Desperately Seeking Pool - Need Help!

13 years ago

Any advice you guys have on how to get this started will be greatly appreciated. We have a home in AZ, desert terrain. We want to build a pool and have had a few pool builders out, but they don't say alot about what it will take to prepare the surface.

Then we meet with a couple landscape design and only one calls back after coming out.

Then we get an excavator to start moving rocks and bringing in fill to level things out.

Problem is the pool guys don't provide a "plan" to explain what they will do with the land, the excavator is just that, no plan to say what he would do, just wants to move things around with a vision in his head, and landscape design, well yet to see it and still only one person responded.

Question - What comes first, the landscape or the pool and if it is the pool (which I want) who designs the plan to say what the landscape design is to make the are ready for excavation for a pool. Is this making sense or do we just get 3D pool pictures and "trust" that pool builder has engineer/knowledge to get the ground right?

Pics show back yard in current state after pulling out some of the badly constructed retaining wall and wood fence.

Thanks for reading.

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Comments (6)

sheelermt
Original Author
13 years ago
I didn't know how to post multiple pics on the one message, so here's another that helps show more about the elevation. Second story of home is level with street.

Thanks again.
truxtc102
13 years ago
My long post accidentally got delete! So this is a short cap of what I was written:
-All the builders that I interviewed all share what they do to make sure the structure is sound, and what to do to 'enhance' the strength of the soil (soil injections, padding rocks, over digging, etc..)
-They also offer to give me a soil report to predict my chances of 'hitting the rocks' during excavation. If they do, it could be costly and very time consuming. It costs several hundred dollars an hour if I remember correctly. They do also offer to put in a rock clause for me in the contract that in the event of us hitting the rocks, then we have a 'cap rate' that they could go up to (ex: $2500 max)
I'm not an engineer or pool expert in anyway but the only thing that I could do was to find the most reputable pool company that I could afford, read as much as I can and cross my fingers that things will go right!:)
HIH.
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tlvancouver
13 years ago
We went with Presidential for our build and found that they were professional and delivered the pool on time and on budget. There were a few hiccups that they resolved quickly. As with any pool construction, the more you're on site the better as you can identify anything that's "off" immediately. We were in Canada and still ended up very pleased. They did our pool, landscape and hardscape (decking). They dug the pool and did the gunite, finished the landscaping and cleaned up before pebbletec and water.
Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
13 years ago
OP is not the final poster. Confusing.

Suzi
sheelermt
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you truxtc 102 and tlvancouver for the advice. I have scheduled a few appts with PBs next week and hope I get some good bids and design recommendations. I have had a pool before, so am familiar with the build process, equipment and extras. This is the first time dealing with a yard that is not flat and ready for excavation.
medinaae
13 years ago
Go to Home Depot and rent a Skid Steer and do it yourself your biggest problem will be the rocks which could be costly. Take water hose and shape your pool on the ground and spray paint to outline your pool once you see that the soil is good then hire a pool guy or hire a person each time for different stages of the building of the pool without ever pay $50,000.00 $70, 00.00 dollar for a pool. It can be done at a faster pace.http://www.compactpowercenter.com/category/3/Skid-Steer