looking to put a pool in our backyard, nothing fancy. Trying to decide on a builder been turned off from one already, have another coming out in 2 weeks. Anyone in the area have a budget friendly, quality builder they would recommend.
In the process of choosing a builder - Space Coast Florida
- Thread starter dorgan
- Start date
Here is a bump to get this in front of more eyes. Are there any new builds going on in your area you could go ask about who their builder is and how they are doing?
Not that we have found. Most of the companies we have now reached out to are closed until the 7th
I’d wait until the 7th then. A week isn’t going to make or break the project and it’s bettet to get a few bids anyway rather than just go with who is open during the holidays. I know you’re excited to get started (I know I was), so I’d use this time to browse Houzz and Pinterest for ideas and designs so you can better use your time with the builders discussing what you know you want and styles you like. I’d also make some rough sketches of your yard/ideas to take with you to help move things along.
Oh yeah definitely not in a rush, just would prefer reaching out to companies that are recommended by people on here rather than random ones I find on the Internet.
I am not in FL so I cannot recommend one, but I can tell you what I wish I had known/done before deciding on one as I regret our decision daily for the past 13 months of construction.
1. Search lawsuits by whatever means you need to. In our county we can search on a county website. Seeing 50+ lines of lawsuits would have prevented me from where I am sitting today.
2. Ask for reviews on all available social media. Apparently many people can have horrible experiences and stay quiet, until asked.
3. Ask an attorney to read the contract. While many homeowners do not sue, they may have consulted attorneys and that attorney may have good advice based on their knowledge. Ask the attorney to search for previous bankruptcy filings.
4. Ask for an end date in the contract, if they will not oblige, decide for your self if that is acceptable.
5. Go and look at any and all pools they have done and meet the homeowners. Don't stop at one or two. Pick them from their advertising books and Instagram and FaceBook photos even - don't just let them direct you to the good ones.
6. Be sure the milestone payments protect you and make sense. We did not have equipment installation in ours. Despite the amount of money that is invested in equipment, apparently it fell in the final payment of a small 5%. Understand what order work phases will be done in and that you get your questions answered if something doesn't make sense.
7. Make sure the contract is very very specific. No detail is really too small when you get to where we are sitting with ours.
8. Call the licensing board and request copies of any complaints or actions against the contractor - whether deemed to be founded or not. Our board is very quick to dismiss any complaint as a "civil matter".
9. Search all review sites separately for reviews, yelp, google, facebook, etc. Take them for what they do or don't say. In my experience a 5 star review with no comments is likely an employee, friend or fake.
10. Ask how many pools they have in process at any one time. Ask how many contracts they are under for your time frame? Ask how long they have averaged for similar pools? Ask how they allocate work from project to project (do they stay on yours until it is complete?). What is their plan if they get behind? Do they work weekends if behind from weather?
11. Get their insurance certificates. Look at the expiration date - is it in your build window? Will it cover your project if they stop working on it?
12. How long have their employees and subs been with them? Are the subs all licensed or do they work under the contractor's license? Are the employees background checked?
Unfortunately, I could probably go on and on with what I wish I had known. In our county there seems to be no protection for the consumer. The upside is, I now have lots of new friends who are in an unfinished mess with the contractor we have - and misery loves company.
1. Search lawsuits by whatever means you need to. In our county we can search on a county website. Seeing 50+ lines of lawsuits would have prevented me from where I am sitting today.
2. Ask for reviews on all available social media. Apparently many people can have horrible experiences and stay quiet, until asked.
3. Ask an attorney to read the contract. While many homeowners do not sue, they may have consulted attorneys and that attorney may have good advice based on their knowledge. Ask the attorney to search for previous bankruptcy filings.
4. Ask for an end date in the contract, if they will not oblige, decide for your self if that is acceptable.
5. Go and look at any and all pools they have done and meet the homeowners. Don't stop at one or two. Pick them from their advertising books and Instagram and FaceBook photos even - don't just let them direct you to the good ones.
6. Be sure the milestone payments protect you and make sense. We did not have equipment installation in ours. Despite the amount of money that is invested in equipment, apparently it fell in the final payment of a small 5%. Understand what order work phases will be done in and that you get your questions answered if something doesn't make sense.
7. Make sure the contract is very very specific. No detail is really too small when you get to where we are sitting with ours.
8. Call the licensing board and request copies of any complaints or actions against the contractor - whether deemed to be founded or not. Our board is very quick to dismiss any complaint as a "civil matter".
9. Search all review sites separately for reviews, yelp, google, facebook, etc. Take them for what they do or don't say. In my experience a 5 star review with no comments is likely an employee, friend or fake.
10. Ask how many pools they have in process at any one time. Ask how many contracts they are under for your time frame? Ask how long they have averaged for similar pools? Ask how they allocate work from project to project (do they stay on yours until it is complete?). What is their plan if they get behind? Do they work weekends if behind from weather?
11. Get their insurance certificates. Look at the expiration date - is it in your build window? Will it cover your project if they stop working on it?
12. How long have their employees and subs been with them? Are the subs all licensed or do they work under the contractor's license? Are the employees background checked?
Unfortunately, I could probably go on and on with what I wish I had known. In our county there seems to be no protection for the consumer. The upside is, I now have lots of new friends who are in an unfinished mess with the contractor we have - and misery loves company.
I used Gulfstream Pools Design and Construction, I had no complaints and they worked with our budget. GULFSTREAM POOLS DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION - Home