Cliff's Pools & Patios

Awful to work with and 6 months later I have a pool that is not blue or "Cliffs blue" but patchy white with big boxes of white discoloration. Company messed up the job TWICE and did not take responsibility for their amateur hour mistakes.

Below you will find a full account of our recent experience with this company. If you’re pressed on time and for brevity’s sake and want to verify what we are saying, call their company and inquire about pool resurfacing. Specifically ask about their warranty and then specifically inquire about which circumstances would the warranty be applicable and when it would be voided? Also ask the company how many claims have been submitted AND of the claims submitted how many have been approved vs denied? Cliff's Pool facilitated the latest installation of Diamond Brite in October 2019. We also paid for the Limited Lifetime Manufacture Warranty. The Diamond Brite has been coming off in large quantities (please see attached photo) (November 2022). We called Cliff’s Pool to come out and inspect and to assist in providing a resolution on the matter (December 2022). We inquired about how/why pool chemicals would cause this large level of erosion in less than 5 years. Joe (Service Manager) proceeded to tell us that he has been working in the industry for 30 years and without coming to our home, our chemicals in the pool are the cause. After a few more phone calls and outreaches, Joe returned to our home and tested the chemicals. He stated our chemicals were “off”. Joe stated it was not Cliff’s fault, and our only possible remedy is for a claim to be submitted with the actual manufacturing company. Joe stated we would need to “balance” our chemicals and call them back. After multiple outreaches to Cliff’s staff, we sent an email to the Owner (February 2023). Joe stated the water chemicals were “balanced”. Joe stated the next steps would be to connect with Brandon (Cliff’s employee). Brandon would then contact the manufacturer directly for a date they would be available to come out to our home. The manufacturer came out to our home (February 2023) along with Cliff’s pool staff members. The manufacturer and Cliff’s stated, although our pool chemicals are balanced, there must have been an issue at some point to cause the erosion. They stated there was nothing they could do and offered no resolution. We are a hard-working family with children and trusted this company with our limited finances and we have been disregarded. At this time, all we are seeking is a professional, expedient resolve to this matter and getting our pool repaired. They didn’t offer to repair, replace, refund, partial refund, credit or anything/nothing. They offered no resolution at all. We tried to resolve this through phone calls, emails prior to submitting a google review or contacting the BBB. As of March 2nd, Cliff’s has responded to our BBB complaint by stating they’re not at fault. We are unsure that Cliff’s will provide any further help to us. With that being said, please consider using another company for your pool needs. Will they call you back? Possibly. Will they come to your home? After multiple outreaches, possibly. Will they try to discredit this google review? Possibly. We would sincerely ask that you all look at their reviews and talk with other 3rd party vendors. If they would like to resolve this, our contact information has remained the same. Based on our experience, the company will likely respond to this google review in the following ways: "We are sorry that you feel like our services did not live up to your expectations..." ...This is evidenced by our high ratings across the board, including with longstanding and reputable institutions like the BBB (A+ rating), HomeAdvisor, Google, Yelp and Angie’s List.... The claims by (insert customer name) made in this review and similar posts around the internet are false, baseless and damaging to our small, family-run business. Cliff’s Pools and Patios’ commitment and dedication to our customers’ satisfaction is second to none. We do not take false claims against our business lightly and will be taking the necessary action to repair damages done by (insert customer name) defamatory posts. The claims are false, unfair and undermine the hard work of the Cliff's Pools team....

If you need to do anything in your backyard I recommend this company. This guys are really good and fast. They did my pool and deck and looks amazing. Really great job. I really recommend it.

Cliff's completed a resurfacing job back in February 2021. Overall the job was "fine", not great. Pool definitely looks better than it did before. However, we paid a little extra for their "krystal blue" color since their pictures showed a very beautiful, bright blue. While the end product was nice, it was not the level of brightness that they led us to believe, so on that front we felt a bit misled. Also, we would've appreciated a heads up that we should cover our patio furniture. After completion, it took a while to clean everything up. At no point before the project began did anyone mention the incredible amount of dust that would be left behind which we'd be responsible to clean up. Even with all that said, though, that's not why I'm giving a 1 star review. There were 2 separate issues I brought to their attention after the project was completed: 1) pool light stopped working after they completed the job. It was a brand new light that had been installed about 1 week before Cliff's began their job. The pool company that installed it advised that there was evident damage to the socket as a result to the light being mishandled during the renovation. ($350 to replace the light) 2) A separate electrical issue that per the electrician was caused by bad equipment used by Cliff's. This equipment issue was known by the workers beforehand and didn't tell me so I needlessly spent about $180 for the electrician to come out. If the crew had simply advised me that the circuit breaker issue was a normal occurrence, I would not have called the electrician. I had told the crew the day before that I was thinking of calling an electrician and they thought it was a good idea. After multiple calls/emails from me, it took Cliff's 7 months, yes 7 MONTHS, to address the issues. And I waited all that time just for them to tell me that they're not responsible for either problem. For the pool light, they put all the blame on the person installing it. For the electrical issue, they said the electrician lied in his assessment and it wasn't Cliff's fault. So after spending nearly $12,000 on the renovation, they were unwilling to provide any concessions, except for 1 month of free pool service (and why on earth would I want them to do more work on my pool after going through all that??). It's apparent that Cliff's has terrible response times to issues brought on by their customers. Also, they will bend over backwards to avoid any liability. I have since found many bad reviews on community pages on Facebook with people experiencing similar problems with Cliff's avoiding making customers whole on problems they created. I really wish I had seen all that prior to having them work on my pool. After writing a couple reviews on other sites, the owner contacted me and offered to pay for the electrician's bill (the previous manager I had spoken to a month prior had insisted that I could not escalate the issue any further). However, they'd only provide the refund if I removed my negative review. I said I would MODIFY my review based on the latest conversations, but that I would still note that issue with the pool light, as well as the incredibly poor response time. At that point Cliff's took the refund off the table completely, and claimed that I was "cyber bullying". They then proceeded to respond to my online reviews by calling me a liar. The irony there is that in their response, THEY lied by saying they were very responsive to my complaints (again, it took 7 months to get any type of response from them). Nothing I have said is a lie. I have written invoices from both the pool company and the electrician with their assessment that Cliff's actions/equipment were responsible for the issues. My reviews simply relayed what was on those invoices. If they have a problem with that, then their issue is with those companies, not with me. It was incredibly insulting that Cliff's would call me a liar online.

So far so good. They came to house and get the details that they needed. They have fair prices. They were professional and competent. They have good show room. We were happy so far.

The pool and spa look specatacular! They explained all the work in detail, showed us samples in their shop, had a wide selection of tiles and coping, let us take home samples to look at by the pool. They were responsive, punctual, worked long hours, cleaned up their work, and did a great job. If I ever remodel another pool, I will call them again.

The job itself was fine, but over-priced. We went with them anyhow due to their reputation. It was completed in March 2011. Last year I noticed problems. I contacted Cliff's and Florida Gem. Florida Gem came out twice and looked at it. They said they'd work with us on material pricing. Cliff's never came and looked at the pool. They do not return calls or assist in any way. I have contacted Brandon in maintenance by phone , e-mail, and letter. My daughter also contacted them on my behalf. Brandon said Cliff would offer a discount, but I never heard back from them. This has been going on since August 2017. Their warranty is for 10 years, but is completely worthless. They also lie, telling my daughter Cliff spoke to me when he did not. NEVER use this company - there are too many other choices.

Fast forward 5-6 years later, and we noticed the deck was literally peeling off the old chatahoochie stone. A contractor who was working inside my house said it was obvious that the materials used were not properly adhered to the surface. Fast forward less than a year, and the diamond brite surface began to chip off the pool . We called Cliffs pools , stated the problems, and were told there would be a charge for them to come out to look at the issues. We refused to pay for an estimate. We are currently having the pool resurfaced--eight years after Cliff's pools completed it- ( we can no longer ignore the problem, which we have lived with for over 2 years)- with another vendor. We had numerous people in for estimates, all of whom saw the chunks of diamond brite that had come off the pool. All of these people (who came out for estimates )gave the same diagnosis-- the application of the diamond brite that was used on our pool, was very thin- way below industry standards.. It was explained that many pool companies use contractors, who may or may not be properly trained. In addition it seems there is a problem in South Florida with unscrupulous contractors may pick up the bags of diamond brite required for the job, not use all of them on the job they are designated for, and keep the unused bags for jobs they later work on independently. My current contractor stated that it is obvious the pool was not sandblasted as it should have been, and they just painted the surface. It is obvious that the job that Cliff's pools demonstrated poor quality, shoddy workmanship. I would not recommend anyone use Cliff's pools, unless you have the ability to supervise the job and make sure it is completed properly.

We do not recommend this company. Cliff's has not stood behind their work or warranty! Within months of pool completion, we reported severe mottling/discoloration and shading variations on the Diamond Brite pool surface, which has a 10-year warranty. The Diamond Brite manufacturer sent their warranty department to perform an independent inspection in August, 2017 and immediately diagnosed the problem as an application defect known as "water entrapment" or "hydration stains". The correct resolution and recommendation is to re-surface the pool. The manufacturer plans to stand behind the product and will provide new material at no cost. However, Cliff has flagrantly refused to accept responsibility despite the manufacturer's recommendation and repeated attempts to resolve. It is unconscionable that we paid this contractor $32,000.00 and he has walked away from a failed surface. We are left with the expense to re-surface a new pool!

Within months of having my pool remodeled, the glass waterline tile starting falling off. Cliffs response was that "there is nothing wrong with the workmanship or the tile itself." Although they offered to replace the tiles that fell off, it looks like a patch job and the tiles continue to fall off. Not a good long term solution.

Mediocre. Lots of spots in the finish. hand holders kept on coming off.

Orville and Cliff Jr started the process of chipping old surface, they were very clean and tidy with the debris. Next was tiling, light and salt system installation, which Orville did a fabulous job. We are extremely impressed with Cliff's pools professional staff & would highly recommend them to anyone.

We never actually got to the job because of the price quoted along with the fact that the quotes were not actually for what I was requesting. Cliff's was prompt in setting up and appointment and having a sales guys come to the house for the quote. I clearly explained what I wanted, what were requirements, and what would be nice to haves. After going through the options, I thought we settled on what was going to be quoted. I was told I would have an email proposal in 2 days. I had to follow up on 5 and 6 days later on where is the quote. When I received their quote, there was sticker shock as they were nearly double other quotes, I've received. After getting through the next day to discuss the quote, it was discovered that my requirements were not even quoted. This was only to remodel the existing deck without adding in the extension to the pool deck which is the whole reason we asked for a quote. I asked for an itemized breakdown of the quote and was told "no we don't do that". Well, I don't do business with companies that can't clearly explain what I'm paying for and cannot justify the price difference. #1 rule of Sales - create value in products/services.

Tony Marlin of the sales force was incredibly through (& knowledgeable). And so was Joe Ingrao (also of the sales force). And everyone in the office was fabulous to deal with. And then the entire crew who performed the work, did it (10070 perfection) Too many names to list-but everyone was wonderful including the office personnel of the workers of the supervisors.

We decided not to use this company because they required us to sign a contract and pay them $350 before they even came to the house to inspect the pool.

Excellent. From initial sales meeting to pool fire up all cliffs employees were helpful, knowledgeable prompt and efficient. The people in the office are great too. I love my pool.

The only time frame they could come out was in the morning on weekday or Saturday because their estimator lived in my area and had other things to do later on. This consumer is very disappointed in this company.

They were responsive to phone calls and were timely. Although, through the process they were constantly trying to get more money from a new light, to a salt chlorinator and others. The part that really angered me is when they offered 3500 to relevel my pavers around the pool after the job was done and after they found over 3,000 of other repairs that were not originally quoted. That repair estimate should of been made way earlier in the job process in my opinion. Overall, I would the work quality was good but beware of the all the "extras". Also, they wanted me to write a review on paper and they would post in on Angie's list for me.

Excellent. Nice guys, quality work, punctual, very good results.

We went with Cliffs because they presented themselves as being service oriented providing a higher class of service and product. They cost more but were not worth the difference. If I could do it over I would have gone with one of my next door neighbors contractors who did comparable jobs for same product for 1/3 less. Cliff elaborated in detail about how satisfied his clients were so I expected to hear from him personally to see how things went - I never heard from him once the job was started or even after the job was complete. Cliffs patios provided a gold travertine deck over an existing Chattahoochee surface. Pros 1. Laid the deck as expected, some uneven but were fixed with some prompting 2. Provided a nice vanishing edge for the coping 3. The foreman (Guillermo) was responsive and had an ownership mentality. He is one of their best assets. 4. They left some extra pieces and offered to leave more - I appreciated this since I have already used some. Cons 1. Randomly piled excess paver-base around yard and landscaping. Piled not spread. This is not yard sand it consists of large coarse pea-sized rocks that clump like cement. after 5 months of rain, raking, blowing, rinsing with hose etc the piles are still there. There were two piles I was able to shovel and fill a wheelbarrow with - I would have preferred to place this in other areas where I don't have grass. The foreman offered to bring his crew back and fix but I declined.Turns out the high-alkaline paver base actually kills grass. 2. Grout around rock features was not applied well - grout was spread over travertine in several areas and I cannot remove. grout color does not match pavers or rocks. I have bluff colored rocks similar in color to the gold travertine. They choose to use an off white grey grout. does not look nice and I am attempting to recolor. 3. Cliff pressed hard for additional deck drains that would have been an eyesore and are clearly not needed (we have had allot of rain since then). They would have charged $650 them. 4. They added additional cost for beam improvement of $750 (after project start), in addition to the $1100 they already called out in the contract for this. Cliffs Pools provided pool re-marcite, tile, and new light Pros Surface seems ok and feels nice - blotchy appearance was anticipated from their description Cons 1.Foreman (Tom) was rude at best, My wife had to deal with him since I was out of town and not there and he was not nice, He even referred to her attitude (unsolicited) when I spoke to him about the job. He did not have an owner mentality, and was more than happy not to have to come back and inspect job after completion - (He left prior to completion and said he could return the next day if I wanted him too, or I could put the initial chlorine and acid in myself if I so choose to not have him come back due to his attitude) 2. Initial fire up (chemicals) are not included. Tom offered this service for additional $495 "but I would just do it myself" he says. The issue I have with this is that I asked Cliff personally if this was included and he said they do it - I felt misled. The contract I signed said it was not covered but I did not notice that wording since he said "they do it". I paid about $150 for chemicals. 3. Light was not installed correctly - it was not level(rotated) or flush. This was because they used the old niche which was for a different light and had an offset mounting. This was an issue since the lens has to be level in order to cast the light properly. I paid $350 more for them to install (vs doing it myself) believing that it was best for them to do this - I was wrong. I fixed this myself. 4. They did not cover new deck (deck was done first) even though they said they would when they marcited. There is marcite in several places on my deck now that I am having trouble removing. 5. They dumped extra marcite around the yard and behind bushes which was not noticed until after the grass died and bushes wilted. I understand that they need to dump it somewhere but Im not sure why more time was not spent rinsing this down so it would not harden in a large area.

We received 3 quotes to re-tile and re-diamondbrite our pool plus re-tile the surface around our outdoor BBQ. Cliff's quote was in the middle of the three quotes. After extensive vetting we hired them and they did a great job. Every person that came to our home to work on the project was incredibly professional and a pleasure to deal with. They took about 2 weeks to complete the project and then we hired them to do the fire-up which was just completed. The resultant renovated pool is awesome. I would definitely hire them again and highly recommend them to anyone looking for pool work.

Wonderful experience. Timely, professional. Each crew brought their particular talent to the job - with excellent results. Love-love-love!

Great attention to detail, I would recommend them to everyone. They do a great job at cleaning up after themselves as well.

Everyone within the company was extremely professional, timely, work was done before expected! I did ALOT of research before I chose Cliff's & am having them come back for deck work.

My grill island looks great - just exactly as if it were built into the patio. The crew were the among the nicest men I've met during the entire remodeling of our house. All were highly skilled. The job took a few weeks longer than I expected it to and Cliff told me the price wasn't going to be the lowest I'd find. But, neither Cliff nor the job supervisor encouraged me to install a hood vent - which our architect had included in the plans. They told me to try the grill for a while to see if I needed it, since the ceiling was high. I feel that the price was fair for the superior quality of the work and for the grill I chose and the holidays and a heavy work load influenced the schedule. I would hire this company again without hesitation and recommend them to anyone looking for patio or pool work.