Owner / Builder Build - Las Vegas..Pics and Prices Inside!

Jun 18, 2014
126
Las Vegas
Hello TFP -

Very glad I stumbled upon this wonderful site. I'd be remiss if I didn't start my build by thanking We_Like_It_Hot, teknic88, and sgtolv for starting me off on the right path. They shared subcontractor info and tidbits that have helped them along the way - thanks again! I am far from experienced when it comes to subcontracting a pool. Speaking with them assured me that I was ready to take the leap!

Ok the nitty gritty. Background to this build is that I purchased this home a little less than a year ago. The backyard was completely empty, we called it "lunar landscaping". Ugh. The inside of the house needed attention as well, so I took care of that project prior to doing much outside. After pouring the patio and some curbing, I decided it was time to look into the pool!

I'm not long removed from college, so price is a major factor in my build. I spoke to 2 pool builders in town, and after hearing their proposals for for a pool similar to the one I hope to have, I knew subcontracting the work myself was the best (economically, at least) path.

As I've looked through the forum, it seems as though posting prices is a little taboo. That won't be the case here. I'll dedicate page 2 to the bids I've received, the negotiations of each phase, and the total running cost of my project. My goal is $35,000, or less!

Without boring you further, I'll start by posting a few pictures of the layout and the plans. When the excavator came to draw the pool, we agreed that it needed to be a little larger in some areas. Total sq ft for the pool will be right around 450', with an 8ft diameter spa as well.

Hope you enjoy, I'll be adding loads of pictures along the way, as well as updating my "Bid Page" as they keep rolling in. Digging starts tomorrow!


Initial drawing - dig will be a little bigger, but same shape and design.



Looking towards the area that will house the pool.





Layout from the excavator - my poor palm tree will ultimately need to be removed (just the smaller, not the bigger). I found both of these palms on the side of the road one day, winched them onto a flat bed and trailered them home!! It took myself and 10 other friends (literally) to drag the bigger one into my backyard. It was a major undertaking, but we got it there. They were in rough shape and are just now showing signs of life. I will attempt to re-plant the smaller one (again) in the area behind the spa. They look rough now, but I thought it would be better to give them a shot in my backyard than rot on the side of the street :)





More to come!
 
This page will be dedicated to the bids I receive for the various phases of construction. I will update as they come in!

The first price is the initial bid, the ($ in parenthesis denotes a lowered bid price), typically by negotiation.

Drawings / Plans
BID 1: $350 (CONTRACTED)

Structural Engineering
BID 1: $200 (CONTRACTED)
BID 2: $350 ($300)

City Permits
Flat Rate: $766 (Done)

Excavation (unfortunately pricey because the access is limited!)
BID 1: $3,300 (CONTRACTED)
BID 2: $2,800

Plumbing
BID 1: $4,700
BID 2: $2,550 (CONTRACTED)
BID 3: $3,167

Steel Reinforcing
BID 1: $1,590
BID 2: $1,700 ($1,530)
BID 3: $1,350 ($1,250) (CONTRACTED)

Electrician
BID 1: $1,815 ($1,520) ($1,460)
BID 2: $2,027.50 ($1,842.50)
BID 3: $2,107.50 ($1,600)
BID 4: $1,700 ($1,400) (CONTRACTED)
BID 5: $1,965

Gunite/Shotcrete
BID 1: $151/yard, Total $5,290
BID 2: $145/yard, Total TBD ($140/yard, Total TBD) ($138/yard, $4,830 Total) (CONTRACTED)
BID 3: $150/yard, Total TBD ($140/yard, Total $4,950)

Tile Setter: ~100 linear feat 6x6 pool waterline, ~55sqft glass tile spa face, spa spillway, spa waterline, ~40sqft stacked stone for raised spa perimeter, 65 linear ft. glass step tiles
BID 1: $3,025
BID 2: $2,305 ($2,205) (CONTRACTED)
BID 3: $3,670


Concrete Patio / Decking: ~600 sq ft. Colored to Match Patio, 140ft cantilever, cleanup (dirt removal, trench filling etc), and seal 960sqft back patio (already poured)
BID 1: $8.78/sqft, $5,268 Total - does not include patio sealant)
BID 2: $9.09/sqft, Total TBD ($8.18/sqft, Total TBD) ($7.22, Total TBD)($6.66/sqft, $4,000 total including patio seal) (CONTRACTED)
BID 3: $8.17/sqft, Total TBD ($7.13/sqft, $4,268 Total - does not include patio sealant)
BID 4: $10.96/sqft, $5,688 Total - including patio sealant


Plastering - Quartz Aruba Sky - coverage = 448sqft pool and 50sqft spa
BID 1: $3,230
BID 2: $2,900 (CONTRACTED)
BID 3: $3,200 for their "Quartz" and $6,200 for Quartzscapes (yikes - wonder which one they want me to purchase lol)
BID 4: $5,138 (Island Quartz)
BID 5: $4,100 (Harbor Blue Quartz - nice stuff)
BID 6: $2,800

Mason Block Work / Metal Gate
Block Wall Repair
BID 1: $500 ($460) (CONTRACTED)
BID 2: $440


Metal Gate
BID 1: $420
BID 2: $350 (+$100 to retrofit another gate to pass inspection) - (CONTRACTED)




EQUIPMENT:
I decided, in another tangent of my project, that I would purchase a majority of the equipment myself. This way, I know exactly what portion of my budget was dedicated to the materials. Likewise, I knew I could save more by doing this myself.

For example: One of my electric bids originally contained some "recommended equipment". In this materials bid, they quoted me a price for:
3 Pentair light niches
1 (1.5hp) Air Supply blower
1 Intermatic T10004r control panel with timer
1 Pentair IC40 salt cell with power center
Total Price for these parts: $1,895

As you'll see below, I was able to accumulate the above quoted parts for a total of $977. That's a little less than half the quoted price.

For reference, the first price is what I paid for the item. The second price (IN parenthesis) is the best price I could find the item should I have purchased it online. Sometimes, that is exactly what I paid for the item. In other cases, I was able to find them locally (Craigslist) or in other parts of the country (Craigslist, usually) for a lower price than I could find them online. The only two used parts thus far are the Sta-Rite heater, which was removed from a working location, and The Pool Cleaner, also removed from a working location. Every other part is brand new in the box. It took a lot of work, but I know that in the end, this saved me at least a couple thousand dollars over purchasing from the lowest price online, and MUCH more than that if I had relied on the local subcontractors for the equipment.

My list:
Pentair Intelliflo 3hp Variable Speed Pump: $750 ($843)
Pentair Intellibrite LED Lights x3 (2 Pool and 1 Spa) : $1135 ($1412)
The Pool Cleaner suction cleaner (used): $75 ($340)
Pentair Control Center for SWG: $243 ($280)
Pentair CCP 420 filter: $600 ($700)
Pentair Intellichlor IC40 Salt Cell: $400 ($510)
Sta-Rite SR400NA heater (used): $345 ($1950)
Pentair Intellibrite 12-mode Controller : $180 ($180)
Air Supply Silencer Blower 2hp (free from excavator, woohoo) - $0 ($150)
Pentair Light Niches (x3) - $157 ($157)
Pentair Pump Unions (pair) - $25 ($25)
Intermatic T300004r control panel with timer $177 ($177)

Total for this equipment: $4,087 (online best prices: $6,724)

PROJECT ROLLING TOTAL (GOAL $35,000 or less): $28,748 (COMPLETED!)

One valuable tool in my equipment searches was / is searchtempest.com . This website allows you to search multiple Craigslist cities in one shot for a particular item. For example, one of my Pentair Intellibrite lights came from Seattle, one from Lake Havasu City, and the spa Intellibrite from a local CL ad, all made possible by Searchtempest. I know this probably sounds crazy, but I actually enjoy the hunt and getting the best deal possible!

A few of the (less heavy, haha) parts.

 
Last edited:
OMG, awesome thread. Looking forward to following your progress. I'm in the planning stages myself for a pool, so I'd like to see where you end up number-wise. I'm in Phoenix, so I think it's pretty comparable, but I will most likely be going with a pool builder since I do not have the time nor expertise to subcontract. Best of luck on your build! What depth is your pool going to be?
 
Ellsian, I'm DIY my pool in Phoenix right now. I subcontracted myself. The guy that did my gas also can design a pool for you with engineering, finds and manage all the subcontractors for a consultant fee of $1500. Much less than what PBs will charge you. PM me if interested.
 
OMG, awesome thread. Looking forward to following your progress. I'm in the planning stages myself for a pool, so I'd like to see where you end up number-wise. I'm in Phoenix, so I think it's pretty comparable, but I will most likely be going with a pool builder since I do not have the time nor expertise to subcontract. Best of luck on your build! What depth is your pool going to be?

Thanks! I'm too early into my project to know where I'll fall in the price point. The depth will be 3'6-5'6-4'. I don't have kids, but plan on it one day. I figured this kind of "sport" pool would be a good route for when that day comes :)
 
Very nice. Noticed that you have a lot of yard between the house and pool. What are your plans for that area?

Very rudimentary at this point, but most of the area (aside from a walkway to the pool) will be grass. I love the idea of having a large grass area for sports, etc. When I say large, I mean for "Las Vegas" standards. I'm very jealous of some of the backyards I see on this website that are covered in grass! I'll have room for about 3,000sq ft, give or take, once the pool is in. The back patio has already been poured (60' x 16'), so you won't see that in this picture I got from the assessor's website. There is also an area on the side of the house that I plan to utilize with a basketball court (half) and maybe a fire pit. I'll be tackling those projects once the pool is done...I can barely handle this project let alone others, haha.

 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Looking good! I'm becoming ever more interested in this DIY pool building route. Question: how do you deal with each individual contractor, do you write up contracts for each separate one? What about lien releases? Seems like the paperwork could rack up fast with every trade's contracts and releases!
 
Looking good! I'm becoming ever more interested in this DIY pool building route. Question: how do you deal with each individual contractor, do you write up contracts for each separate one? What about lien releases? Seems like the paperwork could rack up fast with every trade's contracts and releases!

I receive electronic bids [usually PDF - although I did receive one handwritten bid from a piece of notepaper (doh)]. Once I negotiate a deal with that particular subcontractor, there is a place for both of us to sign, basically confirming the price and fine details of the bid. I will definitely get a signed lien release from everyone I use.

No wonder excavation was so pricey... They are doing it with toys : )

You aren't kidding!

They obviously left fairly soon after I went back to work. Just dug a little more and placed some forms around the dig area.




My fat friend "Tiny" was going to do some overtime digging with the escavator, but opted for a tuna break instead :tongue:

 
Dang... Maybe they'll bring a big one when they come back out next time?
 
Dang... Maybe they'll bring a big one when they come back out next time?

I wish Casey - the next size excavator requires a 6ft access point as to where my largest point of access is 5'8". They'll be doing the entire dig with the Tonka toys! They came yesterday as well as a few hours today (which I thought was admirable being that its the 4th of July). They've made nice progress, I'll post a couple pics. Monday they may finish.


Hi! What fun this is going to be! I like your plans/ideas! It will be interesting to see it all come together.

Tiny LOL tuna over work any time!

Kim

Thanks Kim! So far the subcontractors have been very helpful and willing to answer my seemingly endless questions :)
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.