Don't kill my vibe. Tell me how awesome this is going to be. Also let me know what to look out for. Some things I've heard:

- take pics of every stage, especially pipes and fittings to know location later.
- pay each draw only after they complete the particular stage
- call coserv and the city behind the contractors back to confirm they're doing what they say regarding permitting

LFG I can't wait

Review the contract and specifications. Let is help if you have questions, but make sure they are using enough rebar, spaced correctly, and thick enough gunite shell. Make sure you have enough jets and drains.

A poor structure and bad circulation can cause years of headaches.

One thing my pool builder did was add valves so I could isolate the bottom drains from the skimmers and regulate the flow to the bubblers in the sun deck, waterfall and table bubbler. This makes it easier to drain the pool below the skimmer line if needed or turn off the skimmers when the leaves are falling too fast to keep it clear.

Others can probably comment on brands of equipment, etc.

Swim team family for decades reporting in
The JOYS are obvious, same as a new boat or horse, etc.
Includes
regular parties, social, fun
amazing backyard lighting ala vacations past
water sounds relaxing
youth sports advancement
the Lipton Tea plunge in 100F+ summers or after yardwork


The 20-20 hindsight regrets:
Should have ... hired an engineer to check the plans
Should have ... made it longer for lap swimming (with flat ends for flip turns)
Should have ... gotten the more maintenance-free equipment
Should have ... hired a lawyer for advice as to legal actions
Should have ... put in a pool alarm
Should have ... placed it where "lifeguarding" backups could see swimmers from house windows
TMI but more upon request

Thank you!

Ask for an auto-fill to be installed as part of the pool.
Ask for a drain to sewer near the filter to make draining the filter a little easier.
Get a hot tub and heater as part of the pool, we probably use the hot tub more in a year than pool.
Depending on where you live think about a chiller.
I know it's a big expense, but don't cheap out on patio or decking near the pool for parties.
A friend of mine got a pool that only had small steps dug into a wall. Not having bottom steps below a sitting ledge created a lot more space in the pool.
Watch out for sharp edges on the lip of the pool. We have a sharp turn on ours that creates a point I'm worried about the kids bashing themselves into.

Take prevailing winds into account when it comes to skimmer placement. I live on the coast and 25mg winds tend to drive debris into the opposite corner of my pool during swimming season.
Separate pump for pool robot so skimmers can stay active.
Know where your sewer line is ( that's the one line they found the hard way)

Our builder actually put in a second skimmer at the opposite end of our pool. One for summer winds, the other catching the winter winds.

request face to face meetings with owner or superintendent every week-10 days
There's no substitute for onsite supervision!

Have fun!

poolct00 said:

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request face to face meetings with owner or superintendent every week-10 days
There's no substitute for onsite supervision!

Have fun!

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This. Luckily my pool was built at the height of COVID when I was working from home full time. I made it a point to go out there and check up on things often, especially monitoring what the subs were doing. Caught some really half assed stuff that they were trying to pass off as fine and would have been too late to fix if another day or two went by.

All the things everybody here has said.

It is great in many ways. You'll enjoy being able to take a quick dip after a hot day of yard work, after a long day at "getting paid to pay for your pool" work, or a fun weekend gathering with friends. It's also easy to do a quick evening dinner with friends and let the kids swim while you just enjoy your kingdom. You'll enjoy the look and sounds of the pool in the spring and fall when you're sitting on your newly redone back porch and decking.

We were told most people don't actually swim (like doing laps) in a swimming pool. Kids jump in, crawl out, jump in, crawl out, fight over pool floats, jump on each other etc. Adults like to gently float or stand and talk/drink. That's has been 100% of our experience.

Remember that the cost of the pool itself is but a small part of the overall picture. Get the hot tub and the heater. Make sure to have plenty of underwater seating/benches. Whether that is a sundeck and steps in, plus a bench or ledge to get out on the other side, or some other configuration. We use those areas a lot.

Don't forget decking and your yard. It sucks to see the price of the pool then to have to ask for more decking around the back and a little wall over here and new flower beds over there. And then you're going to go buy patio furniture because you don't want to sit outside and look at your new retirement-delay-device and sit on a folding chair. So if you're going to do it, make it worth the effort at the end so you enjoy it.

I was super hesitant prior to building, but we now use our backyard 100 times more than before. We even put heaters in our patio ceiling and with the exception of the coldest/windiest days, we enjoy the space.

Also, do not use Pulliam Pools. They are running off a reputation built by their prior owners and the new guys are not at that level. No oversight, no responsibility for their mistakes until we sent demand letters. There are plenty of other builders.

TexAg1987 said:

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Our builder actually put in a second skimmer at the opposite end of our pool. One for summer winds, the other catching the winter winds.

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Sounds a lot smarter than mine.

On the note of decking, be mindful of what you pick. My sister has an amazing backyard and pool set up. If we're at her house, we're out there. Her decking area looks awesome, but gets slick as hell when wet. My son has busted his ass multiple times, he's 2 so somewhat understandable. But her older daughters have fallen multiple times as well. I've slipped and caught my balance quite a few times, also.

Our in laws doesn't get slick but gets hot as hell.

We're getting travertine. Is there what your family has? Are there certain kinds I should avoid? I didn't want concrete because of the rough texture and heat. I've heard travertine is much cooler

They have travertine. I'm not really sure on types of travertine, but pretty sure you can get different finishes. A rough finish would be less slippery than polished, for example. But I haven't gone though the process of shopping and comparing those, just the personal experience with my sister's pool so will default to other posters.

We've got travertine. Don't get it sealed as that makes it slippery. Our is slippery if you're wearing a smoother soled shoe (flip flop and some casual sneakers). I don't see slipping at ours even with the kids doing the "i'm not running" walk to hurry around a corner for the next cannonball.

Make sure yard restoration is part of the contract, or make arrangements. Running that machine all over your yard will tear up the grass and make a mess. Also, check that your yard is draining properly after they finish. The tracked machine can create low spots from compacting the soil. If you have the cash, this would be a good time to install a sprinkler system. Your yard will already be trashed, might as well do it rather than trash the yard twice.

Don't forget about shade. Umbrella holders are cheap. Oh yeah, here is a tip I haven't seen yet. If they put an umbrella holder on the tanning ledge, make sure it is close enough to the side for you to grab it. You gotta be Dikembe Mutombo to grab mine without stepping in the pool. No chance of cranking it down without both feet in the water.

Everything here is great info.

As a pool builder in Fort Worth, here's a few other items to consider:

• Chiller - Get a quote to install this with the pool, not after. It will be way cheaper that way.
• Water features - Same as above. Have your builder show you what they've built before or get on Pinterest for ideas to show the builder.
• Lighter the deck material, the cooler it will be. There's a white limestone from Turkey I like that is cool to the touch in 110 degree weather. Downside is if you want to keep it white, it must be sealed. Trick is to use a penetrating natural stone sealer. A lot of people don't know any better and use a glossy sealer that makes it slick.

Just for your knowledge, here's a list of the nomenclature on interior finishes in order of cost:

• White plaster, with or with out quartz - will be smooth to the touch
• Colored plaster - will also be smooth to the touch, pigmented with dyes, so color will fade eventually, quicker if your chemicals are off.
• Quartz - This will have a feeling of a medium sand paper; again, pigmented so may fade over time, typically these are pre-mixed from the factory
• Pebble - this is the stuff that tears up kids feet. Very rough texture. again, pigmented so may fade over time, typically these are pre-mixed from the factory. A lot of pool builders list this as their "standard" finish because it is easy for them to start up/not screw up.
• Polished - Smooth like colored plaster, lots of color like pebble. This finish gets installed then polished the next day to a smooth finish. This is the most expensive finish to install.

I have an intex so I'm kinda a pool owner lol. JK

My buddy put in a pool and the most amazing thing was the water chiller. Had a large outdoor get together and the pool was 85 degrees in 100+ temperatures. Felt amazing.

I have no idea as to the costs or trouble they are but it was the best thing ever.

V8Aggie said:

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I have an intex so I'm kinda a pool owner lol. JK

My buddy put in a pool and the most amazing thing was the water chiller. Had a large outdoor get together and the pool was 85 degrees in 100+ temperatures. Felt amazing.

I have no idea as to the costs or trouble they are but it was the best thing ever.

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Heat pump chiller allows you to set a temperature and get it there over a long period of time while the pump runs.

A evaporative chiller uses the ambient air temperature to bring the water temperature down to that temperature, provided it's not terribly humid as that will decrease its effectiveness.

Was unaware of the different types of chillers. My neighbor said you'll get ~10 difference using one and it'll run up the electrical usage.

That being said, I'm sure a pool will run up the electrical as it is so who cares.

My house faces west (ughhhh) and the shadow on the pool area begins to cast around 5:30pm in the summer. So I'm not too worried.