Is anything missing from our first pool bid? Not sure which direction to go...

[sghouse78]

Alright, sort of a two part question here. I have searched this great site and read lots of articles, but still keep going back and forth on the type of pool to have installed.

This is our first pool build project and the amount of options is pretty overwhelming. We also have a ton of pool builders in the area and deciding who to use has proven more complicated than i would have imagined. We have close to four feet of elevation drop from the up-hill side of the project site to the back of the pool project (fence line). This means either one (up hill side) or possibly two retaining walls would be needed for a fiberglass or vinyl liner pool which plays into the overall cost for those two options. The Gunite pool contractor said he can deal with some of the elevation by using the pool wall as retaining wall and thus come in closer to a comparable project cost vs fiberglass and vinyl liner. The first full project bid came back from the Gunite builder and I have included the details below. The Gunite pricing and project is going to really push the budget I had set, as what is listed below is just above our budget (about $3K over) but i still need to put in landscaping (minimal) around the pool, reinstall and add some additional aluminum fencing and take out two large trees. My estimate for those items is probably another $6K-10K.

The Gunite pool would definitely be the nicer pool aesthetically vs fiberglass and vinyl in terms of his design with the Raised Bond Beam natural stone wall with two waterfalls and fountains on the sun ledge and travertine coping. Just not sure if it is worth stretching the budget by $12K-$15K (maybe more...) for some of these things we didn't even consider originally. I was originally sold on a fiberglass pool due to installation and maintenance over the next 20 years we plan to be in house. Now with the elevation change and the fact that one side of the fiberglass pool would basically start 4 feet out of the ground before they started work with back fill and building up the berm and walls to pour concrete, the fiberglass installer made me nervous with that product in our space. (He didn't seem as confident as one would hope in figuring out how to make it work, and all that company does i put in fiberglass pools.)

To complicate things, yesterday I came across another local pool builder in our area that does the Aquabright finish. After looking into this and talking with him yesterday I am very intrigued by that product and build process. He is coming out Tuesday to look at our space and work on a bid. For the size of pool we are planning (around 18' x 36' or 38') the cost looks comparable to fiberglass in our area.

Sorry for all the rambling and random thoughts. Back to my first question...in the pool bid below for the Gunite Pool...do you see anything missing or not needed that could impact the project cost? Looking for areas that may be an add on later as it is missing from the original bid as I would like to have those items on the table as we work to make a decision and get on the build schedule sooner than later.

Thanks for this great site and the collective knowledge within this group!


GUNITE POOL PROPOSAL

------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLANNING
DESIGN AND PLANS INCLUDED
PERMITS AND FEES INCLUDED
SURVEY COST IS NOT INCLUDED ($500-$800.00 COST)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
POOL
18X36 GUNITE POOL SHELL
FULL REBAR CAGE ON 8” CENTERS-LIFETIME WARRANTY ON SHELL
PEBBLE TEC PLASTER INCLUDED
TILE AROUND SCUMLINE (IN STOCK TILE)
TILE WATERSPOTTERS ON BENCHS/SUNDLEGE INCLUDED*
3’4 SHALLOW END DEPTH
6’ DEEP END DEPTH
SUNLEDGE OF CHOICE WITH (2) FOUNTAINS INCLUDED*
CUSTOM STEPS OF CHOICE
DECKING
TRAVERTINE OR NATURAL STONE COPING INCLUDED*
400 SQFT CONCRETE DECK INCLUDED
INCLUDES ALL ROCK BACK FILL MATERIAL
PLUMBING
2 SKIMMERS
1 SET OF MAIN DRAINS
4 RETURNS
2” SCHUDLE 40 PIPE ON SUCTIONS SIDE(EACH LINE IS DEDICATED)
2” SCHUDLE 40 PIPE ON RETURN SIDE (2 LINES PER FEED)
PENTAIR 3HP INTELLIFLO VARIABLE SPEED PUMP
PENTAIR SAND FILTER WITH CLEAR PRO TEC.
PENTAIR CLEANING EQUIPMENT
IONIZER FOR METAL IN POOL
2 CHECK VALVES
ALL PENTAIR BALL VALVES
CONCRETE FILTER PAD
SERVICE
CLOSING OF POOL 2018 OPENING OF POOL 2019
CHEMICALS INCLUDED FOR 2018
3 YEAR WARRANTY PARTS AND LABOR ON ALL EQUIPMENT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POOL OPTIONS:
-PENTAIR CONTROL SYSTEM WITH IC 40 SALT WATER GENERATOR (Included)
-3 PENTAIR GLO-BRITE LED LIGHTS COLOR CHANGING W/ TRANS) (Included)
-WINTER SAFETY COVER (Included in total project cost)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RAISED BOND BEAM ON POOL:
-APPROXIMATELY 18’ LONG 18” RAISED WALL
-NATURAL STONE RAISED WALL
-(2) 2’ SHEER DECENT WATERFALLS
-NATURAL STONE CAPPING INCLUDED TO MATCH POOL

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXPOSED WALL ON BACK SIDE OF POOL WILL BE BARE CONCRETE:
-APX. 80 SQ.FT. OF EXPOSED POOL WALL THAT COULD BE EITHER PLASTER FINISH OR NATURAL STONE FOR FINISHED SURFACE
FOR PRICE INCLUDED ITS BARE CONCRETE (LIKE FOUNDATION)
-APX.36 FT OF EXPOSED POOL WALL (ON BACKSIDE)
-USE BACK SIDE OF POOL AS RETAINING WALL
- TIE A DOUBLE CAGE OF STEEL ON BACK POOL WALL

PRICES BELOW WOULD BE ADDITIONAL TO CREATE FINISHED LOOK FROM BACKSIDE
PLASTER @ $15.00 SQ.FT. X APX. 80 SQFT = $1,200.00
STONE @ $35.00 SQ.FT. X APX. 80 SQFT= $2,800.00
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

PROPOSED UPPER RETAINING WALL
APX. 30 FT OF 20” TALL RETAINING WALL BLOCK TO CREATE ELEVATION CHANGE
-35FT LONG 24” TALL RETAINING WALL (COLOR OF CHOICE).
-PRICING INCLUDED ALL LABOR AND MATERIAL
(NOT 100% SURE WE WILL NEED THIS)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

NATURAL STONE STAIRS (From Pool area to drive way)
-3’ WIDE TO 5’ WIDE
-ROSETTA IRREGULAR PRE CAST STEPS
-COLOR OF CHOICE
-ROCK COMPACTION INCLUDED
-FLAGSTONE STEPPERS TO DRIVEWAY WHEN REACH TOP GRADE
-ALL LABOR AND MATERIAL INCLUDED
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LANDSCAPING:
RE-PLACE/RE-RUN NEW DRAIN TILES FROM HOUSE
CLEAN UP ALL ROCK/CONCRETE DEBRIS
RETURING YARD BACK TO GRADE SEED AND STRAW
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONCRETE DECK PRICING:
BROOM FINISHED CONCRETE @ 7.50 SQ.FT.
SGM COATING @ 15.50 SQ.FT.
STAMPED CONCRETE @ 12.50 SQ.FT.
TRAVERTINE DECKING @ 26.00 SQFT
NATURAL STONE OR TRAVERTINE COPING INCLUDED

NEW DECKING
600 SQFT @ $7.50 OF BROOM FINISH CONCRETE
400 SQFT INCLUDED IN BASE PRICE
PLUS STONE COPING
TOTAL OUTSIDE NEW CONCRETE WILL BE 1150 SQFT OF DECKING
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FENCING:
REMOVAL OF FENCE INCLUDED
-REINSTALLATION WILL BE ADDITIONAL COST
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ELETRICAL
POOL AND WIRING INCLUDING:
-60 AMP FEEDER TO POOL PANEL
-POOL PUMP WIRING
-POOL HEATER WIRING
-POOL LIGHT WIRING
-GROUND AND BONDING POOL EQUIPMENT

 

[ForbiddenRooster]

We are currently having a 16x40 fiberglass pool installed with a 4ft elevation drop. They are going to handle it by building a 4ft retaining wall and backfilling with gravel to prevent settling. So when they set the pool they simultaneously filled the pool with water and backfilled gravel around the pool until about two feet shy of the top. That way the water and backfill are at the same height. I think they do this to prevent the pool from flexing by either too much water in the pool or too much gravel outside the pool. Once the wall is built, they will backfill the remaining area and finish filling the pool.

Also, where do live and what surrounds your pool? I ask because we had a gunite pool with 18” raised bond beam and 4ft wall to reduce cost and take care of a 6ft elevation change. It looked real nice. But, my neighbor had many trees. In the fall, a lot of leaves worked their way under the cover due to gaps caused by the raised bond beam. My pool was always mess when I opened it. Just some thoughts.

 

[sghouse78]

Thanks for the reply ForbiddenRoster. We live right outside St. Louis, MO on the Illinois side. Our lot is a little under 2 acres and we have a number of mature trees, so the leaf issue could come into play.

I see that you had a gunite pool and now have a fiberglass pool. Wondering if you have any pros and cons I haven't thought about since you have had two different types of pools.

 

[Demegrad9]

That's quite a list, but just for starters lose this items:

IONIZER FOR METAL IN POOL
CHEMICALS INCLUDED FOR 2018

You definitely don't want metals in your pool. Metals cause staining and the only way to get rid of them is to dump water and to prevent staining you have to add weekly doses of 'metal free'.

As for chemicals for 2018. Whatever cost the PB is accounting for chemicals, it's probably not worth it. For one, your going to have to take over after 2018, so why not just start now. And second, you PB could leave you with a complete mess. You've already found this site, so you've already done the hardest part. Take care of the water chemistry will be easy, if you follow the directions here.

 

[propjetprop]

We are in the final phase of building an in ground poolwith paver patio on a slope. We solved the slope problem with beer... Not kidding.. we designed a swim up bar to leverage the natural slope of the back yard.

I will tell you this... it is expensive. This project is going to cost about 130k after all said and done. Here are a few pics of the slope/bar for your brainstorming ideas!

The first pic... you can see the slope, the other two are pics of the original design (quite a bit has changed, but the bar area is the same)

 

[ForbiddenRooster]

The photo I posted is from today, so I can’t really gauge yet. Install time is much quicker. My whole project will be done in less than a month total time. My first pool started between Sept-October (up to pool shell) then finished April - beginning of June. Another plus from my personal experience is less subs leading to less communication/quality issues. Everything to date on this pool has been top notch. Although, finding a good concrete PB would overcome that. As long as you get a good contractor, I think you would be happy with either fiberglass or gunite.