Is this Typical - Area Around the Pool

[DucPool]

My pool construction is in progress and I just found out that the contractor is leaving the area around the pool in the state shown in the pictures. They are leaving the ramp they cut into the deep end of the pool with the piping suspended in mid air with no back fill. I never received anything stating that they would leave open trenches and holes. I believe that they should be at a minimum be back filling and compacting around the pool walls, piping and conduit that they are installing to ensure that it is properly protected and is installed properly. Having anyone else back fill around their work allows them to point the finger at other contractors and absolve themselves of liability. They are saying this is very common for pool installation to leave the yard in this state.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Yep. Pretty typical. Your yard will look like a construction zone for a long time. Just be happy if the subs don’t leave their slurpee cups an empty coke bottles all over the place. You can ask your PB to put up some bright orange safety fencing around the area or buy some and do it yourself. There’s not a lot in pool build contracts about keeping a yard clean unless you specifically requested it in writing. Most PBs will do minimal clean up. Exposed rebar should be capped or bent down to avoid serious injury.

 

[setsailsoon]

Not the best construction practice but I've seen worse. There are lots of good reasons they may not want to fill just now but they should at least drive some temporary supports. Site does seem to have good "house keeping" as Matt observed. I'd tell the PB you're concerned about joints stressed and leaking. See if he'll add some almost free tee-posts. When you raise the issue he'll probably agree... I don't think this is a big ask. Not sure what your local building requirements are but I'm surprised they can get away without safety tape and mud/sand guard.

Do the workers use good safety equipment and practices? Good attention to worker safety and housekeeping practices are a great indicator of contractor quality.

Chris

 

[DucPool]

Not the best construction practice but I've seen worse. There are lots of good reasons they may not want to fill just now but they should at least drive some temporary supports. Site does seem to have good "house keeping" as Matt observed. I'd tell the PB you're concerned about joints stressed and leaking. See if he'll add some almost free tee-posts. When you raise the issue he'll probably agree... I don't think this is a big ask. Not sure what your local building requirements are but I'm surprised they can get away without safety tape and mud/sand guard.

Do the workers use good safety equipment and practices? Good attention to worker safety and housekeeping practices are a great indicator of contractor quality.

Chris

They say they are done outside the pool... and I need to back fill their trenches and the ramp so that they can finish. I don't see how they can consider that completing the plumbing leaving it exposed and leaving the liability of protecting and proper back filling on me. If I back fill the pipe and it breaks later they can just say it was back filled and compacted properly.

I haven't actually watched them work so I can't comment on the safety.

 

[pooldv]

No, it is not typical for the homeowner to backfill trenches for the PB. Does the contract address backfilling?

 

[setsailsoon]

They say they are done outside the pool... and I need to back fill their trenches and the ramp so that they can finish. I don't see how they can consider that completing the plumbing leaving it exposed and leaving the liability of protecting and proper back filling on me. If I back fill the pipe and it breaks later they can just say it was back filled and compacted properly.

I haven't actually watched them work so I can't comment on the safety.

98%+ of the contractors I've worked with are superb. You've clearly got one of the other 2%. Unless you have a provision in the contract that describes a limited scope of work like "shell-only or final fill and grading by owner" then your contractor is very poor. What does your contract say for his scope of work? Most states have a statute that is called Implied Warranty of Merchantability. It means even if there is no warranty it has to work. Piping like that won't work very long. This also raises a lot of other issues Has he done a hydro-test? Do you have a building code in the area? If so you may have some leverage. If your are comfortable please supply a copy of the contract with your personal information blacked out. There are several on this site that have contract administration experience that can comment and suggest how to proceed within your contract.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. At this point there's not much you can do other than get the best job out of him that you can or
"terminate for cause". That's almost never the best option. Consider hiring a qualified inspector. His objective needs to be to make sure you are not left with "hidden defects", not to get a perfect pool. Your path forward depends a lot on the contract that you have. In order to advise further I need to know the scope of work, startup, progress payment milestones, warranty provisions. How did you find this contractor and how did his price compare to others you received bids from?

Chris