Iowa DYI In-ground Vinyl Pool Build

[jeflogan]

After 2 years of dreaming and planning for a pool the process has started with the payment to Pool Warehouse. This will be a 18X36 rectangle pool with a sports bottom, tanning ledge, an and a bench on the opposite side. We decided to do a DYI as the bids were coming in at 60-70k without decking/landscape and we will have a total budget of 50k all in.
Will update as time goes on, but with 2 feet of snow still on the ground we hope to start digging at the end of March.
Overhead view of or yard. The pool will be in the yard space by the patio and we have removed all the Juniper bushes and 9 trees as we will have all the dirt moved to another area of the yard for a new green space.

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[YippeeSkippy]

Exciting times! Will you be hiring the crafts or doing it all yourself? Plumbing, electrical, the actual digging?

Please keep us updated on progress....with LOTS of pics, okay?? We drool over pics, I swear.

Maddie

 

[jeflogan]

We will see as it goes along. I have the excavator lined up who digs for a local pool company and I have to have circuit run for pad by a electrician. The plan is to do everything except the pool-create. If the budget allows we do hire some of it out. My wife and I flipped a house last year and the budget got out of control.

 

[jimmythegreek]

be very careful with poolwarehouse and their delivery. you have 30 days max to make a claim on missing items and you will have missing items. nothing bad to say about them except they were a pain to deal with and they actually still owe me a refund for a borderless liner that came with a border. just check your delivery and ask questions here on anything you are thinking of doing. you should be way ahead of the game with a 50k budget I am still under 20k with mine and almost done but I didnt sub anything out at all. finding someone to do the poolbase is a good idea its not easy if you dont have experience with a trowel

 

[kimkats]

How fun this will be to watch! I hear you on trying to do all you can on your own but keep your sanity and back in mind before you start anything LOL Don't want to throw either one out!

Kim

 

[jeflogan]

Thanks for the heads up on the delivery. I will make sure to go over everything as it is delivered.

 

[jeflogan]

One Pool Crete estimate came in at 3000.00 for labor alone. He said it would take 2 days. Very few sub's in our area that tackle that.

 

[jeflogan]

Over a foot of snow wont stop the planning process. Concrete contractor looking over the site for a bid proposal. I want to break ground by the end of March. Snow go away already!!!!

 

[jimmythegreek]

call around some pool companies and see if they will give you the name of who they use if they sub out the base. Here in NJ when I was looking for someone to do my base I had some contacts and the pool guys either did it themselves or had a guy who is a mason do it. It was funny that I got the same mason guys name from 3 different companies. I ended up doing it myself with my guys and an old school pool guy who I stumbled on through the grapevine. For a pool that size 3k is kinda right for just labor, that would be a great price for material included. Its a pain to do nobody likes doing it so many who are busy sub it out. I found a guy who was reasonable on craigslist before I did it myself. I paid 800ish for my poolcrete but I got the contractor price, you should be around a grand or so for material if the guy lets you pay for it yourself with the discount. Not sure your experience with construction but make sure you have what you need tool wise to get the job done. Its pretty basic if you have trade experience but it is ALOT of work I had my employees helping often when it was days I needed extra hands. I have the luxury of owning tools and equipment if I had to do it again and rent stuff and do all by hand I wouldnt have done my pool.

 

[jeflogan]

Jimmy, you are on the money with the cost of the poolcrete. He came back at 1,040 for material. I had thought about looking at masons also. We have a contractor coming by that built his own pool and is willing to do the bottom on ours. It will be interesting to compare.
Thanks for you input. I makes me feel more comfortable with the quote.

 

[kimkats]

Now that is all kinds of funny there! Planning a pool while standing on all of that snow! LOL

Kim

 

[jeflogan]

It's getting real now and my garage is going to fill up fast, the auto cover showed up . Found slight damage that could be bent back in place, but reported it anyway. When you spend that kind of money it should not be damaged.

 

[kimkats]

Where was the damage? If it is anywhere near where it will slide through the rails I would be worried about it messing up the slide. Something to think about.

Kim

 

[jeflogan]

Looks like the rail slide

 

[kimkats]

How did you report it? Have you shared a pic of it with the company you bought it from? If not I would do so ASAP!!!

 

[jeflogan]

Noted on the signature sheet,Reported to Pool Warehouse, and picture sent. Pool Warehouse has already been back in touch with me and is filing the claim for me.

 

[kimkats]

Print everything out! Good to hear they have already started working on it!

 

[jimmythegreek]

they file all the claims w fedex or whoever shipped it. I had damaged panels and i got tired of phone calls and running a circle w the 2 of them and just fixed them myself. just be sure to have all the items you are supposed to get otherwise down the road you will find something missing and they will say sorry out of the 30 day window

 

[jeflogan]

Travertine arrived today which I ordered from travertine warehouse. Looks good and showed up in great condition. The original plan was to stage it on the side of the house closer to the backyard, but the slope was too steep even for a tracked loader. Going be be in our driveway for a few months.

 

[kimkats]

Burrrr and slippery there for sure!!!