Owner Builder Process Question

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T

timaay

0
Oct 5, 2014
4
san diego
Hi All,

I've been reading and researching the owner builder process for some time and this forum has been a tremendous resource, thank you! People have provided such great detailed information and it has made me decide to go the OB route for my pool build in the San Diego, CA area. I've gotten several bids from local PB's but they are all priced high with very 'standard' features... meaning you don't get much pool here from a PB unless you pay a lot more than their initial quote.

I was hoping that some of the people that have gone through a build (owner builder or even using a PB) could chime in and let me know if I have the general process down. I know there are a lot of things to 'look' for during each phase and i'm a pretty intense researcher so will be making out long lists while i'm in each phase but for now i just want to make sure i have the steps in the correct order. Again this is a very broad/high level i know there's lots more but just want to organize my thinking...

-Measure all dimensions of yard
-Design pool (pool studio)
-Send 1/8" design from pool studio to a company like pooleng.com for engineering
-Use blueprint from above to apply for city/hoa permits/approval
-Get bids from multiple excavation subs to dig the hole and forming
-Get bids from multiple plumbing subs to do all plumbing work
-Get bids from multiple steel rebar subs to do all steel work
-Get bids from multiple electrical subs to do all electrical work
-First city inspection
-Get bids from multiple shotcrete gunite subs to do concrete
-Get bids from multiple coping/tile/plaster companies to do those items
-Finish plumbing/trenching
-Decking around pool and any other items in the design


I would greatly appreciate any corrections to the items above and if anyone has any good subs in the San Diego area i would LOVE to have you PM with this ;-)
 
Your list looks pretty comprehensive, although others will chime in with first hand experience. Don't forget to budget for the cleanup/landscaping/sprinklers of your yard after the pool is in. Of course somewhere in there you'll want to buy your equipment too.

Good luck with everything! Owner builds are especially fun to watch and learn from.
 
Thanks Jamie and Marla!

I've been playing with Pool Studio's free trial (yes my computer runs it!) and have gotten 'ok' with it but looking at the learning curve combined with the $100 per month fee to use it i've decided to hire a local designer to come measure the yard and do the design in pool studio for me. It's actually not much and i absolutely love this designers work so done deal. Can't wait for the first draft of her work!

Am i correct once i get the design done in PS (construction, plumbing all that pool studio can do) that i will have everything i need to send to a company like pooleng.com in Anaheim to do the engineering work? Or am i missing a step in between?

thank you!
 
First you need to visit the planning department and check setbacks. Then look at the deed and subdivision map and check easements. Especially noted but not drawn PUEs. Then talk to the designer. Once the designer has designed the pool send it to the engineer. You should be able to tell the engineer if you have any special conditions like slopes and understand your soil type.

Once you have the plans then go get bids for all you first phase. Up through gunite. Multiple bids are sometimes dificult. Use one trade for recommendations for the next.

Once you have bids and your plans have not changed and your bids are final. Apply for the building permit. Have them explain in detail the local inspection process. Twice.

Excavate, rebar, trench, rough plumb, rough electrical. Inspection.

Gunite, water, level bond beam and tile, prepare deck, Coping , inspection, pour deck.

Fences and doors, finish electrical, finish plumb. Pad. Inspection.

Plaster and final connections. Final inspections.

Begin swimming. And wait for supplemental property tax bill.
 
wow thanks gwegan! that was extremely helpful !! A swimming pool triggers a supplemental tax bill huh? I guess that makes sense but i never thought of that, so thank you for that (not just that, all of what you posted really puts things in perspective).

Thanks flip as well i will definitely have the plans submitted to my HOA as they are pretty strict.

I'll keep this thread posted with progress, this is exciting!!
 
I'm in the middle of the process now. It's really not bad so far at all - knock on wood. Like literally I'm sure I would have done just as much research and been as involved if I were using a builder - but I'm that personality (all about the projects).

A couple quick things:
you should only need an engineering plan if you're building on a slope or have some other structural need
one thing that I've found well so far is that the best contractors get referred by each other. It's a bit of a domino effect where the steel guy might give you the name of a good electrician, and the electrician might recommend a good tile/coping guy. Of course, the pool industry is filled with unscrupulous people, so use your best judgment. So far my guys have been awesome.


also, plumber and electrician in Austin anyway can be found by looking at permits. That is, they both require permits for pools here and are public record. Through an easy search, you can see which plumber and electrician are being used by the major builders.
 
And55555:

Almost all in ground pools constructed in California require an engineering plan. No engineering stamp and supplement -- no permit. Unless your pool is very shallow it needs an engineering stamp.

Most California pool building permits only list the pool builder as a contractor. In California you get one permit for the entire pool so the subs are generally not listed on the permits.
 

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Im just kicking off my So. Cal. Owner Builder process and we are currently working on the design. My designer has access to multiple subs and Engineers, but he focuses on LA and Vegas areas. It might be worth a call to see if he will go farther south or will work as a "consultant" to help you with the process & sub contractors, he specializes on OB pools.
Derek at Bluepools.

link:
Swimming Pool Designer
 
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