pool company recommendations
- Thread starter libby
- Start date
jaie
So happy!
We used the Pool Co last summer and they were great! Highly recommend them.
Oz
You're all F'in Mad...
Definitely The Pool Company in Charlotte Hall 301-884-8448. Hans is the salesman. He'll come out and look over your lot and show you the options. The owner Steve performs and supervises the entire construction process. They do everything except the fencing themselves from the digging the pool, to the concrete finishing to opening it for the first time. He'll be there on time exactly when they tell you, which on day 1 will be about 630am. They may offer you a cash discount for a cash payment on the first dig day. Sounds weird but it's real so definitely take that if offered! This company is amazing. I've dealt with many contractors over the years and if I ever need to build another pool I would get these guys to do the job. I have time lapse videos of our pool build last June posted on Youtube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/user/bhayden70/videos
The whole process only took about 5 days on site. But it was spread out over about 3 weeks last year because we had a rainy June.
We are definitely looking forward to summer pool weather this year! Good luck with your pool! These guys won't let you down.
I should also add - no matter who builds it, expect that with excavators, bobcats and concrete mixers driving across your yard that they will tear it up and you'll need to fix it when they finish. This wasn't a big deal to me. But apparently some folks get bent out of shape about that happening. New pool is definitely worth the raking, and seeding in the aftermath.
https://www.youtube.com/user/bhayden70/videos
The whole process only took about 5 days on site. But it was spread out over about 3 weeks last year because we had a rainy June.
We are definitely looking forward to summer pool weather this year! Good luck with your pool! These guys won't let you down.
I should also add - no matter who builds it, expect that with excavators, bobcats and concrete mixers driving across your yard that they will tear it up and you'll need to fix it when they finish. This wasn't a big deal to me. But apparently some folks get bent out of shape about that happening. New pool is definitely worth the raking, and seeding in the aftermath.
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bulldog
New Member
I echo this post 100%. We had the Pool Company do our 14 X 33' inground saltwater pool in 2010. We were very happy with them then, still very happy with the pool and they come and open/close it for us each year.
Steve and Robert work their tails off. Steve does not mind answering questions as they go, but Robert is a quiet guy who just goes about his business and gets the job done.
Look no further than the Pool Company.
If you want a linered pool, if not you might want to check McConnell's. No matter who you hire, check the fine print and make double sure you know what is and isn't included in the price. People get very surprised when the sales person says something like " O yeah, we repair any lawn damage" but then the contract states they actually repair a very small area, if any. Also check the draw (pay) schedule and see what percentage of the total they want before the pool is complete. No money is a bigger incentive to keep them "on time".
http://www.mcconnellpool.com/newconstruction.html
Oz
You're all F'in Mad...
What do they charge for opening/closing? Since ours was included with the build, I never asked what it would cost this spring to open it.
bulldog
New Member
It's not cheap, but worth it for me. I did the opening one year and probably won't do it again. I think they are up to $260.00 now...for each one. It goes up about $20.00 each year. Actually, the opening part is not all that bad if you're okay with re-installing / wiring the pumps back up. For closing, it's at least a 2 person job (to do what they do)...especially blowing and capping the lines. They provide the antifreeze that goes in the lines as well. Depending on the size of your pool and type of cover, that can also be a PIA as far as it being heavy and difficult to handle.
I know some will argue that removing the pumps and blowing the lines is not necessary, but we do it and I'm okay with it. A pound of prevention,...and all that.
Oz
You're all F'in Mad...
With the investment we have in this pool, that price for opening and closing is reasonable and about what I expected. If I screw it up and a pipe breaks it will cost much more for them to fix it than if I just had the experts do it in the first place.
bulldog
New Member
I did a lot of research before deciding on our (liner) pool. To start with, gunite is at least 10% more expensive than either a liner or a shell type pool and as far as I could gather, there is no advantage to gunite other than some *think* it's a higher end product. We have two neighbors who both have gunite and while the pools are both less than 5 years old, both have had to have significant repairs done. Both were installed by Sylvan. We have a good friend who has a shell pool that he is 100% happy with, but we did not get a good vibe out of the company he used (name escapes me now, but they are up on 5N on the east side). The horror storries associated with shell pools is them literally popping out of the groud due to freeze/thaw. I've seen pictures, but don't know how common it is.
We are perfectly happy with our liner. We had it installed in 2010 and have not had a single issue. We called about 10 people on the reference list that the pool company provided to us. Not a single one had a bad thing to say and some had had their pools for 15+ years. We visited 3 homes that had them for 10+ years and to us, they still looked nearly new. I was concerned about the potential to have to replace the liner and one guy put it to me like this..."it's like your roof. You know it's going to have to be replaced at some point, the only question is when". Nobody that we talked to had their liner replaced in under (if I remember correctly) 12'ish years.
With gunite, I think they can paint/color the product. With a shell pool I'm not sure of your color/style choices. For our liner we were able to select a thickness, pattern and color that we wanted. We have no regrets.
Long post. Hope it helps and that you're happy with whatever you decide.
Thanks a lot Bulldog! I truly appreciate the feedback. The main reason for us choosing gunite is because of the custom shape that we need to achieve. We want a predominantly want a shallow play area 3 1/2 to 5' but also an area for me to do water aerobics as I recover from knee surgery later this year. It will also serve as a jump rock area for the kids as well. Additionally, we want a built in tanning ledge. Over the past two years, we've tried looking into liner and fiberglass, but gunite/shotcrete are the only choices that offer us the layout which will work for our family.
I'm glad you've had great experiences with your pool. Thanks again!
I'm glad you've had great experiences with your pool. Thanks again!
