Help understanding remodeling options / costs

[SimpleSunnyPool]

I am trying to understand the magnitude of costs for a pool remodel we hope to complete over the next year. Is anyone willing to share numbers on replastering, automatic covers, and reshaping a pool? We have a 25' x 80' back yard with a 15' x 33' pool. The pool is rectangular, except the corners are rounded and one of the long edges slopes 9" wider over 25', then juts out about 4' as a triangular swimout where a diving board once went.

We need to either repair the mesh fence left by the prior owners or install a fence or cover.
* What is the ballpark cost of glass and metal fencing? I'd guess ~$200/ft and ~$40/ft, so a 50-ft half-glass-half-metal would run ~$6k.
* Any guess what reshaping the swimout and non-parallel wall would cost, given that we are replastering anyway? I'd expect a few thousand each for the swimout and the wall. I gather the cover itself would cost ~$10k. ($16k total.)
* Does anyone let their pool cleaner run under the cover?

Replaster: I'm guessing this will cost between $6k for cheapest plaster to $15k for pebble sheen + tiling and coping. Any experiences?

Other: I gather adding a spa would cost $7k-$15k, so we wouldn't do it. We'll probably get a variable-speed pump, swg, suction 2xPoolvergnuegen. We may get solar heating and a gas heater.

 

[bigfunky]

Guessing is really tough considering all the variables and we don't even know where you live. I would call some contractors and start getting some pricing so you know for sure...

You may be pricing yourself in or out of options by assuming the costs and it sounds like you have some time so I would use it to find good contractors.

To me finding the right contractor is always the toughest part.

 

[joepaiii]

In my area it wasn't hard to get quite a few quotes pretty quickly. If your back yard is accessible most pool companies will stop by take their measurements and email you a quote.

 

[MiaOKC]

In OKC, I've called at least three companies but have yet to get one to actually come look at our pool. It might depend on where you are located as to how easy it is to get someone to come bid. We seem to have very few pool companies here, but would love to see what you come up with in terms of numbers so we can "ballpark" ourselves.

 

[bigfunky]

Contractors who are difficult to get a hold of are the ones you want to stay away from...

 

[SimpleSunnyPool]

I went to adamspools.com showroom. Here is what I the salesman gave as a rough idea:
* Resurfacing: $6k for plaster or $9k for pebble-tec (we'd get pebble-sheen, which is ~$1k more).
* Solar thermal: $8k-$10k.
* Variable speed pump: $1.7k (their markup is higher than expected on this item).

To get an automatic pool cover:
* $15k: Under-coping pool cover, vault, etc.
* $6k: Tiling ($2.5k) and coping.
* $5k: Fill the 8'x3' triangular swimout, reshape stairs, etc. (Most the cost is getting the gunite truck on site.)
* $3.5k: Move the skimmer ($2k) and replumb.
* $2.5k: Add a light (current light in swimout removed).
That's $32k!

Other notes:
* We could make the 8.5' deep-end less deep and the slope less steep (little cost if the gunite truck is already here).
* A heater would cost $3k (once again, higher-than-expected markup).
* Elongating the pool would cost $10k+.

The salesman was not impressive: he knew his pricing, which was great, but he had no suggestions when we wanted ideas and steered us to options he liked rather than what we expressed interest in. He had a pool, but wasn't that interested in his industry (e.g., he said "I don't know about pool chemistry"). He said you shouldn't get a SWG with a cover due to corrosion, though nobody here seems to have had that problem. He also said that plug-n robotic cleaners are the best, and knew nothing about cleaners other than booster-pump Polaris 280s.

Overall, I was pretty happy with adamspool. We'll probably hire a landscape designer at some point then fetch 3-5 bids when we know what we want (or at least know 1-2 options, e.g. cover or not). My gut feeling is that the cover is worthwhile, which is a hard pill to swallow (I'll just bike to work rather than buying a car). Assuming we don't fill the pool (we don't plan to do so), it's either cover or mesh fence. We have a tiny yard, so a fence in practice breaks up the yard and makes swimming less appealing, dramatically increasing our cost-per-swim.