans needed an engineers stamp, so in addition to permit fees you might want to look into that.

For plumbing and equipment options there was a lot more to that than I'd understood up front - we were fortunate and our plumbing guy was very, very patient and "took ownership" of all this. In contrast to our electrician who kept saying "that's not in the bid, that's not my job, you figure it out". If the plumber had been that way too it would have been terrible - as it was, the plumber helped us sort out some of the chaos caused by the electrician.

BTW - for the bid process... I watched the PB's play it different ways - some had low ball numbers but then everything was an extra. Others had high numbers but then "threw things in" and/or started to discount to a price after decided we were serious.

Another note... when we talked to the solar installers they always asked who did our pool build - they all seemed to have the same opinions on who generally did well and who to avoid, so locally it seems these guys know.
 

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In 2011 we put in our 18x36x23 true L shape vinyl pool I think our quote was about 23k for pool and 3feet of concrete on 3 sides with enough concrete to come out 3 ft from the steps (creating a larger decking area inside the L). We ended up spending more for 10 feet of concrete out on the 23ft lower L side so I think we ended up at around 25k or 27k in cost. This was for vinyl and 3ft deep in shallow end to 8ft deep in deep end swg and no diving board/no heater. The big pool builders would have been MUCH more expensive but by asking friends we found a very small "one man show" who was a lot less(and been in business a long time). His work and follow up with us has been fantastic and our friends feel the same way. Ask around to anyone you know who has installed a pool. I know it is different in different parts of the country. Where are you located.....I can recommend someone great :)
 
I might attempt doing that in the future, after having "supervised" my pool build last summer. But if i had tried to do that last summer, no telling how it would have turned out. The pool builder is the supervisor of ALL. He makes sure all is done right, to code etc. No telling what corners would/could have been cut. On top of that, everything is his responsibility to make right, don't forget you are holding back a portion of the total bill, until all is made right.....might lose that leverage if you are paying everyone separately at completion of their specific job....
 
There is alot of factors not even begun to mention state licenses for some. Local license for others. What about liability insurance. How many years does liability follow the general contractor on the build if someone sues. I wouldn't base my decision on a price until I saw there work first hand. Talk to past customers see how they handle adverse situations.
 
Thanks Everyone, these are great suggestions and ideas.

the 40k was for the pool and 3feet decking. I have a guy coming out tonight to measure and give me his numbers and ideas. I think it does have a lot to do where you are located. I like in Ohio and I think since they have a shorter season for install, they go nutty in the summer :)

As for the footers and all of that...I am having the concrete people bid on the entire job, even our stamped patio, the eletrction same, plus our neighbor is an electrition and owns some sort of business, Im not asking him, but I will ask him to pop over and check things out. As for plumbing, I am calling around and qualifiying based on experience with pool installation. For the walls, a friend of mines brother owns an above ground pool company, so he said he could come over and help with the walls, he just said he had no idea about the excavation, plumming ect.. with an inground. Totally different he said, didn't want to mess things up.

I would really LOVE to find a small operation, I would love to give them my business instead of these large pool companies. They are really hard to find, it seems like some underground secret society...LOL

Im still searching... I love the solar idea, I think I will go that route to start and try and find some of these folks.
 
have another guy coming out, our friend who does the above ground suggested we call this guy. He does everything except electric, so thats good. i like the fact that they don't subcontract everything out. Insall wont begin until July... should I wait and have it started in Sept or Oct? Seems like summers almost over, wonder if ill save by waiting. Waited this long. thoughts?
 
plunging said:
I would really LOVE to find a small operation, I would love to give them my business instead of these large pool companies. They are really hard to find, it seems like some underground secret society...LOL
Click to expand...

For sure it seems like a treasure hunt to find good folks at a reasonable price. We started with two friends and followed leads from there. One is a GC who does commercial construction and renovation, he gave us a reference to a guy for aluminum screen enclosure, the screen guy gave us the lead to the small PB who did a lot of our work. The other friend does paver, tile and coping and has been doing pool renovations for the big PB around here, he got us leads to a lot of the subs we ended up using, the same sub the big PB's use.

In the economy around here now I'm finding a LOT of guys who no longer want to run big crews and do volume, several have shut down businesses and stopped advertising and bidding and are only doing work based on word of mouth. So you are right, finding them is like searching for a secret.
 

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