Inexperienced Pool Builders Can Cost You Tens of Thousands of Dollars

More and more landscape companies are vying to build your pool. The more prudent choice is to select an experienced pool builder with a Landscape Architect on staff. To prevent costly problems, we suggest you download our important guide on what it will mean to you to hire an eminently qualified, professional pool builder with a Landscape Architect on staff to design and build your dream oasis.

The basic problem with a landscape firm that is dabbling in pool building is their expertise is in filling holes with plants and dirt. Designing, digging, and building a professional underground infrastructure, and then constructing a strong, long-lasting pool requires a completely different set of skills, knowledge, and experience. Your pool needs to be precision-built. You only get one chance to get it right. The combination of an Association of Pool and Spa Professional’s Certified Pool Builder collaborating with a professional Landscape Architect gives you the perfect solution for creating your backyard paradise.

FALSE SAVINGS

The few hundreds of dollars—even the few thousands of dollars—think you’re saving on the costs of building your pool without the right team, could actually cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

You need to seriously consider what happens if you encounter unstable soil, underground rock formations, expensive repairs, or high maintenance and operating expenses. Cheaper is not better—because it winds up costing more. What you want with your significant investment is a fair price that delivers the quality and durability you deserve.

You will be living with your builder’s work for years to come. So it’s wise to seriously consider the builder’s experience designing and building many types of pools in a variety of terrains with different types of soil. Your project needs to be done right.

For example, since 1972 B&B Pool and Spa Center has designed and built more than 1,000 pools. As a result, B&B’s master pool builders have been called in many times to resolve problems that inexperienced builders caused.

ONE TRUE STORY

B&B president, Craig Bagin, relates one costly incident, “It’s always sad when an owner falls prey to a low bid pitch, and then ends up having to deal with severe, expensive problems. We had a situation a couple of years back when B&B was bidding on a project to build a pool and landscape the property in Saddle River, NJ.

“The family had decided to add a gunite swimming pool and redesigned landscape to their beautiful home—especially for their two active young daughters. We lost the job to a landscaper who might have known about plants, lawns and shrubs, but who was out of his depth when it came to the structural requirements we deal with every day. By the time we were brought in to solve the problem, the family had missed out on two precious swim seasons.

DISASTER STRIKES

The contract was signed in February in hopes that the pool would be ready for the short Northeast swim season. In the middle of July, the first attempt at a pool was finished. As it was being filled for the first time, disaster struck—a crack spread across the middle of the pool because it couldn’t support the weight. Their dream pool turned into an expensive hole in the ground.

“Their first swim season was lost. They called us in hopes of fixing their pool, added Derek Bagin, Vice-President of Construction. “We knew that fixing the crack wasn’t possible. The underlying ground had not been properly prepared by the landscaper to support the weight of 35,000 gallons of water. To repair the pool properly the current shell would need to be removed and the pool completely rebuilt.

The landscaper assured the family that he could fix the crack—even so, the pool would not be repaired until the following swim season. As predicted, the landscaper’s second attempt also failed. The pool cracked in half again! Since the landscaper didn’t understand what caused the crack in the first place, his superficial repairs did nothing to resolve the underlying problem.

B&B COMES TO THE RESCUE

Once again the phone at B&B rang. After losing a second swim season, and with their daughters getting older, the family decided their only real option was to heed the advice of Certified Building Professional and B&B Pool and Spa Center owner, Craig Bagin.

As soon as the ground thawed, B&B’s team removed the damaged pool, prepared the soil and constructed a shell able to withstand much more weight than required—5,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure—and rebuilt their entire backyard. Derek Bagin concluded, “it was a costly mistake for the family, and hopefully a lesson others can learn from.”

A HAPPY ENDING TO OUR STORY

The happy ending to this story is that B&B finished re-building their pool in time for the swim season. By then the girls were another year older, but still young enough to have years of swimming and splashing with their friends.

It took three attempts before the Saddle River, NJ family finally got their beautiful, long-lasting swimming pool built beautifully by B&B. To think they could have had it right the first time and saved a bundle—and enjoyed those two irreplaceable swimming seasons with their daughters!

THE MORAL

“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing it right the first time.”