Below are some important things to consider and ask a builder before signing on the dotted line.

1. How long has the company been in business? Have they operated under a different name in the past? You want to make sure that you choose a company that has stood the test of time. So many pool companies open up in the Houston area and are nowhere to be found in a matter of a few short years. If the company who built your pool goes out of business who is going to warrant your pool?
2. How does this company rate with the Better Business Bureau? (You can pull a free report by going to the BBB website: bbb.org)
   • Do they have a “Satisfactory Record” with the BBB?
   • Are there any “unresolved” complaints?
3. Request a list of customer references. This can be very informative.
   • Ask questions about the company and their experience with them.
   • Ask questions about their salesman and how much contact they had with him after the contract was signed.
   • Ask what was the company was like after construction was completed?
   • Was their construction supervised?
   • If there were any problems in the construction process, how were they handled?
4. Do they have general liability insurance? If so, how much? Do they require their subs to carry general liability insurance? Ask them for proof of insurance.
5. Ask how long construction will take. Most pools and spas (without outdoor living areas) take about 6-8 weeks and with outdoor living 8-10. This time frame can be extended with weather delays and shortened during the slower seasons (October through January)
6. What is the payment schedule like? Most companies require a deposit to sign the contract. You then will likely have 3 Draws consisting of 30% each and the last draw of 10%. If a contractor asks for more than this proceed with extreme caution, this could end very poorly for you.
7. Price! Price! Price! Just remember cheapest isn’t always best! You are about to invest thousands of dollars into a construction project. You get what you pay for. When you are comparing prices make sure you are comparing Apples to Apples. Here are some things to consider when comparing apples to apples.Things that affect the look of the pool (and thus the price)
   • Length and Width
   • Perimeter
   • Materials used on waterline, coping, decking and raised areas (Travertine Coping vs Flagstone Coping, Spraydeck Deck Topping Vs Travertine Pavers, Quartz Plaster Vs Pebble) all material uses impacts the price
   • Is the spa raised? What kind of spillway does it have?
   • Water features and material uses for water features.

Things that affect the efficiency of the pool (and thus the price):

• how many pumps and what size? Is the pump size adequate to filter the amount of gallons of water that will be in your pool? Is there a separate pump for your water feature? Does there need to be?
• What size filter have they included? Is the filter large enough to handle your size pool?
• Number of skimmers and returns (you never want less than 2 skimmers and never less than 6 returns. The skimmer lines should be ran separately)
• How many pool lights? Is the lighting they are suggesting adequate? Led? Colored or white?

All of these things need to be considered when comparing prices between pool builders, and ALL of these should be spelled out on the contract, if they are not, don’t sign! You need to make sure that you know EXACTLY what you are getting.