Hopefully the pool bubble is over!

[sktn77a]

According to Thumbtack:

"In the early days of the pandemic, everyone wanted a home with a pool. (Within months of March 2020, pool manufacturers reported seeing orders surge by as much as 200 percent.) Come on, what better way to ride out quarantine than with a blue water escape right in your own backyard? But, according to Thumbtack’s end of year bi-annual report, this trend took a serious dive by the end of 2021.

According to their findings, above-ground swimming pool installations are down 92 percent and in-ground swimming pool installations are also down 32 percent over the last three months of the year (and down overall compared to 2020)."

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I think an analysis of the overall construction market that focuses on renovations and upgrades would be helpful. Subs, especially plumbers and electricians, get pulled on to many different types of jobs. Concrete costs and deliveries may still be impacted by other large scale building projects or other improvement projects not necessarily related to pools.

I suspect orders will continue to decline but the delays will continue until the supply chain catches up.

 

[newdude]

I'm with ya on the hopes. But I don't see the build prices coming down now that it's considered normal. Not until a recession hits and they are struggling for work. Then they'll compete on price again.

 

[TKpoolOH]

I agree with everyone so far. Numbers may be down, but they're still elevated compared to prepandemic I'd imagine. The inflation and supply chain issues aren't going away any time soon. As far as how busy builders are, at least in northern Ohio with limited build seasons, all the builders are either still projecting 1, 2, or more years out for a build or they've stopped taking orders all together to get through their backlog. Still waiting to start my build which contract was signed October 2020.

 

[kevin76]

Scary thing is is if the cash flow stops from new business and the PB's run out of $ to finish current builds.

 

[newdude]

Scary thing is is if the cash flow stops from new business and the PB's run out of $ to finish current builds.

Nah Kev. They've all banked enough Covid profit to keep things running smoothly for 6-12 months when the market turns.