Reputable Builders

[Vee29]

I have had a few builders come out and give us a quote. I live in Houston, TX. We haven't decided on fiberglass or gunite yet. My husband is leaning towards fiberglass because he doesn't want to have to resurface every 7-10 years. I have read about a lot of issues with pool builders. I want to avoid hiring a company that is difficult to get a hold of or doesn't stand by their work.

Does anyone have experience with a good builder in/around Houston or know of a builder I should stay clear of??

 

[kimkats]

Hi and welcome to TFP! What a fun adventure you are starting on!

Finding a good Pool Builder is oh so important. It is also hard to do. We suggest you get as many quotes as you can THEN ask in your local facebook page as well as your Next Door site for your area.

Plaster pools do not have to be redone that often so long as you start up the plaster the correct way AND maintain it properly. Well guess what! You have come to the right place to learn how to do that AND it will not cost you a dime! We are all volunteers that want every pool to be Trouble Free!

Fiberglass pools- The hardest thing is to find a GREAT installer. That can be very hard to do. It is not just digging a hole and throwing it in. The hole has to be dug level THEN the proper underlayment put down THEN lowering the pool and making sure it is level. There is a LOT of skill and time involved.

Let us know what your quotes say so we can look them over and make sure you are getting the best equipment and pool for your money.

 

[.ben]

Welcome!

Fiberglass pools appear to be very rare in this area. I am not discouraging fiberglass, but you should understand why the vast majority of pools here are concrete/gunite prior to making the decision to proceed with fiberglass (I do not know the reason).

Properly installed and properly maintained (i.e. self-testing with principles learned on this site) plaster should have a much longer life than 7-10 years.

A saltwater chlorine generator (SWG) is an absolute must in this area. I would never own a pool without a SWG.

Consider a chiller, or at least room on your equipment pad to install a future chiller.

I have a great builder recommendation but only if you are in the Katy/Cypress area. We found our builder based on recommendations from neighborhood Facebook groups and corroborated with perfect ratings on Google maps.

I recommend posting pool details (especially equipment) here prior to signing a contract. It's much easier to modify details prior to contract execution.

 

[agjr85]

Hi, HTX Here.
I believe there are only 2 fiberglass installers in the Houston area, definitely not too common in this area.
7-10 years is if you do a base marcite finish and manage your chemicals well. If you upgrade to a pebble finish you can easily reach 15-20 years.

What part of town are you in, some builders are area specific. Your budget helps as some are luxury and have starting prices of 100K+.
You are going to also come across many not willing to install SWG systems, for every 5 I bid only 1 was for it, 1 was so so, and the rest just didn't' agree to build it.

Also, Houston has TONS of builders, so be careful. PM me if you want a few recommendations.