Recently, I went through the painstaking process of building a pool. This process had its difficulties at every turn including: choosing the builder, designing the pool, picking out materials, and landscaping. I've learned a lot in the process. Some things I would do differently and other things I would do the same.
Choosing the builder was the first difficult task. There are many builders in north Dallas. Apparently, you don't have to be licensed to be a builder, so there are many start ups. Fortunately, these are easy to find, just ask one of the more seasoned builders and they will be quick to point them out! Plus, there are public documents that list how many permits a builder will apply for in a given year. There are small builders and large builders and even specialty builders. From my experience, they all use many of the same subcontractors, so I went with a small builder. One caution is that the small builder may use cheaper subcontractors and the quality might not be as good. On the other hand, the small builder might have lower maintenance costs which can result in a cheaper pool. Examples of specialty builders include rock work, water features, pool surfaces and even cleaning systems.
Typically in the process of picking a builder, you will have designs created by each one. This involves having a salesman come out to your home and talk about your interests. He will survey the site and take notes and measurements. Scheduling time for someone to come out can become a nuisance, especially if you are thinking of getting 3-5 different quotes. Next, each builder will provide you with their own design. Trying to compare each design can be difficult. You will probably find yourself liking some of each design. Warning, builders are very strict about sharing their designs with other builders, so you will be pressured to keep every design isolated and will find yourself talking in hypothetical's.
One the builder is chosen, you need to settle on a design. Deciding on size, shape and depth are just the beginning. You need to pick out tile, stone, plaster and any pool features. Having a 3D design is very helpful to bring it all together and visualize what the end product is going to look like.
Once dig day arrives you might find additional complications. From my experience, the builder doesn't care about irrigation systems during the dig. They just break right through the system. Afterwards, they come back and tie everything back together. This is a very dangerous approach. It would be very easy to leave a line left open and have it pouring water up against the outer shell of the pool. This could lead to structural damage not to mention high water bills! I was fortunate enough to put together an irrigation map before the dig. Sure enough, some lines were left unconnected, but with some searching and digging, we finally got everything back together.
Landscaping is the icing on the cake. You need to think about what plants work well around a pool. You don't what sharp spiny leafs if kids will be running around. You don't want to have to continually pick dead leaves out of the filter. You need to consider bees if you plan on planting flowers. Trees with invasive root systems are also a poor idea. You need to consider what plants will look like at full maturity, even if that will be years away. Again, a 3D model is a good method to show you what a mature landscape will look like.
I learned a lot during the pool process and now have a wonderful pool to relax in and think about all the things I could have done differently. With 4 kids, I don't get too much time however, because one of them is sure to try to flip me off my float!