Northstar Pools

STAY AWAY !!! This pool company is the worst of the worst . Doug Dishong the owner is the most unethical contractor I have ever dealt with . I beg whatever you do, do not go into business with this pool company . we started our pool process in October 2022 and the red flags immediately started to show. No communication with Doug, no answers from him nothing. since we had already paid $10K of a deposited we waited patience for him to contact us. When he finally contacted us he scheduled the Gunite to be poured after this everything started to crash. It took 7 months of my calling, emailing, texting Doug to finally complete my pool. Throughout that process I thought I had experience the worst of the worst but I had a VERY RUDE awakening coming. After 1 week of completing out pool, I started receiving demand letters from the contractors that NorthStar Pools (Doug) hired and did not pay . Contractors started and still show up to my door asking for payment and threatening to put a lien on my home . I contacted Doug and after days and multiple calls, texts he finally answered me and told me he had no money to pay them and was trying to figure out how he would get those contractors their money . There was a incident where he drop off a check for one of them and had them pick it up at my home to find out that the check Doug wrote had no funds. The entire process he has put us through has been the worst. I honestly feel horrible for these contractors because they completed a job for NorthStar Pools and Doug is refusing to pay them after receiving full payment from us . I am not one to review company’s but I feel that this is my responsibility to warn the next homeowner of this man and company . One thing I learn about this experience is to always ask for references from both contractors and previous clients . I hope my review helps and encourages at least one homeowner to avoid doing business with this company and Doug .

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NorthStar exceeded my expectations, and I speak from experience. This is my 4th pool - I've built 1 pool, remodeled 1 and bought a house that had recently put one in. I cannot believe it, but I have zero complaints NOR any "wishes" that they would have done this or that. They were that professional and built my pool as if it were for their own family. I selected NorthStar after interviewing a few companies. At NorthStar, it was the owner (Doug) who always spoke with me. Even though I work late, he always met me when the time suited me. I need to emphasize that the owner is NOT a salesperson. Doug seemed to really LOVE pool building and got as excited as I was about the design - and as picky as I was (very cool). Doug was so patient with my indecision on exact size and worked long hours with me laying out the pool with stakes and string in the yard. He gave me several options and costs, because I couldn't decide whether to put in a spa or not, spa height, scuppers, elevated back wall, decking and coping types, etc... such patience! I decided on a small pool, with long bench seat, tanning ledge, 3 scuppers and an elevated spa with cocktail table and umbrella port in the middle. I had the pool constructed while the house construction was going on - and NorthStar worked around the house construction and my own schedule. NorthStar explained the entire schedule in detail - basically, I knew not to expect to go into the pool for 1 1/2 - 2 months after digging started. Pool was dug in one day, then came re-bar, then gunite. After gunite you have to wait about 10 days or more for it to cure, before you put the plaster in. The plumbing, electrical, pool deck and coping were added. They added 4 or more drains to the pool deck and connected it to my house's drains (and they added 2 umbrella ports into the decking!). Then plaster...and just recently, they came by to add the salt and turn on the salt system. Rudy - Doug's field guy - is AMAZING! He is so courteous, patient, friendly, helpful and very very very knowledgable about pool construction, care and water chemistry...and he is an amazing teacher. He was always there when any subcontractors were there and always called me and kept me up to date about what was happening and in what sequence. He came by at least 5 times since the construction was complete and spent 2 1/2 hours giving me a "pool school". He said I need to learn how to take care of my pool before I pay anyone to do it. I love him for that!! I learned things I never knew about with my other 3 pools. Like I said, I cannot say enough about how pleased I am with NorthStar. They made me feel as if I were spending a million dollars on the pool and they wanted to please me. I wish all contractors were like them. And you'd think that such professionalism and service would cost more? They turned out to be the best price by over 25%.

This company was very professional and knew just what we wanted. The support we received from them both before and after the installation was exceptional.

Northstar Pools did an excellent job for us. They were extremely professional. They were very polite when I asked questions. They were open to respond to my many suggestions. The price was very competitive, especially since the work completed was great. The workmanship was superb. I would recommend them to anyone.