We’re in the process of getting bids for a new pool build. I thought we had decided on a contractor but while the bid includes Stonescapes mini pebble, it only includes light colors. I inquired about Tahoe Blue and was told it would be an extra $1,000 (about 15% of the total mini pebble quote for materials and installation). Does this sound right? I’m asking him for a chart for pricing for all of the finish options but I was very surprised at the extra cost just for the color. Does anyone know of a chart that would lay out the extra cost from the manufacturer? We were considering adding glass but I’m afraid of what that might cost. Thanks for any insight.
Upcharge for Stonescapes mini pebble??
- Thread starter Jenniferp110
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 66,308
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The material costs for Tahoe blue aren't significantly higher than the lighter colors, but darker dyes, particularly blue, are prone to issues with mottling, fading, streaking, etc. They also tend to highlight imperfections in the plaster application. Many plaster companies and builders charge more for finishes with darker dyes because of this, and there's no standard pricing or upcharge. I've heard of builders and plaster companies charging a lot higher premium for dark plaster than what you were quoted.
You could potentially inquire about a darker color that uses more dark aggregate instead of darker dye. I recently had my pool refinished in Stonescapes mini, and requested the Tahoe recipe but with double the black aggregate and 1/3 the dye. My plaster guy doesn't upcharge for darker colors, but I wanted to avoid potential issues with the dark dye while still getting a similar water color. Came out pretty good, but I wish I'd had them use even more black.
Gass beads on the other hand do have a significantly higher material cost.
Hope this helps.
You could potentially inquire about a darker color that uses more dark aggregate instead of darker dye. I recently had my pool refinished in Stonescapes mini, and requested the Tahoe recipe but with double the black aggregate and 1/3 the dye. My plaster guy doesn't upcharge for darker colors, but I wanted to avoid potential issues with the dark dye while still getting a similar water color. Came out pretty good, but I wish I'd had them use even more black.
Gass beads on the other hand do have a significantly higher material cost.
Hope this helps.