A word about price...

With todays economic climate the consumer is in a position to receive a great value for their dollar. This is especially true in the swimming pool industry, but I caution you that as your excitement builds as bid after bid come in at lower and lower prices that you may not actually be getting what you think you are. It may be tempting to go with a low ball offer and take the risk that you will be saving a few thousand dollars but I can assure you that you will end up spending up more money in the long run. As these low ball pool installers are throwing pools in thousands of dollars below our actual cost, I find myself wondering how that could be...but in the past few months, I have found out why... We have gotten more calls for renovations in the past 3 months than we have in the past 2 years. When we go out to these projects we find a common thread. Cheap & undersized equipment, undersized plumbing, terrible construction practices and the owner is left holding the bag. As I spend time looking over the contracts these customers had with their initial pool company, I find myself on the side of the pool company. They are doing exactly what their contract said they would. Few customers know what size plumbing to install in a pool, what the tolerance of level is, what a rough grade is and many other industry phrases mean. I will hit on some of the main issues our renovation customers have run into: 1. Rough Grade - In many cases the pool will be installed and the company will rough grade the site. This can mean many things from company to company but from what we see it means dig the pool and spend about 10 minutes with the bobcat pushing the dirt around the site. The dirt is not ready for seed or plantings and will have rocks, stumps, roots, etc in it. 2. Pool Level Tolerance - This is the how close to perfect level the pool is. The industry standard for fiberglass pools is +/- 1 inch. This means in some places the pool is 1 inch high and in some places the pool is 1 inch low so really it can be 2" out of level. We set our pools to +/- 1/8" and our infinity edges to +/- 1/32". 3. Pump and Plumbing Sizing - A large pump is not the sign of a good pool. In most cases a 3/4 hp pool pump is more than enough to run almost any residential swimming pool. The key in not the horsepower but the actual flow rate and head loss calculations. While it is more expensive, you should opt for a smaller pump and larger plumbing. We use nothing smaller than 2" plumbing on any of our pools. Pools with a 3 hp pump and 1 1/2" plumbing just cost a ton of electricity and barely move any water at all. Its like trying to suck a drink through a coffee straw...no matter how hard you suck, you're not going to get any more through that straw. I ask you to become an educated consumer and demand that you get what you pay for. Sometimes cheap is just that...CHEAP. The deals you should be looking for in todays economic climate are those from the best and most reputable companies around. These companies stand behind their product and provide components that will stand the test of time. The quote below is interesting and I feel it sums the situation up well. There is an old adage... " It is unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money... that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing what it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot... it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it would be well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better in the first place." There is nothing in this world that someone can't make cheaper, quality wise, and sell for less money. We price our work very competitively for the quality we put into every job. For that reason we stand behind our work with confidence. We guarantee your satisfaction and would be happy to meet with you to compare any legitimate written bid for comparable work. Thank you for considering Splash Pools. We want your business and will do everything possible to justify your confidence in us. Submitted By: Splash Pools Splash Fiberglass Pools of North Carolina serves all of North Carolina, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cary, Lake Gaston, . We specialize in the installation of Viking Fiberglass Swimming Pools, Vinyl Liner and Concrete Swimming Pool Installations and Renovations including Tile and Coping, Natural Stone and Paver Decking, Pool Resurfacing with Pebble Tec outdoor fireplaces & kitchens, landscaping and more. Visit Splash Fiberglass Pools of North Carolina at www.SplashPoolsNC.com