Recommendation on swimming pool companies (San Antonio, Keene: heat pump, design, inground pool)

[johnacn]

I had a pool put in by Bluehaven and everything was better than I expected. I looked at every pool builder in San Antonio and they were not the cheapest nor the priciest. They've been around for over 50 years and have the best warranty in the industry. I have a custom built pool, a rock waterfall, raised hot tub, a salt system, a waterproof remote, a huge rainbow rock slab surrounding the whole pool with a raised slab for my barbecue grill that looks over the pool all for under $45,000.00. I will just say this, the quote that I got from Gary Pools and Keith Zars Pool was about $15,000-$20,000 more with all the same bells and whistles. They also finished in less than 60 days, which is stated in the contract. Price all the pool builders and check for yourself. Whatever you do dont go with the cheap builders because I have a friend who tried to save money and now its costing him more, to many details to expain. Good luck.

[johnacn]

Here are some pictures of my pool. I would definitely spend the extra money and get the salt system for you pool because it takes little upkeep. Good luck.

[Bob913]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I am looking to install a custom underground pool. So far I have been given pool renderings from Garys (not very impressed with their presentation or prices), Zars (poor customer service, failed to make not one, not two, but three meetings at my home. If they can't find time to meet with me before we even begin, what are the odds that they would be available after we started), River Oaks (great presentations, ideas and prices) and Pool Concepts (great custom pool rendering, ideas and prices have been the best thus far). With Pool Concepts we are encorporating flagstone on the back patio and steps down to the pool level, area for a grill, a 'fire pit", a 12 foot long waterfall, large spa for thousands cheaper than the others (~$15000 cheaper than Garys "just a pool rendering without the other items added on). I have not inquired on Blue Haven just yet. They will be my next stop. I had concerns with all of the bad press i read about them on Ripoff Report: By Consumers, For Consumers.

Ripoff Report Search Results: blue haven pools (http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q1=ALL&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searc htype=0&submit2=Search%21&q5=blue+haven+pools&Sear ch=Search - broken link)

i have already spent this much time researching companies, might as well add one more to the list.

Thanks again for everyone who provided feedback.

[Paka]

Originally Posted by Bob913

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I am looking to install a custom underground pool. So far I have been given pool renderings from Garys (not very impressed with their presentation or prices), Zars (poor customer service, failed to make not one, not two, but three meetings at my home. If they can't find time to meet with me before we even begin, what are the odds that they would be available after we started), River Oaks (great presentations, ideas and prices) and Pool Concepts (great custom pool rendering, ideas and prices have been the best thus far). With Pool Concepts we are encorporating flagstone on the back patio and steps down to the pool level, area for a grill, a 'fire pit", a 12 foot long waterfall, large spa for thousands cheaper than the others (~$15000 cheaper than Garys "just a pool rendering without the other items added on). I have not inquired on Blue Haven just yet. They will be my next stop. I had concerns with all of the bad press i read about them on Ripoff Report: By Consumers, For Consumers.

Ripoff Report Search Results: blue haven pools (http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q1=ALL&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searc htype=0&submit2=Search%21&q5=blue+haven+pools&Sear ch=Search - broken link)

i have already spent this much time researching companies, might as well add one more to the list.

Thanks again for everyone who provided feedback.

DANG!!!! I am not even looking to put in an inground pool because we have a HUGE oak tree that shades our entire back yard and most of our neighbors, so we had to go with an above ground pool....but I certainly am glad that I read the postings for Blue Haven on the fraud website that you enclosed....MAN, 88 complaints (and all almost identical from ALL OVER the entire country!!!!!) and the lack of response, standing behind their work, strong-arming that continues to come up in each of these postings makes me KNOW that I would never consider them for a pool at all....almost looks like these items are sooooooo similar that it is something they are TAUGHT as a way of doing business/avoiding repairs...too strange that no matter where the complaint was from, the total lack of customer service was almost identical.

I think that you did a HUGE service to anyone thinking of putting in an inground pool by posting that site!!!! THANKS!

[rlw]

Learned alot about the pool business this year when we installed one. Any one looking to use Gary's Pool and Patio please send me a private message.

[sotxag62]

River Oaks Pools Ratings
I'd give them an "A" for design
a "C" for construction
a "F" for service & followup
We are middle income and construction, service, and followup were really poor. Now if you are a "Dominaire", i.e. living in the "Dominion" they will give you their A teams in construction, service, and followup. Everyone else will
be just considered "suckers" once you have put the majority of the money down on your pool, and send in their "F" teams to finish up the work.
... burned too many times by River Oaks ...

[Bob913]

After all of my research was done, Pool Concepts got my business. Pool Concepts is giving me more for my money without sacrificing the quality or design. It just so happens that Pool Concepts received awards this year at the Parade of Homes at the Domions for having the best pool design and water feature. I will report back once the pool is done and hopefully give positive feedback for the entire process.

[cheermomof4girls]

Originally Posted by Bob913

After all of my research was done, Pool Concepts got my business. Pool Concepts is giving me more for my money without sacrificing the quality or design. It just so happens that Pool Concepts received awards this year at the Parade of Homes at the Domions for having the best pool design and water feature. I will report back once the pool is done and hopefully give positive feedback for the entire process.

I will be watching for your feedback as we will close on our home around Dec/Jan time frame and will be putting in a pool soon after.

[adcdhc]

Has anyone used Miramar Pools and Spas? Their website is Miramarpool.com. Their address is out of Boerne, but it is a POBox. They were recommended to us by someone who had their pool put in and are very satisfied. However, BBB doesn't have anything on them and I want more info before signing. We really liked their ideas, but ideas don't necessarily pan out.

[Bob913]

Well, the pool is done and it looks great!! The individuals at Pool Concepts truley understand the meaning of Customer Service. At no point during the short construction process (six weeks from start to finish) was I ever not aware of where we were in the building process and what was going to happen next. I can not stress how easy it was to do business with Pool Concepts. Even when we hit minor speed bumps, they took care of it without even blinking an eye.

Example #1. I was given the option to keep the dirt and rocks that were being dug up during the 'whole making" step. I elected to keep the fill and had them spread it toward the back of my property ( I live on 1.5 acres) to level the ground out. During this step, the construction crew accidentaly buried one of my sprinkler heads with the dirt/rocks. When it was buried, the sprinkler head was crushed and ruined.....no problem, Pool Concepts purchased a new sprinkler head and replaced it.

Example #2. During the building of the waterfall and spa, my wife was not sure of a 'few' of the rocks that were used because of the color. My wife thought that they were too orange and did not match the other rocks, they stood out too much. When pool concepts was made aware of her thoughts on the rock....without hesitation....they let her know that the rocks would be removed and replaced with rocks that would be more to her liking; and they did just that!! They even offered to tear down the entire waterfall and redo it if she was not 100% satisfied. I liked the waterfall just the way it was, so my wife and i discussed it and decided to leave the waterfall just the way they built it.

Example #3. When the pool was completed and they put in the colored plaster around the pool and on the steps that came down from the back porch, the color did not match the rest of our homes foundation. We let them know and guess what....they came back out and redid the plaster on the steps coming down to the pool so it would match the color of our homes foundation (our homes foundation has a yellow plaster covering it so that it does not look like cement).

Well, this just about covered our speedbumps during the building process. i would recommend Pool Concepts to anyone who is looking to install an inground pool. Everyone from the owners, designers, supervisors and even their construction crews are all very nice and helpfull individuals. Pool Concepts was Fantastic.

Once I take a few pics, I will post them.