Hi,
Thanks all for checking in.
We did (FINALLY!!!!) finish (mostly) the pool 2 weeks ago. We were just shy of 1 week from being a full 18 month project. A few notes and details for those who have been following:
1) The builder all but abandoned the pool and never did show a serious effort to try to finsih the pool. I have $10k in attorney's fees trying to get him to do so or to quite.
2) The builder resulted to fabricating receipts for things on the pool (like the fact they used the wrong color grout on our substantial tile. Yup, the day the builder and our attorney's met on my property we pushed on grout color and they offered to provide a reciept. The following day I was presented a "receipt" from a well known local company for the grout that we had requested. Done deal right? Wrong. Something looked fishy so I drove to the store and asked for a reprint of the receipt #12345 which they provided. It was a QUOTE for the grout that was pulled the day I requested it. There was no record in this store of my builder haveing (EVER) purchased the color grout I used. They did have a historical receipt for a color grout from years ago that appears simliar to the one that was actually installed in my pool.
3) We talked to between 20 and 30 additional pool builders, fixers, plaster companies, etc, etc, etc and 90% would not touch the project. We did finally get a guy to help us finish. He actually finished the pool on a handshake. No contract. No money up front. Nothing. The guy is a God send.
4) We had add an autofill by drilling through existing gunite. No big deal really. but I still need to get it plumbed into my water lines so it fills.
5) We added a step so we didn't have a cliff getting into the pool.
6) Equipment is mostly installed, but my spa jets don't work AT ALL. NOTHING.
7) We're going to try adding a blower... but this was supposed to use venturi technology but piping was insufficiently sized, placed, so there is no sucking air.
8) I still need to get heaters working
9) Probably other stuff.
In addition to the $10k on attorneys we had to spend an extra ~$22k to get the pool to the current, mostly finished state.
Good news? It holds water and we actually swam for last holiday weekend!
A few other comments. Texas uses Deceptive Trade Practices to protect against this stuff instead of requiring contractors to be licensed. The trick is that I'm going to have to pay out the rear to try to recoup and that assumes I can collect.
We've now met 9 other people who are, or were, in a similar predicament as us with this builder. They are seriously bad news and I am not trying to save the world or anything, but they are advertising at our local youth baseball group with banners on the fence line. It's really sad to see.
Edited to add: Hayward has NOT been helpful. They responded and then ignore numerous (dozen(s)) of email to their help line. I finally got a response from someone at Hayward by reaching out (negatively) through youtube of all places to a marketing person. The response I did get provided (mostly) useless information. They did finally agree to honor the 5 year warranty I was promised in writing but wanted me to use a list of people who refused to touch my pool. Also not helpful. We'll see what happens when I go to file my warranty registration with them