Pool build is getting ready to be underway. Dig starting next week. What days of construction are must be on-site days. I can take off some days what days should I be here for. I will be home everyday after work.
Construction days you should be on site
- Thread starter Focusr3
- Start date
Personally, I'm the kind of guy that wants to see every part of the build, Unfortunately, when ours was built I was self-employed and couldn't be home during the day. Then we can't remember where we put the pics of the nightly progress, but we have them somewhere. It would be fun to look at them and see our virgin yard and house, and the progress, of course. I will say though that we had a very good builder and quality build with very minimal issues in all these years. That's isn't the rule now though, unfortunately. How well versed on each aspect of the build are you? Would you know if something was done wrong?
It really depends how much you trust your pool builder (PB).
After the dig, you should do some basis measurement’s that the pool is the width and length and depth You have to add at least 6 inches per side to account for rebar and the gunite. You want to ensure they use chairs under the rebar and on the sides such that there is a at least 3 inches of gunite on both sides of the rebar.
You want to ensure proper placement of skimmers and their height (that they are level to each other).
You want to ensure the plumbing pipes are laid side by side on a good base and that no unnecessary 90’s are used.
Definitely want to be there to watch (or discuss before they start) the installation of waterline tiles, coping and day of plaster.
You want to verify placement of equipment and that the right equipment is delivered.
Unlike in the house building industry where you can hire an inspector to do inspections before foundation is poured, after framing, plumbing, & electrical is completed (before Sheetrock) and before final completion, there are to my knowledge no 3rd party pool inspectors and if there were, not so sure how they would be accepted by any PB contractor.
After the dig, you should do some basis measurement’s that the pool is the width and length and depth You have to add at least 6 inches per side to account for rebar and the gunite. You want to ensure they use chairs under the rebar and on the sides such that there is a at least 3 inches of gunite on both sides of the rebar.
You want to ensure proper placement of skimmers and their height (that they are level to each other).
You want to ensure the plumbing pipes are laid side by side on a good base and that no unnecessary 90’s are used.
Definitely want to be there to watch (or discuss before they start) the installation of waterline tiles, coping and day of plaster.
You want to verify placement of equipment and that the right equipment is delivered.
Unlike in the house building industry where you can hire an inspector to do inspections before foundation is poured, after framing, plumbing, & electrical is completed (before Sheetrock) and before final completion, there are to my knowledge no 3rd party pool inspectors and if there were, not so sure how they would be accepted by any PB contractor.
Look at the Wiki at bottom of the page. This is just one link that may be helpful
www.troublefreepool.com
Construction Best Practices - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Welp. I was home to meet with the GC when he showed up to survey the yard with generic plans that weren't mine. I went over everything that I had already worked out with the company owner and i thought it was done.
On the dig day, (also home) he came back with those same plans and I tried again. It got pretty heated and I left it that if he dug his pool at my house, he'd be paying the bill, not me. He forged ahead because. I don't know why. But he forged ahead. Besides being the wrong depth profile, he poured concrete walls for stairs i wasn't getting.
When the owner wanted his check for stage completion, I told him to hit up the GC because it wasn't my pool.
I was home when they came back to dig more pool, like I asked originally and break off the excess concrete wall. I almost went to jail when the GC said he'd have to check my contract to see if hauling away his foul up concrete would cost me extra. I happened to be holding a 2X4 at the moment and I put it down because I was going to enjoy beating him by hand instead.
Then I was home for them to trench the equipment pad plumbing and the GC wanted to use the excavator across the electric / phone / TV trench. I showed him exactly where the utilities ran and he told me he'd machine dig wherever he felt like it. 'I am telling you as the homeowner, and a utility worker, you will not'. (Plus many bad words not to be repeated here) The excavator who was present for the fight was white as a ghost and profusely thanked me for the intel. He and his crew hand dug there against the GCs wishes.
That was the straw that got the GC fired because the excavator gave the owner a him or me ultimatum. Evidentally this went on at the other builds too.
I was home for the liner crew and they needed to come back, twice, to redo several things we went over in detail onsite.
I was home for the electricians and they needed to come back twice as well.
I wasn't home for the diving board install that they botched but I'm convinced they would have botched it in front of me anyway.
Anywho. If your people are good, you don't need to be home if you've gone over your expectations. If they suck, they'll foul it up right in front of you and might even be snarky about it as they do it.
On the dig day, (also home) he came back with those same plans and I tried again. It got pretty heated and I left it that if he dug his pool at my house, he'd be paying the bill, not me. He forged ahead because. I don't know why. But he forged ahead. Besides being the wrong depth profile, he poured concrete walls for stairs i wasn't getting.
When the owner wanted his check for stage completion, I told him to hit up the GC because it wasn't my pool.
I was home when they came back to dig more pool, like I asked originally and break off the excess concrete wall. I almost went to jail when the GC said he'd have to check my contract to see if hauling away his foul up concrete would cost me extra. I happened to be holding a 2X4 at the moment and I put it down because I was going to enjoy beating him by hand instead.
Then I was home for them to trench the equipment pad plumbing and the GC wanted to use the excavator across the electric / phone / TV trench. I showed him exactly where the utilities ran and he told me he'd machine dig wherever he felt like it. 'I am telling you as the homeowner, and a utility worker, you will not'. (Plus many bad words not to be repeated here) The excavator who was present for the fight was white as a ghost and profusely thanked me for the intel. He and his crew hand dug there against the GCs wishes.
That was the straw that got the GC fired because the excavator gave the owner a him or me ultimatum. Evidentally this went on at the other builds too.
I was home for the liner crew and they needed to come back, twice, to redo several things we went over in detail onsite.
I was home for the electricians and they needed to come back twice as well.
I wasn't home for the diving board install that they botched but I'm convinced they would have botched it in front of me anyway.
Anywho. If your people are good, you don't need to be home if you've gone over your expectations. If they suck, they'll foul it up right in front of you and might even be snarky about it as they do it.
I put in wireless wifi cameras to keep an eye on the build when I couldn't be there. I freaked the PB out when I yelled over the camera and asked a question. I think it kept him more on his toes and knew I was keeping watch.
For some it did make a difference if the owner was there. One example is they saw them making the pool entrance a "normal" one with raised coping. It was SUPPOSED to be a walk in beach style entrance due to their child being a in wheelchair. He caught them in time to not have to use big machines to break it out. It was wet enough they could just scoop it up and out and redo that area.
Then there is @Newdude who had to fight with the CG every inch of the way
I will say that most of the time being there does make a difference. If they know you are watching they MAY do a better job. Now if you "sugar them up" with a basket full of treats and a cooler full of drinks they MIGHT do an even better job.
Saying that I would be there for the start of each new phase of the job.
-painting the area the pool is going to go
-when the diggers start up. DO they have YOUR plans? Do they know which end is the deep end and do they have the plans oriented correctly?
-Laying of rebar-are the bars close enough (should be on your contract)
-plumbing started-do they know how many and where to put the returns, skimmers, etc
Some will say "That is why I hired a Pool Builder" and they are right BUT a LOT of the time the pb does not show up except to get a check for the work done by the trades.
Then there is @Newdude who had to fight with the CG every inch of the way
I will say that most of the time being there does make a difference. If they know you are watching they MAY do a better job. Now if you "sugar them up" with a basket full of treats and a cooler full of drinks they MIGHT do an even better job.
Saying that I would be there for the start of each new phase of the job.
-painting the area the pool is going to go
-when the diggers start up. DO they have YOUR plans? Do they know which end is the deep end and do they have the plans oriented correctly?
-Laying of rebar-are the bars close enough (should be on your contract)
-plumbing started-do they know how many and where to put the returns, skimmers, etc
Some will say "That is why I hired a Pool Builder" and they are right BUT a LOT of the time the pb does not show up except to get a check for the work done by the trades.
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