First time build in Georgetown, Tx. Any advice much appreciated!

[TexasAggie2009]

So my wife and I are planning on putting in our first pool. I'm a big fan of this site and would really appreciate any input. I called every pool company in the area, and of the few that actually are returning calls right now, I prefer the designer of these plans. We are only a family of 3 so far, but would like to have have friends over frequently (so wanted to go as big as I can currently afford). This design is 38' x 26'. He said that If I take the length to 40' then excavation would go into a higher cost bracket, so that is why it is not quite 40' long. We would like to be able to play vball in it, so that factored into the design. Also wanted it close to the porch so we can watch TV from the pool, and have the back patio double as an "outdoor kitchen."

Pricing Summary Total Price : $78,250
Project Specifications Pool/Spa Area: Up to 650sq ft
Pool Depth : Up to 5’
Pool/Spa Perimeter : Up to 100’
Pool/Spa Capacity : 18,000
Tanning Ledge: Up to 76sq ft with 1 bubbler and 1 umbrella sleeve
Deck Area: Up to 370sq ft of concrete deck with standard cool deck coating
Rock/Water Feature up to 3 tons: $3,000 - NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE

Base Project Includes

PLANNING PHASE
Pre-Construction Meeting: Customer Approved Pool Layout and General Construction Meeting with Construction Workbook and Overall Process Details
Site Protection: Silt Fence Erosion Control and Orange Safety Protection Fencing as Needed
Site Preparation: Fencing Removal (and Reset) for Access Route
Construction Blueprints: 1/8" Scale Project Blueprints with Detailed Construction Designs and Standard Engineered Construction Specifications
Local Building Permits: All Local Building Permits, Fees, and Scheduled Inspections if Required
HOA Permitting: Plan Specifications to Meet HOA Requirements as Needed, HOA Paperwork Assistance - HOA Fees Not Included

EXCAVATION PHASE
Elevations: Initial Pool Site and Project Elevations Set Based Upon Customer Approval
Demolition & Preparation: Demo and Remove Project Area Debris and General Site Grading as Needed
Excavation: Bobcat and/or Back-Hoe Dig with Hand Trimmed Vertically Excavated Walls, Includes Rock Dig and Spoils Haul Away if Required
Forming: Swimming Pool Perimeter Forms as per Design
Utility Trenching: Excavation of Trenches for Plumbing and Required Utility Lines, Includes Sand or Equivalent Protection for Piping

STEEL PHASE
General Steel Design: Minimum #4 (1/2") Steel @ 10" On Center Each Way, Throughout Pool Structure
Bond Beam Design: #4 (1/2") Steel x 4 Bars Throughout Upper Bond Beam of Pool
Steel Clearance: Minimum 3" Clearance Between Steel Cage and Excavated Pool Floor and Walls Allowing for Proper Gunite Thicknesses
Grounding: #8 Solid Copper Wire Around Entire Pool Perimeter with Minimum 4 Brass Connection Points on Steel Cage, Extended to Equipment Pad

PLUMBING PHASE
General Specifications: Schedule 40 Non-Corrosive PVC Buried from Pool to Equipment Pad to be Pressurized at 35psi throughout Project
Surface Skimmers: 2 automatic Surface Skimmers per Design
Recirculation Water Intakes: 2”Schedule 40 PVC with Minimum 2 Split Suction VGB Approved Anti-Vortex Safety Pool Main Drains
Recirculation Water Returns: 1.5" Schedule 40 PVC with Minimum 4 x Multi-Directional Filtered Water Returns to Pool

POOL SHELL PHASE
Structural Concrete: Pneumatically Applied Structural Concrete Pool Shell Hose Applied and Hand Finished and Shaped per Design
Pool Shell Thicknesses: Minimum 8" Floors, Walls, and Coves, Minimum 12" Thick Walls for Pools Above Grade, 12" Thick Bond Beam
Rebound Management: Proper Disposal and/or Haul Away of Concrete Rebound as Needed
Entry Steps: Standard Steps, Reef, or Beach Style Entry per Design
Swim Benches: Deep Water Benches per Design

ELECTRICAL PHASE
General Specifications: All Electrical Work to Meet Local Codes and Performed by a Licensed Electrician
Electrical Conduit: Main Power Run from Source to Equipment up to 100’ - Runs from Light Niche(s) to Junction Box(es) per Plan, Includes Conduit and Wiring
Electrical Hook-Up: Wiring and Hook-Up of All Required Equipment, Includes GFCI Breakers in Panel
Utilities: Built-In Freeze Protection to all Pumps - Utility Outlet at Pool Equipment Area

MASONRY & TILE PHASE
Pool Coping: Customer Choice Selection of Minimum 2" Thick Cut Limestone, Oklahoma Stone or Lueder.
Tile Preparation: Smooth Brown Coating and Water Proof Coating up to 9" Below Coping for Tile Preparation
Waterline Decorative Tile: 6" Row at Waterline with Premium Tile Selections (Hundreds of Choices, Including Stone and Traditional Tiles)

EQUIPMENT PACKAGE PHASE
Recirculation Filter Pump: Intelliflo Variable Speed Pump
Water Filtration: TA 100 Sand Filter with Glass Media
Automatic Pool Cleaner: Prowler 920 Robotic Cleaner
Underwater Pool Lighting: 4 Color Changing LED Lights
Equipment Controls: PL4 Easy Touch with Screen Logic Phone App Controller
Water Sanitation: Rainbow Inline Chlorine Tab Feeder

POOL INTERIOR FINISH PHASE
Pool Preparation: Clean-Out and Prepare Pool for Interior Finish Process, Includes Pumping of any Remaining Standing Water
Fittings: Interior Finish Color Coordinated Fittings to Include High Strength Glue and Waterproofing at Connections
Interior Pool Finish: Quartz Plaster - Color TBD
Initial Pool Fill: Begin Initial Pool Fill at Plaster Phase Completion, Water Supplied by Customer

START-UP & MAINTENANCE PHASE
Initial Start-Up: 1st Week Initial Pool Start-Up Service with Pool Chemical Treatments, Pump Priming, and Automation Programming
Maintenance & Service: 6 months of Bi-weekly Maintenance Service and Pool Chemical Treatments
Personal Maintenance Kit: Telescopic Pole, Chemical Test-Kit, Brush, Net, and Thermometer
Personal Training: Personal Instruction and Education on Equipment, Operation, and Maintenance Procedures ("Pool School")

PROJECT MANAGEMENT & SITE CLEAN-UP
Jobsite Clean-Up: Construction Access to be Graded Out with Topsoil, all Trash and Debris to be Cleaned, any Removed Fencing to be Reset - Does Not Include New Fencing
Project Management: Dedicated Project Site Manager with Multiple Levels of Communication

WARRANTIES
Equipment Package: 3-Year Manufacturer’s 100% Parts and Labor Equipment Package Warranty
Plumbing: 3-Year 100% Parts and Labor on all Plumbing
Electrical: 3-Year 100% Parts and Labor on all Electrical
Masonry: 3-Year 100% Materials and Labor on all Masonry
Tile: 3-Year 100% Materials and Labor on all Tile
Decking: 3-Year 100% Materials and Labor on all Decking
Lighting: 3-Year 100% Parts and Labor on all Lighting
Plaster Finishes: 7-Year Adhesion Warranty on all Plaster Finishes
Structural Warranty: 10-Year Limited Structural Warranty

Additional Information All Fences and Gates to be Brought to Code by Others All Landscaping and Irrigation Provided and Installed by Others All Construction Access Repair by Others

 

[TexasAggie2009]

I forgot to mention that I requested the depths to be 3.5' x 5' x 4'. I also know the forum recommends SWCG, but I have never minded chlorine and I will not be maintaining the pool myself (and I wouldn't mind saving the extra $2,500 they quote for a salt system).

 

[ajw22]

Do not get the PSL4 Lite EasyTouch. Get a full EasyTouch system.

The EasyTouch Lite PL4/PSL4 is not recommended because only comes with 4 schedules/programs and only 1 or 2 feature circuits, no load center, etc. The PL4/PSL4 does not have a Load Center for circuit breakers and is a cheap intimation of the real thing.

With the EasyTouch Lite you can only have 4 schedules/programs/egg-timers and run-once items and that includes any egg-timer that is not set at the default of 12 hours. Unfortunately, ScreenLogic will allow you to enter a billion schedules, but the EasyTouch can't use them.

Pentair Automation Systems - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

What model LED lights?

Pentair LED Pool Lights - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Who will be maintaining your pool? If you use Trichlor tablets you or someone will need to drain the pool every few months to keep your CYA under control.

 

[Berger82]

If you are wanting a water feature, have you considered a raised beam with either scuppers or sheer descents? Just my opinion, but the rock waterfall you have is minimal and looks out of place, respectfully.

Also, a saltwater pool IS a chlorine pool...the difference is how that chlorine is made

 

[ajw22]

Also, a saltwater pool IS a chlorine pool...the difference is how that chlorine is made

And a chlorine pool often becomes a saltwater pool over time as it accumulates the salt in pool chemicals over time.

 

[TexasAggie2009]

Thanks, I will check on the cost to upgrade the EasyTouch system and I also inquired on the type of LED lights (waiting for response). I agree that the rock waterfall looks out of place, and I emailed him about some ideas other than the rock. My initial plan was to landscape around the rock waterfall, but maybe a beam is the better option. Do you happen to have any pics of the type of water feature you are describing (I'm new to all of this so the terminology is a little foreign to me)? The builder will also be handling the pool maintenance after it is completed, which is why I was comfortable with the chlorine option. However, if it really does need to be drained that often, I suppose investing in the SWCG is the way to go.

 

[ajw22]

You will spend a lot more then the cost of the SWG between buying chlorine and dealing with issues it creates.

Eventually many folks fire their pool maintenance and adopt TFP methods to save money and time. We will wait patiently until you see the light.

 

[HermanTX]

The builder will also be handling the pool maintenance after it is completed, which is why I was comfortable with the chlorine option. However, if it really does need to be drained that often, I suppose investing in the SWCG is the way to go.

I think you will find that if a company handles your sanitation requirements they will only do it weekly. Thus they dump a bunch of chlorine in (or use tablets) and your free chlorine (FC) level will drift down until they return the following week. You will never really have a consistent water chemistry. Having a SWCG will provide a consistent injection of chlorine and you can manage the winter with liquid chlorine (when water temps may drop below 50 deg F in your area). Therefore your pool service will still need to manage the pH, Calcium Hardness (CH) and Alkalinity (TA) but that is more manageable over a weeks time whereas FC is critical.
The upfront cost of a SWCG is well worth the potential issues of algae in the pool, poor sanitation, etc. over time. While water cost is not huge in many Texas areas but draining and refilling can be a pain so best to avoid it as well.

 

[Nikilyn]

Something to consider about the waterfall vs sheer decents. You need to hear them both. I don't like the sound a sheer decent makes. To me it sounds like you're pouring a pitcher of water in the pool which is not soothing. I prefer the trickle sound of a waterfall. I know there are those on here that don't like a waterfall without the correct landscaping around it but you're the one that will be looking at it and listening to it.

 

[TexasAggie2009]

Thanks for the suggestions. I asked my builder to send me some other water feature ideas instead of the rock (he suggested a staggered raised wall). He said the LED lights that they use are Pentair Micro-Brite color changing LED lights (4 of them are included in the price). Are those sufficient? I am not overly concerned with having extensive lighting features.

An auto-filler would be an extra $1,500. Is this worth the cost in ya'lls experience? During the Texas summers I imagine I would be dropping my water hose in there fairly often.

I also asked him about upgrading to the full EasyTouch and SWCG and will see how much extra that will cost me. The costs are kind of stacking up to more than I was hoping to spend, but I also don't want to regret going cheap a few years down the road.

 

[Nikilyn]

Get the auto fill. You do not want to be dragging the hose to fill up the pool then watch for it to be done. Plus if you go on vacation you won't have to worry about it.

 

[JJ_Tex]

I have 4 micro-brites and they cover my 13k pool/spa well. If I had much bigger, I probably would want a 5th.

I didnt upgrade to the auto-fill either, but we still have a fill line that runs underground to the faucet that is used for filling the pool. I just simply turn the handle on the faucet when I want to fill. For $10 you can even add a timer to avoid forgetting about it and overflowing the pool.
If you are getting that setup, I like it and would not recommend spending the $1,500 on the upgrade to an auto-fill. If you truly have to bust out the garden hose and drop it in the pool to fill it up, then maybe the auto-fill is worth it. For reference, I add water to mine about once every week in the heat of the summer.

On the SWCG, I justified my price by telling myself that I'm basically pre-paying for 3-5 years worth of chlorine.

 

[HermanTX]

Thanks for the suggestions. I asked my builder to send me some other water feature ideas instead of the rock (he suggested a staggered raised wall). He said the LED lights that they use are Pentair Micro-Brite color changing LED lights (4 of them are included in the price). Are those sufficient? I am not overly concerned with having extensive lighting features.

An auto-filler would be an extra $1,500. Is this worth the cost in ya'lls experience? During the Texas summers I imagine I would be dropping my water hose in there fairly often.

I also asked him about upgrading to the full EasyTouch and SWCG and will see how much extra that will cost me. The costs are kind of stacking up to more than I was hoping to spend, but I also don't want to regret going cheap a few years down the road.

I have a waterfall and really enjoy it. It is on farside of pool away from the patio. The backdrop is a garden so in my opinion, it fits well into the surrounding environment (see picture). I have a separate circulation for the waterfall - suction on the pool wall to the dedicated pump and return to waterfall.

I do not have a autofill but my fill line is set up similar to what @JJ_Tex stated. I also just set a timer on my phone as a back up to ensure I do not overfill. At times I wish possibly to have an autofill because of the Texas heat, but if I was told $1500 I would not do it. It is basically a float like in your toilet bowl so I do not understand a $1500 cost. Just ensure they set up a dedicated fill line from your water bib to your pool and you can set up a timer as indicated.

 

[miltonmom]

@HermanTX - your pool and waterfall are beautiful! I'm rethinking the sheer descent idea now given @Nikilyn's comment. Good point!

 

[TexasAggie2009]

Interesting, I just asked if he could install a dedicated fill line in lieu of the auto-fill. He just got back to me about water feature options that would "fit in" better than the rock feature. He is sending more tomorrow, but I really like the option that he sent today (attached). I haven't heard yet how much this feature would cost. I'm curious how the cost would compare to the rock feature in the initial design (which was priced at $3,000).

 

[miltonmom]

@HermanTX - your pool and waterfall are beautiful! I'm rethinking the sheer descent idea now given @Nikilyn's comment. Good point!

We're kind of set on a rectangular pool 16x 32 and I've just googled rectangular pools with waterfalls and they all seem to be on free form pools and sheer descents on rectangular. Maybe it doesn't look good with our design?

 

[JJ_Tex]

Interesting, I just asked if he could install a dedicated fill line in lieu of the auto-fill. He just got back to me about water feature options that would "fit in" better than the rock feature. He is sending more tomorrow, but I really like the option that he sent today (attached). I haven't heard yet how much this feature would cost. I'm curious how the cost would compare to the rock feature in the initial design (which was priced at $3,000).

I like the tiered wall, and would assume that would be similar $ to the waterfall.

The one thing I notice is there is a ton of what looks like flagstone, including the entire tanning ledge. Flagstone is pretty notorious for flaking off into the pool. I would be nervous about going with that for your coping, wall, and especially submerged under the water on the ledge. Below are some similar threads where people had issues with flagstone:

Flagstone flakes and rust

I have a pool under construction and the rock guys are going to have to come back to replace some rocks in my coping and water feature wall because I found saw cuts in them. While I previously did not think it was a big deal, I now also now wonder if I should have several pieces replaced that...

www.troublefreepool.com

Sealing Arizona Flagstone

We have Arizona Flagstone around the pool, and I'd like to seal it. Does anyone with flagstone have a good product to recommend? How long does it last before you have to reseal?

www.troublefreepool.com

coping material

We are getting a rectangular 18x40 built. We were originally thinking travertine coping but saw a pool with flagstone coping and it looked nice. Now we are undecided. Builder says he likes flagstone as it is not as slick for the kiddos but that it does need to be rerouted every 3-4 years at a...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[TexasAggie2009]

We haven't picked the details of which materials to use yet, so I will keep that in mind when selecting. I think I like the look of the flagstone for the beach entry and potentially the water feature. What would be your preferred material for the coping and ledge?

I was also curious what this board's opinion is on trees near the pool. I have one tree that will definitely need to be removed. But, I also have an oak tree to the side that could potentially be saved. However, it would be very close to the edge and probably have some limbs hanging over. Are the extra leaves really that much of a pain? Or is it a decent trade off with the added shade and aesthetics of a nice looking oak?

 

[ajw22]

Are the extra leaves really that much of a pain?

Yes.

Or is it a decent trade off with the added shade and aesthetics of a nice looking oak?

No.

Eventually you will get fed up with the debris and take the tree down.

There are many other shade solutions like hanging shade sails.

 

[JJ_Tex]

What would be your preferred material for the coping and ledge?

I really like our travertine coping and patio as it is cool and has not shown any deterioration. For the ledge, I really do not know what to use there. Maybe someone else can recommend a good material that can be used underwater. My worry with rocks underwater is that you would have deterioration and/or a lot of places for algae to hide.

As for your question on the trees, I have a live oak fairly close to the pool. Right now it just overhangs the fire pit area, but will be over the spa area in a few years. I would have a hard time removing it, but last spring it seemed to dropping leaves by the second and it seemed like an eternity. Come mid-summer it was done dropping leaves and provided great shade in the afternoon/evening that made it all good. We will see what I think about it in a few months.