Actual costs will vary by market. Prices in MD may be higher than in AZ so difficult to know if that's a good price in your market.
When you say 2 venturi skimmers and 4 venturi returns, verify if that's a total of 6 returns or the 2 you originally mentioned and the 2 from the venturi skimmers (as the venturi skimmers use return water to improve the skimming action - and that return water is then ejected into the pool).
Many times the returns are in a continuous loop fed by a single line from the equipment pad. There are no valves to tweak the flow rates to each individual return. You may wish to ask the PB how they intend to plumb the returns. One would hope the venturi skimmer return lines are each plumbed separately. On the suction side, each skimmer and the main drain should be plumbed individually back to the pad (so 3 lines)- then plumbed thru Jandy valves so each can be isolated.
Using a variable speed will save electricity. As an example, running the pump at 1725rpm will use about 25% the watts as running at 3450rpm - so 1/2 speed for 1/4 the cost per kwH. Whether you opt for a VS pump versus single speed is a personal choice and is based on how you choose to run the equipmemt, price difference of the pumps and cost of electricity per kwH. With you relative short swim season, it will take more time to hit the break even point on the cost difference versus power costs. Here in AZ (we don't close our pools), my break even was about 1.5 years.
Are there going to be any water features (waterfall, shear descent, deck jets, bubblers, etc)?
Is a SWG included or planned for the future?
Solar heating now or in the future?
Any of the above 3 items could benefit from a VS pump.
