Construction Time! Miami, FL New Pool with Pictures and Prices Included.
- Thread starter ssml11
- Start date
We have water! Right now I am trying to keep chemicals under control as they are all over the place. Still have to clean that mountain of dirt you see on the back, extend the travertine deck a bit more, and do landscaping. But, for the time being, I think I'll just pour a cold one and relax!
That looks GREAT!! Nice work! Good luck with the balancing of the water. It will be all over the place for a little while. Just do the best you can for now. Once everything sets settled it will be easy!
Kim
Kim
Color looking better. Chemistry balance getting closer.
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I am in Miami. Temperature right now is 84 degrees. Low is going around 73 degrees. Water temperatura today, according to my automation system is at 76 degrees.
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I am in Miami. Temperature right now is 84 degrees. Low is going around 73 degrees. Water temperatura today, according to my automation system is at 76 degrees.
Wrap-up of costs. For those of you who have been following and are interested in my final cost breakdown, here it goes. Remember this was "by owner" build, meaning I served as my own contractor. Additionally, I also saved some money by doing some of the work myself (pavers, electrical, some cleanup...).
Permits: $628
Plans/Engineer: $400 ($300 plan + $100 soil statement)
Excavation: $1700 ($1200 original excavation plus additional backfills and debri removal)
Rebar: $1550
Shotcrete: $2660 (19 yards @ $140/yard)
Plumbing: $1500 (materials and labor included, using top quality valves and 2" piping)
Electrical: $500 (ended up getting an electrical contractor to pull permits and I did job myself)
Equipment: $3,400 (Bundled price of all equipment listed above by a local distributor, purchased pump on eBay at a great deal)
Deck: $2100 (700 sq of french pattern ivory travertine pavers. I did installation myself)
Sand for pavers: $400
Coping/tiles: $1100
Chemicals for startup: $100
Misc: $700 (other small stuff I may have forgotten)
TOTAL COST: $16,700
Permits: $628
Plans/Engineer: $400 ($300 plan + $100 soil statement)
Excavation: $1700 ($1200 original excavation plus additional backfills and debri removal)
Rebar: $1550
Shotcrete: $2660 (19 yards @ $140/yard)
Plumbing: $1500 (materials and labor included, using top quality valves and 2" piping)
Electrical: $500 (ended up getting an electrical contractor to pull permits and I did job myself)
Equipment: $3,400 (Bundled price of all equipment listed above by a local distributor, purchased pump on eBay at a great deal)
Deck: $2100 (700 sq of french pattern ivory travertine pavers. I did installation myself)
Sand for pavers: $400
Coping/tiles: $1100
Chemicals for startup: $100
Misc: $700 (other small stuff I may have forgotten)
TOTAL COST: $16,700
n240sxguy
Well-known member
Ditto! It's 24 outside right now, and that's supposed to be the high Thursday. I told my wife a couple weeks ago if it wasn't for my job, we'd be heading south.
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Beautiful and Under $17K!!!! That is simply amazing. Congratulations on a job well done. After lreceiving a bunch of quotes at well north of $100k, you really have me considering an owner build. Wish I was in Miami.
- Oct 18, 2009
- 3,648
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
That is a great price, Ours cost 21K 5 years ago, so I guess the costs are about the same.
Thanks. You can definitely save tons of money by doing an owner build. If I ever were to build another pool, I would definitely do it by owner again. However, an owner build is not for everyone and it has its cons as well.
PROS OF OWNER BUILD: You can pay contractor level pricing for most items. From excavation and plastering to water features and tiles, you can amount to lots of $$$ in savings. You also get to learn a lot about all the ins of how your pool works, making you be able to troubleshoot future problems with more ease. Also picking finishes and adding upgrades along way really don't cost you any extravagant builder "add-ons". For example, the day of plaster I decided to switch from standard plaster (diamond brite super blue) to a blue based diamond brite tahoe blue, and only had to pay the difference in "per bag" cost, which was only about $200 total. I was also able to schedule contractors visits to fit my convenience. Since I paid for pool by saving cash as I went, this allowed me to budget with more ease and less stress. I know builder payment plans required large payments scarred in 3 or 4 installments only, to be paid when certain build milestones are done.
CONS OF OWNER BUILD: Time is single biggest negative. Time for researching and learning about the process (thanks TFP!). Time for finding, requesting estimates and choosing contractors. Time monitoring contractors and at times babysitting the project to assure it is done to your liking. Time for going and pulling permits yourself, etc. Also, sometimes when things are not perfect (and believe me I had my share), I wished there was somebody I could call to b*tch and compain at. Also, at times I had to get my hand dirty "physically speaking", and do come clean - up, shoveling work myself.
Builders serve a much needed purpose. Albeit the bad apples in the industry, builders remove the stress out of the construction process and handle all of those headaches. So, if either money is not an issue or you are not comfortable with the builder cons I listed above, I say go with a builder. Just remember, a $40K by owner build is probably a $75K+ builder build. I spent $17K for a build I was quote upwards of $27K without any of the add-ons I ended up placing and no automation system.
PROS OF OWNER BUILD: You can pay contractor level pricing for most items. From excavation and plastering to water features and tiles, you can amount to lots of $$$ in savings. You also get to learn a lot about all the ins of how your pool works, making you be able to troubleshoot future problems with more ease. Also picking finishes and adding upgrades along way really don't cost you any extravagant builder "add-ons". For example, the day of plaster I decided to switch from standard plaster (diamond brite super blue) to a blue based diamond brite tahoe blue, and only had to pay the difference in "per bag" cost, which was only about $200 total. I was also able to schedule contractors visits to fit my convenience. Since I paid for pool by saving cash as I went, this allowed me to budget with more ease and less stress. I know builder payment plans required large payments scarred in 3 or 4 installments only, to be paid when certain build milestones are done.
CONS OF OWNER BUILD: Time is single biggest negative. Time for researching and learning about the process (thanks TFP!). Time for finding, requesting estimates and choosing contractors. Time monitoring contractors and at times babysitting the project to assure it is done to your liking. Time for going and pulling permits yourself, etc. Also, sometimes when things are not perfect (and believe me I had my share), I wished there was somebody I could call to b*tch and compain at. Also, at times I had to get my hand dirty "physically speaking", and do come clean - up, shoveling work myself.
Builders serve a much needed purpose. Albeit the bad apples in the industry, builders remove the stress out of the construction process and handle all of those headaches. So, if either money is not an issue or you are not comfortable with the builder cons I listed above, I say go with a builder. Just remember, a $40K by owner build is probably a $75K+ builder build. I spent $17K for a build I was quote upwards of $27K without any of the add-ons I ended up placing and no automation system.
I saved $900 in electrical and $1400 in pavers. And that is comparing to the lowest priced contractors I was able to find.
Yeti...all done. Still need to do some cleaning to sides because I still have debris there...but other than that all good. The weather hasn't allows for use but as soon as the sun starts heating up again I am going in!
The pool looks great. I also live in Miami and I'm starting construction on a covered terrace as owner builder. If it's goes as planned which thus far it has, I've passed two inspections, I am considering building my pool. I've received quotes ranging from 67k to 88k and after reading a lot of posts I think I can build an upgraded pool to the ones being quoted for less than 50k. What contractors, if any, do you recommend from your build since I too live in Miami?