Hey Gruve, thanks! We're looking forward to some progress being made once this atypical monsoon leaves the area.
We quoted 6 different PBs in the area and none itemized excavation. With the six builders we spoke to, there was no upcharge should you hit rock and no credit if you didn't. I think most reputable PBs in the area have taken to just quoting excavation all inclusive no matter what is underneath. They generally know what they're going to hit given the area you live in in Central TX. I'm sure you could probably negotiate a time and material type rate if you really wanted to, but I chose not to.
My total project cost is going to come in around $70K. That'll be after everything is done including landscaping, sprinkler, shade structures, etc. I chose CA Pools of TX based on numerous reasons. His final bid was in the mid 60's. He was within <$2K of the lowest bid and about $8K less than the highest. I worked the PBs pretty hard and had no bids under $60K so I felt pretty comfortable that there wasn't some magical PB out there that was going to give me a quality pool with all the features I wanted in the $50K's. My wife wasn't convinced after the first 2-3 bids which is why it took us 6 bids before I finally convinced her.
So far, we have nothing but good things to say about Justin McGuire, the owner of CA Pools of TX. While a part of a large national pool builder, he's fairly new to the area so he's also our construction supervisor. That'll probably change as he grows, but I like involved owners. If you end up building a pool, put us down as a reference and I'll split the finders fee with you! :-D
