10 Questions to Ask a Pool Builder Before Hiring
Find the right pro to build the pool of your dreams
Highlights
Hiring the right pool builder involves asking detailed questions about their business and your project.
Verifying a builder’s business status and practices can help protect you, your property, and your finances.
Reputable pool builders will be able to provide you with extensive information about themselves and your project.
If you dream of stepping out into your backyard and diving into your ideal pool, you’ll need to find the right pool builder to make that dream a reality. Knowing what questions to ask a pool builder during the hiring process can ensure you find the right fit and may save you some serious headaches down the road. Use our 10-question guide to find the right pool builder for the job.
1. How Long Have You Been In Business and Under What Business Names and Ownership?
When it comes to putting in a pool, you want to be sure that you’re working with an experienced pool builder and that they have a verifiable business history. Knowing how long they’ve been in business will give you an idea of their experience, and finding out about previous business names or past owners can help assure you of business consistency and clue you in to potential red flags like past bankruptcies.
A business name or ownership change isn’t necessarily a red flag on its own, but it is a good sign that you should do some further research into the company so you know exactly who you’ll be working with.
2. Can You Provide References from Clients with Similar Projects?
One of the most important questions to ask a pool contractor is if they can provide references from clients with pools like yours. Years in business can tell you a lot about a pool builder, but you’ll also want to ask about their experience building types of pools similar to yours. If most of their projects have been fiberglass pools and you’re looking for a concrete pool, that builder may not be the right match for your project. A builder with experience with similar projects will be able to offer advice and expertise on everything from choosing a pool design to identifying factors on your property that may pose challenges.
References from previous customers can also give you valuable information about the company’s business practices and client satisfaction. If the builder can only provide a few references but has built a lot of pools, there may be issues that other clients have experienced that prevent them from providing a positive review.
3. What Is the Estimated Timeline?
Building a pool takes time, and your backyard may be out of commission for months while your pool is being built. Asking your builder about an estimated timeline, including the best time to build your pool, can help you plan around the disruption and give you an idea of when you’ll finally start being able to enjoy your new pool.
If a builder provides you with a much shorter timeline than you’re expecting, or if you get multiple quotes and one projected timeline doesn’t match up with the others, that might clue you in that the builder isn’t being realistic about the scope of the project, which could be a sign of other issues further along in the project.
4. What Is the Estimated Cost?
Budgeting for the cost of an inground pool is no small matter. Before getting started, your builder should be able to give you a comprehensive quote for the cost to build your pool, including permitting fees, excavation, materials, and labor. Again, a quote that’s much lower than others may be a red flag that you’re going to get hit with unexpected costs once the project is underway.
The quote your builder supplies should be detailed, and they should be able to explain any line items you don’t understand. A builder who isn’t transparent about what they’re charging and who won’t take the time to explain it to you may have less-than-savory business practices in other ways.
5. How Is Payment Handled?
The payment schedule and amounts should be clearly laid out for you, with the balance of the payment due upon completion of the project. A builder who requires full payment up front or who doesn’t clearly spell out the financial obligations on either side of the contract may not be the best person to entrust with your money.
In addition, you’ll want to ask about lien waivers for suppliers and subcontractors. That way, if your builder fails to pay their own bills, their suppliers and subcontractors can’t put a lien on your property to recover that lost money. A reputable builder should have no issue providing you with these waivers for your protection.
6. Are All Costs Included In the Contract?
Your contract should be as thorough and comprehensive as possible, including provisions for potential issues the builder may encounter. Any excavation runs the risk of running into a surprise once you break ground, like a buried rock outcropping, for example. Be sure to find out if your contract covers or has an allowance for handling these kinds of issues or if you’ll need to come up with additional funds.
Additionally, make sure that your contract clearly spells out who’s responsible for which parts of the project. You don’t want there to be any confusion about whose responsibility any part of the job is. A clear, comprehensive contract serves as protection for both you and the builder and can help the build go smoothly.
7. What Warranties Do You Offer?
Once your pool is built, you’ll want some assurance that if something goes wrong or if any parts are defective, you can have the problem fixed. Building a pool involves a lot of components, so you’ll want to verify any warranties for parts and equipment. In addition, find out if your pool builder offers a warranty on their work, and get the details of that warranty, including:
How long the work is covered for
What work is covered
The process for making a warranty claim
Any exceptions to the warranty
Having all of this information in writing will make it easier for you to quickly address an issue or know if you need to contact a local pool repair service instead of your builder.
8. Which Suppliers Do You Work With?
Knowing what suppliers your builder works with can offer some clues as to their work practices. If they tend to use the same suppliers for most of their projects, you can likely assume that your builder pays their suppliers on time and has a good working relationship with them.
Builders who only use suppliers once or twice or who aren’t willing to provide you with that information may have business practices that make suppliers unwilling to work with them on a regular basis, and that can be a red flag.
9. What Company Are You Insured By?
Building a pool involves heavy equipment, work crews, excavation, and a lot of alteration to your property. You’ll want to be absolutely certain that your pool builder has the appropriate insurance and liability coverage so that if something unexpected happens in the course of building, it’ll be covered. Your builder should also carry workers’ compensation coverage in case anything happens to one of their employees or subcontractors on the job.
A reputable builder will be able to provide you with their insurer information so that you can contact them and confirm that their coverage is active. Most builders will have a copy of their certificate of insurance, but it’s a good practice to reach out directly to the insurer to verify current coverage.
10. How Will You Handle Unexpected Problems or Delays?
While it would be nice if every pool build was completed on time and on budget, that’s often not the case. A good pool builder will have contingency plans for everything from defective components to delayed suppliers, and will let you know how they deal with these issues as they arise in order to get the project back on track.
Frequently Asked Questions
In many cases, the best time to build a pool is in the fall. Pool builders typically see a drop in business and an increase in availability once summer’s over, and that may mean your project will be completed faster—and maybe even with some discounts. In colder climates, the timing of a pool build will often depend on when the ground freezes, but in warmer locales, your pool can even be built in the winter so it’s ready to use when the hotter weather returns.
Inground pools typically last 20 to 30 years or more, while above-ground pools have a shorter lifespan of about 10 to 20 years. The longevity of a pool is dependent on a number of factors, including the materials it’s made of, the climate, how well maintained it is, and the quality of the installation. Keeping on top of routine maintenance and repairing issues as soon as they happen can help extend the life of your pool and keep it functioning well for years to come.
Adding a pool to your property will almost always increase your homeowners insurance premiums. The amount of the increase will depend on your insurance company, your location, and the safety features that are installed. Before putting in a pool, it’s a good idea to contact your insurer to find out their guidelines and requirements and get an estimate of how it’ll affect your premium.