Quote:
Originally Posted by joninaz
The pool builders are also similar to home builders, meaning they land the deal but then hand over construction to subcontracters. The subbies, should you find them, will do the same job for a good deal less.
I already have a pool, but it's older and the pump, filter, etc. were on their last legs. I found a subbie who replaced all hardware below cost... he just wanted me to pay for labor because his crews were not getting income. So we all got a deal.
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This is ridiculous advice. You clearly have no clue what a general contractor does. Who's going to actually design the pool and pull the permits? Who's going to hire all the subcontractors and supervise them? You make it sound like the subcontractors build the pool, or the house. That's not how it works. Subs come in and perform a single well-defined task, and get out. It is the pool builder's job to have fully specified and monitored that task so that the job gets done correctly for your pool. Where is a homeowner going to get the experience that a pool builder has? Most home owners can't even manage their water chemistry, much less design and supervise the construction of a pool. Ludicrous! I'm sorry to say, but hiring one contractor to replace some equipment on an existing pool like you did is light-years away from the amount of coordination and knowledge necessary to build a pool from scratch.
I also disagree with the notion that you can hire your own subcontractors "for a good deal less". Pool builders, like any other general contractors, price their work by marking up the prices charged by the individual subs. That's typically in the 10% range. However, that 10% includes the direction and supervision of the job. But most importantly the pool builder is ultimately responsible for warrantying the subs work. But let's say for sake of argument that the homeowner decides to be the general contractor on their own pool. The subcontractors will eat him alive. Most subs are not equipped to deal directly with home owners. They're used to have a pool builder taking care of countless details before they arrive so that they can get in and get out. They know darn well if there's no experienced pool builder on site that the job will be chaos, and they will price the job accordingly. They're going to charge you more than they would the GC, not less. So you end up paying the same, but you get no GC supervision. Why would a subcontractor give you a deal? They're going to do exactly one job for you and never see you again. They don't give a flying fig about you. If you have a problem with their work, they're going to say they did what they were told and that the problem is somebody elses. However, their relationship with their pool builders is entirely different. That's their bread and butter and if they screw up, they'll be out of work.
And let's get back to warranty. Pool builders in Arizona are required to warranty your pool for 2 years. No PB, no warranty. So what happens on that fateful day when the pool is filled, and suddenly water starts bubbling up from the ground. Whose fault is it? The plasterer? The plumber? Did the decking contractor break a pipe? There goes all that imagined (remember, it was never real) cost savings out the window. You're screwed, and none of your subs will answer your call. Ditto for a year down the road when a big crack opens up in your pool. Was the ground compacted correctly? Did the steel guy mess up, or was it the gunite crew? If you had a PB, you make one phone call. "Fix it!", and so it will be done. If you do it yourself, you better be prepared to spend triple for the price of the pool: once to build it, again to rip it out, and a third time to have a PB do it right.
Homeowners simply do not have the knowledge and experience to build a pool of any significance. There are no books on pool building on Amazon.com for example. There are millions of books on pools mind you, but none on actual construction details. I've looked. You cannot become book smart to be able to build a pool.
In summary, a decent pool builder makes far less on a pool build than you think they do, and their services are a bargain. Take on that job yourself at your own peril.
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05-24-2008, 10:20 PM
Pool Building Costs
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