Don’t even think about diving into a brand new swimming pool construction project until you’ve worked out all of the fine details for maintenance, size, and the time it will take to complete the project.
Do Some Recon for Testimonials
A solid place to begin the planning phase of your swimming pool project is to start talking to any pool owners that you already know. If there’s anyone you know who’s been able to build and maintain a swimming pool without going bankrupt, then it may be in your best interest to ask them exactly how they went about it from start to finish.
Settling on the Right Pool Builder
After you have a solid picture of just what the process looks like, you’ll be in a good position to start screening different pool builders to take on your project.
To begin, you need to ensure that any builder you talk to is an accredited professional.
Believe it or not, there are many unscrupulous types out there who make a killing on naive and ambitious home owners who don’t bother to check whether or not their contractors actually have a license to take on their dream project.
Got A Pool Builder, Now What?
Once you’ve run a background check and confirmed that they’re legitimate professionals, the next step is to get the builder to give you a visual rundown.
Invite them to your home and get them to give you everything you need to know about such as the warranty and an estimated quote
The Basics of a Pool Quote
The final quote that the pool builder writes up for you should include the following information:
- Inlets, skimmer boxes and drains.
- Shape, location, size, depth and interior lining.
- Filtration equipment, including the type, capacity and the positioning.
- Underwater lights, ladders, handrails and accessories.
- The nature of the builder’s key duties and any additional labor that they may be performing.
The Contract Fine Print
Under the guidelines of SPASA, the Swimming Pool and Spa Association, there are a variety of different contracts with different caveats that you can establish.
If the project is valued at over $3,300, then the contractor must given the homeowner a QBCC Contract Information Statement; there also must be five business days allotted for the contractor to ‘cool off’.
Deposits may not be over 10% for any jobs valued at more than $20,000, or more than 5% for any jobs valued at more than $20,000.
Confirm that any unpredictable blockades to the process, physical aspects and the projected time requirement are all properly accounted for.
Requirements, Approval and Insurance
Check with your local government’s guidelines to figure out the specific fencing and structural stability requirements. You’ll need to have sewage approval, construction document approval submitted to the government by your contractor and statutory authority certification.
Make sure to consult your home insurance provider to verify whether or not you’ll need to extend your policy to accommodate the modifications.
