Too pricey for a Doughboy package?!

[Luna13]

Hi everyone,

A newbie to this forum, and any insight would be greatly appreciated!

I have decided to purchase an AGP, and have been shopping around. A brick and mortar store has quoted me $8,450 for:
Doughboy, 18’ round, 54” high Desert Spring model, which would include the standard package: ladder, filter, skimmer and free installation.

Is this too high? I understand that stores will add on to the overall price for overhead, and online stores not so much.

I want to purchase a Doughboy pool, but need feedback on price with installation in the Southern CA area.

 

[kimkats]

Prices vary WIDELY from area to area. In Huston, TX the prices can be different for "inside the circle" to the "outside the circle". Saying that it is almost impossible to tell you if your price is high.

I do know Doughboy has a very good name in above ground pools. I would do some checking in your area and see if anyone else deals with them and get a quote from them. Good luck! Let us know what you find!

 

[Luna13]

Thanks for your response!
It’s a tricky situation for sure. What I’m seeing online and in-store is about a $3,500 to $4,000 price difference and I’m wondering why this is... and if it’s safer to purchase a pool in store instead of online!

 

[Holydoc]

Our 27' x 54" pool ran about $5K with a cartridge filter, two speed pump, hard plumbed, and installed. But I do not live in Southern CA either.

 

[Newdude]

Hey Luna and Welcome !! Installation by a brick and mortar store will add substantial cost to any build in exchange for the warranty and being able to find them down the road if problems arise. 2 guys in a white pickup truck with shovels ??? The price was right but good luck finding them later, or validating your warranty.

Factor in the mess of a mess that we are living in this year, the shortages of equipment and employees, the demand being through the roof as one of the oniy outside home activites...... and the LA tax just because....... ooof. Yeah.

You will have to decide if the premiums are fair or not. Best wishes either way.

 

[Chasarms]

Just make sure you are comparing apples to apples. I too decided that I wanted a Doughboy pool. Some of the retailers were selling just the Doughboy structure and supplementing the package with a less expensive liner, pump, filter, skimmer, etc. When asked to quote me a price for all Doughboy components, the prices aligned much more. Doughboy liners are significantly better quality than a generic liner, and just that "upgrade" alone added nearly $1,000 to every quote.

As for buying online, I decided the savings were not worth the risk. I wanted the pool installed by the same people that sold it to me. The last thing I wanted was some kind of argument between myself, the retailer and the contractor I hire to install it if something went wrong or got damaged. I wanted one point of contact responsible for producing a pool in my backyard.

I also don't want to deal with "installer error" if/when I have some kind of warranty issue down the road.

Doughboy pools are expensive, but they really are very high quality. The difference between their structure and the less expensive AGPs is night and day.