I reckon I would just need to get a survey done? I have one already, not sure if it is certified. Id need to dig in to that. Otherwise I can just get a company to come out im sure. This is all new territory for me. Appreciate the insight.

Initially for the request I used the survey that I got when I closed on my house. I sketched to scale the dimensions and location on the encroachment to submit w the paperwork I received from CenterPoint. That got me past the first step.

Someone came out and looked at where I had my encroachment with respect to their easement and equipment.

Once I had verbal approval they prepared the document addressing what happens. Basically they can make you move at your expense for whatever reason. It's a risk you take. I've had my pool
Since 2003 without issue. (Knock on wood).

After I agreed to terms and paid they let me build. When construction was completed I had to submit a new survey done/stamped by RPLS within 60 (?) days.

Again this was all done 19 years ago. Process may be different now.

Only thing I will say is don't encroach on the easement without permission. Most easement holders are not happy if you beg for forgiveness. Law is on their side to make you remove your encroachment. When you sell your house there will also be a flag on title if you have an encroachment on easement without permission.

Thanks greatly for the input. I absolutely wouldn't encroach just to make my life a little easier in the short term for the reasons you laid out. If we decide to go forward i will hash this all out with the builder of choice and the appropriate entities. Seriously, thank you.

Would call Brad at Pulliam Pools (281) 693-7665

Of the 3 folks that have come by, I have been much more impressed by st John's pools. They did a quick design mock up just for the hell of it, went over what differentiates them from other builders and talked with me at length about several things that they do standard that other companies may or may not do. I know it was a sales pitch but they were heads and shoulders above the other 2 companies that came by.

Just get your stupid redneck neighbors to build it for you

Sea Speed said:

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Of the 3 folks that have come by, I have been much more impressed by st John's pools. They did a quick design mock up just for the hell of it, went over what differentiates them from other builders and talked with me at length about several things that they do standard that other companies may or may not do. I know it was a sales pitch but they were heads and shoulders above the other 2 companies that came by.

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all three probably use the same labor to build the pool

bularry said:

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Sea Speed said:

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Of the 3 folks that have come by, I have been much more impressed by st John's pools. They did a quick design mock up just for the hell of it, went over what differentiates them from other builders and talked with me at length about several things that they do standard that other companies may or may not do. I know it was a sales pitch but they were heads and shoulders above the other 2 companies that came by.

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all three probably use the same labor to build the pool

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100% agree. Only a handful of gunite and pool excavation companies in Houston area. Difference is however, a good PB will coordinate, communicate and make sure the job is done well and on time as much as possible.

NoahAg said:

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Just move to a house that already has one.

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Covid spiked the prices of houses with pools to the point it's a wash now. Any home that only costs '20-30k' for the 20 year old pool is coming up on 15-20k in resurfacing and updating costs.

I would say this is highly dependent on neighborhoods as well as price point but don't think I'd say it's the norm.

If I wanted to move in to a house with a pool in my area the home would be at least 200k more than we paid for ours and we would have to spring on it FAST. most aren't updated either and we have done most of our bathrooms, partial kitchen, paint, new floors etc etc on this house. Finding one with a gas cooktop is also hard. We had to run a gas line through our slab when we re did the floors to get our gas cook top. Of course we would get a much better price on our home but with the cost of moving and loan fees and realtors, it is probably a wash. I dont think we would have a half bad return on the cost of the pool either. Certainly not the pennies on the dollar of old.

Well, yeah. But a big reason is just general market appreciation/inflation. Not just because the house has a pool.

If you want a pool, build a pool. I wasn't agreeing with the poster saying buy a house with a pool. I was replying to the other poster implying pools are increasing home values.

Again, absolutely the case in some places. I don't know where you are, price points of homes, what buyers are looking for, etc. Not so much in others. Also, I'm sure it'll normalize out a little. Was a much bigger deal a year ago when people couldn't go to gyms or neighborhood pools than it is now.

Edit: I may have misunderstood the poster. I thought he was saying it's a wash between buying a house without a pool and building one vs buying a house with a pool. I absolutely agree with you when you talk about increase in mortgage because of inflation, realtor costs, moving costs, etc

In the last 18 months, the Houston market went from 9 gunite companies to 23. And there's more than 23 excavation companies without a doubt. Now, as far as market share, the top 3-4 gunite companies own 90% of the market so it's easy to see why that is what the public thinks.

I painted with broad strokes on a drive by post. I agree with Sea Speed here.

So just buying a home with a pool isn't that simple anymore. With covid spiking the market and inflation, your home with a pool is going to go at a premium over just a simple backyard. There used to be a 20-30k difference between homes with a pool and homes without a pool in my neighborhood of Houston. That is no longer the case. Its closer to 60-70k now. For a 20-30 year old pool. Thats going to need some TLC very soon. Theres a home in my neighborhood asking for a 100k over what its '2019 worth' is and it went immediately under contract. Tiny pool, dated interior. And that takes us to our bigger point, if you're in the market trying to buy a home with a pool versus build one yourself, you aren't getting that house easy. The bid it takes to buy the house down the street with a pool so your kids are still in the same neighborhood and school track is ridiculous now. It only takes one fool whose fed up with the market and has to move now to blow your good offer. And now there is the cost of buying/selling/moving.

Also Sea Speed and I have both been updating our houses over the years. Why duck out now and enter this mess of a market just to start over with a different home that needs updating but has an old pool? HGTV isn't real life, an older home with a pool on a nicer, even just moderate size lot is going to have date interiors.

If your home is in a desirable area, even if you go all out with a resort style pool, outdoor living space, bar and kitchen you're going to break even when you sell. The market wants these huge outdoor additions. Guy in my neighborhood did all of that way back in like 2014 and got every penny back when he sold in 2017ish. That was way before all of this covid craze.

Quote:

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If your home is in a desirable area, even if you go all out with a resort style pool, outdoor living space, bar and kitchen you're going to break even when you sell. The market wants these huge outdoor additions. Guy in my neighborhood did all of that way back in like 2014 and got every penny back when he sold in 2017ish. That was way before all of this covid craze.

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I agree with everything you said, except for this. It's still going to be neighborhood dependent. For example, we keep an eye on Garden Oaks/Oak Forest, people seem to value new builds and finishes there way more than a pool. And I'd say GOOF is a "desirable area." Here are two listings, same street, a couple houses away from each other. Listing one (pending): new build, 4,188 sq ft, $1.5MM, $350/sq ft, no pool. Listing two (on market for 3 days): built in 2010, 4,312 sq ft, $1.2MM, $290/sq ft, pool and larger lot.

We're also watching Spring Valley Village and I'd say it's a similar story there.

Some people simply won't look at a house if it has a pool. My wife for example. They don't want the maintenance, they want the yard space, and they have pools they can access. For the people that do want a pool, you're still adding a point to have conflicting styles. Some people don't care, they just want a pool. Some people want a pool with grottos, rocks all around, waterfalls, etc. Others want a modern, straight-lined, simplistic pool.

GOOF w/out Pool
GOOF w/ Pool

htxag09 said:

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Quote:

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If your home is in a desirable area, even if you go all out with a resort style pool, outdoor living space, bar and kitchen you're going to break even when you sell. The market wants these huge outdoor additions. Guy in my neighborhood did all of that way back in like 2014 and got every penny back when he sold in 2017ish. That was way before all of this covid craze.

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I agree with everything you said, except for this. It's still going to be neighborhood dependent. For example, we keep an eye on Garden Oaks/Oak Forest, people seem to value new builds and finishes there way more than a pool. And I'd say GOOF is a "desirable area." Here are two listings, same street, a couple houses away from each other. Listing one (pending): new build, 4,188 sq ft, $1.5MM, $350/sq ft, no pool. Listing two (on market for 3 days): built in 2010, 4,312 sq ft, $1.2MM, $290/sq ft, pool and larger lot.

Some people simply won't look at a house if it has a pool. My wife for example. They don't want the maintenance, they want the yard space, and they have pools they can access. For the people that do want a pool, you're still adding a point to have conflicting styles. Some people don't care, they just want a pool. Some people want a pool with grottos, rocks all around, waterfalls, etc. Others want a modern, straight-lined, simplistic pool.

GOOF w/out Pool
GOOF w/ Pool

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I agree with your points. My previous statement is more a one off than trends. People tend to overspend compared to they get back, and in my mind its because they don't have a cohesive vision for an updated home. Its just a hard transition from 2000s tan walls and carpet to either A) a modern farmhouse outdoor living space or B) Jimmy Buffets margaritaville. That one home who got their money back did a good job not creating such a stark contrast between the house and the outdoor space.

I think the hierarchy is:

New exterior look, new interior finishes + new pool = highest price in market.
New exterior look, new interior finishes + no pool = second highest price
old exterior look, new interior finishes and old pool = third highest price
old exterior look, old exterior finishes, and new pool = lowest price gain
old exterior look, old exterior finishes, and old pool = base line.

The latest rendition of the modern farmhouse done well is such a different look than what your homes in houston have looked like for 30+ years that you really can't just do it halfway.

To take an older home and bring it fully up to modern design trends its going to be the cost of a new pool if you don't do some work yourself.

-New floors, taller baseboards and different trim styles
-Smoothing out the texture on walls and painting it white
-Upgrading cabinets, countertops
-Upgrade fixtures
-Upgrade sinks
-Upgrade master bath
-Minimum one wall knock down.

Its a lot of work, and thats why your average home doesn't look like what you see on HGTV.

I hired all kinds of contractors recently and they were all overweight honkies or short latinos. Not a single blonde knockout with big boobs and a little waist swinging a hammer. Feel a little cheated tbh.

NoahAg said:

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Just move to a house that already has one.

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That's what I did.

I had a pool builder call me recently looking for a PE to stamp their drawings. I don't do civil so I forwarded her info to an acquaintance.

Is this a new requirement to pull a permit or was their permitting office singling them out for something? I'm not sure how much value the stamp adds for most builders who are already meeting build standards but that may be driving some cost spikes.

lb3 said:

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I had a pool builder call me recently looking for a PE to stamp their drawings. I don't do civil so I forwarded her info to an acquaintance.

Is this a new requirement to pull a permit or was their permitting office singling them out for something? I'm not sure how much value the stamp adds for most builders who are already meeting build standards but that may be driving some cost spikes.

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I had to have a stamp for the electrical part on my pool build. Good thing I'm an electrical PE.

Ohhh, look at me! I have postage.

rednecked said:

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this was a mockup they did of ours. the pool and the concrete surround. lounging deck, and small wall with 1 foot waterfall.

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Pay attention to this mockup...This is the way. Unless you entertain a whole lot (with people who use a hot tub), don't put you hot tub in with the pool.

If you want the hot tub for your use, put in an external one and build it into your deck area. Then its always hot and ready to go. Seating is much more comfortable as well.

Hot tub in the pool will take a bit of time to heat up and seating/jet options won't be as nice. Overall, the free standing hot tub will be cheaper, even considering you will have to replace them periodically.

A pool is a pool, isn't the case. Every decision has a cost.

Zip code of build
Cubic feet of water
Linear feet of coping
Height of back wall (pool height or a decorative wall)
Linear feet of benches and steps
Sq/ft of sun shelf
# of bubblers and sheer falls
Color of water
Sq/ft of decking
Location and distance of gas meter
Location and distance to pull equipment
Quality of pool equipment
Heater / chiller
Type of filtration / water purification
Size and location of hot tub
Material of everything (concrete or stone, type of stone, type of pool finish / texture, etc.)

Everything above and more can mean the difference in $50k and $250k or more.

Small and shallow "plunge pools" like several shown on the thread are generally $40k-$75k. Great for splashing and sitting around with a beverage.

Average pools in Houston in size, material,and depth where you can swim and play games and have space are generally $65k-$125k

this is spot on. Each one of those can become a significant cost adder. A simple pool can get very expensive if you aren't careful in your selections. you have to determine what is most important to you. we passed on the heater/chiller stuff. big fancy walls/waterfalls - out of the question. She wanted the sun shelf but if we ever build another pool we now know it isn't really worth the loss of volume. don't go cheap on quality of equipment. We took the included suction pool cleaner and I hated it! after just a month I bought a robotic cleaner and it is absolutely worth the upgrade price. Filtration - you can spend the money on the salt converter or spend it on chlorine. I think it's kind of a wash from a dollars perspective but adding chlorine is more work.

"She wanted the sun shelf but if we ever build another pool we now know it isn't really worth the loss of volume."

Not any harder to add a sun shelf out than to cut into the pool volume in.

*Unless there isn't space in the yard. Sun shelves are amazing for small kids, teenage girls / wives who like to sunbath or not get wet and bubblers and lights for looks. Otherwise your better off running a bench the entire way around the pull so everyone you invite and sit and drink.

Here's an interesting idea one of my co-workers shared with me. She lives in an older neighborhood with a smaller backyard. She's looking into pricing out one of these precast rectangular "Plunge" pools

Plungie Plunge pools

12' X 7' x 5.5' deep for $15,990
up to a
20' X 10' X 5.5' deep for $22,990

Looks like you would need to finish the plumbing, tile, deck

Tangent - for those of you with pools, what features do you have that you consider must-haves, what features do you wish you had gotten but didn't, and what were unnecessary wastes of money you wish you hadn't gotten?

Just got my first quote today on what I thought was a pretty basic pool. Due to the fact that we can't do concrete because of impervious coverage issues we would have to do travertine or flagstone decking. Quote was over 70 grand.

My pool was originally built in the late 90's. We resurfaced, major overhaul in 2017.
One feature I didn't have that I wish I did was some type of auto top off. Now I have basically a garden hose running across the deck with a float valve to make up for evaporation.

We added 3 "pencil jets" in the coping that we thought would look cool (they do in photos) and sound good when we weren't using the pool. However, they've never worked properly - the middle one has always had way less pressure than the other 2. In hindsight, I think it would be difficult to make them line up properly like we hoped (and like all the photos) and I wish we would have just scrapped. We have another jet/fountain thing on one of the shallow steps that works fine though.

Pretty simple. Competent pool builder puts them on valves so you can adjust and balance the pressure as desired.

They're on a valve - all 3 on one valve. So I can adjust pressure on all 3 at once - but not independently of each other.

MAS444 said:

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They're on a valve - all 3 on one valve. So I can adjust pressure on all 3 at once - but not independently of each other.

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That was wrong.