So I have been going back and forth on getting a pool because the back yard is bare and I am a hermit now.

Came out to $39,000 for everything with tax.

Any thoughts or experience?

 

It's a lot of money, but I guess if you're going to use it regularly, you'll get plenty of enjoyment out of it. Don't forget to factor the cost of running the pool and the chemicals involved. Also, a pool could help or hinder selling your house in the future too....some people look specifically for homes with a pool, while others only see it as too much work and money.

 

What is included in that quote? If it's everything (pool/patio related) for that price, that sounds pretty good. $40,000 basically just gets you the pool around here. And the pool is nothing special.

 

Do it, pools are fun, maintenance sucks but its not really that bad, and does not really get expensive until probably near 10 years when pumps/heaters start wearing out. Being in Houston you probably don't have to worry about closing it in the winter and all that hassel. Also being in Houston heating it will cost much less because of all that sun you lucky bastards get. If you get one of those creepy crawler vacuums, some people say they prematurely wear out linners but I think that's BS cause I know many people that have used them for 10+years with no problems. If you get an automatic chloronator there is not much maintanece, just skimming crap off the top before use and buying the chlorine pucks once and awhile. Alternatively you could go for the new salt water pools that generate their own chlorine which maintains a more constant chlorine level and is apparently better for swimmers etc.

 

that is soo tight. omg looks awesome. 50cents going to use ur house for his next video now

 

The quote includes:
- cool decking with "flagstone" accents
- pool with 3 waterfalls
- 8 jet spa with 4 foot spill over
- gas fire pit with lava rock
- built in grill with gas line
- extendend first step with jet
- gate
- ten year warranty
- cleaner thingy

Basically everything except the land scaping.

The pool is our choice of fresh or salt water. From what I gather salt destroys the flagstone around the pool but is easier to maintain. Fresh would take $800 off the price.

Additional costs:
- Electric $60-80
- Cleaners- unknow
- Home owners insurance increase- 3%
- Gas $ 25

Should I pay cash and be done? Maybe pay cash for 1/2 and finance 1/2?

Anything I am leaving out?

 

I never heard of a saltwater swimming pool....Sounds terrible.

 

That is a steal....

My pool with everything including the excavation cost me about 12K more than that.

Before:


After:

 

It's not as bad as you think. My brother in law has a pool that uses salt instead of chlorine.

It's no where near the level of the ocean... You can get the water in your mouth and not be disgusted.

It feels 100 times better on your skin... Water almost feels softer. And it doesn't dry your skin out.

Finally, you use such a small amount of salt compared to chlorine. The savings are quite significant.

 

Fuck man that is a sick deal.

 

Ask them if they'd come up top Indiana to do the install.

 

Looks like a great design for an odd shaped backyard. Go for it! That's a fair price...

 

My friends parents just converted theirs from chlorine to salt water, and I was shocked at the time, but it turns out to be very nice. To second what Scrib said, it's nothing like the ocean, and you don't stink of chlorine after.

 

Looks great Busted Bent.

It will make your place a lot tougher to sell since it is not marketable to everyone. It can be a lot of headache having a pool.

 

Saltwater is very popular.
Chlorine and bromine are sooooo yesterday.


....and that is a cheap price.

 

We have another bid coming in today so I will keep ya posted.

I live on a culd-a-sac so that is why the backyard is odd. The wife is hooked. She thinks money just appears.

 

That could be a problem.

 

We have a fresh water system and if you keep the chlorine levels right it's not a bother. Bio-Guard optimizer helps a lot, too!

Maintanence is no big deal. I spend about an hour a week taking care of the chemistry, cleaning filters, brushing, etc...usually a weekend morning. Just a few minutes each day to skim the leaves and such off the surface. Probably spend no more than $500 a year on chemicals and such. You can also get a pool company to come in, around here it's $50 a week or so. I do my own.

Take a look at one of the new variable speed pumps-you can run slower when you are just circulating water and not running the water fall and such. They cost more than a single speed but may pay off in electrical saving.

 

Oh wow!! That price definitely includes a lot! The design is beautiful. Hope you are content with whichever decision you make.

 

Get a diving board/deep end
Kids down the road will be 100x happier

 

Absolutely sick deal... definitely go for it. Do a search for my topic in here, I pretty much documented the entire build out.

As for advice, do a search with the BBB before you choose a builder to make sure they do not have any complaints. Also be sure your contract has several different "goals" with the appropriate payouts. For example, our contract had 7 payouts ranging from contract, to excavation, to steel, to gunite, and so on. That way you're protected and they still have incentives.

Any other questions, feel free to PM me. We interviewed a handful of pool builders and looked at all pools (above ground, gunite, vinyl, fiberglass, etc.). We also went salt-water and I can honestly say that if I spend more then 45 minutes to 1 hour per week maintaining that pool... that's a lot. Seriously, it's cake.

 

Nice 2 cents, but keep the change ...

Your homeowners insurance will increase proportionately with the happiness of the kids as your liability now goes through the roof. Check with the insurance company before even thinking about a diving board.

 

Then just have them put in a deep end and then add your own diving board without anyone knowing

 

^ I'm guessing you're not a homeowner and still live with the parents when you're home from school, huh?

 

Naw, I've got an apartment on campus, what makes you say that?

and I reallyreallyreally wish my parents had a pool at home, unfortunately they don't.

 

Cause if you had a home you would not make that comment about adding the board later.

One person slips on that board which you added after the fact and are not insured/permitted for and sues... you're screwed. Say good-bye to your house and other assets. Don't think that happens? Think again...

 

Ah true, I forgot people are like that.

Pool design looks great though; I say go for it.

 

We have a diving board and deep end at my place (Parents) the features are proportionally fun, they're great when your young, but now I'd prefer a sports pool thats 1 depth so playing volleyball and shit is easier.

 

Well right now we only have 1 and he is only 18 months. You are looking at a serious increase in your home owners insurance!

We had the second guy come out and it is more expensive and I will the design in but it is almost the same.

I kid, I kid. I am the one that wants something for our plain ass back yard.

Anyone here with young kids? Experiences?

 

A couple of my friends grew up with pools, but their parents didn't have them put in til they were about 5 or 6. I think as long as you make sure to be really careful with them, you should be OK.

 

$41, 058

without:
firepit
step up
raised back with waterfalls
grill

with:
salt

 

The gate is a MUST! We are pretty overprotective but we also realize it only takes once. We are adding two gate alarms (basically you have to push a button before opening the gate or the alarm goes off) and a water alarm where if anything over 15 lbs falls into the pool is sounds.

We also have an alarm if the backdoor opens.

 

So when's the party?

 

same.

 

We went with the sport pool design as well (middle is the deepest). Much better and makes the pool much more useful IMO...

 

Not only do we have a fence around the pool, but we have a fence around the yard as well... and we do not even have kids!! Also, each gate which can get you access to the pool or yard has the same latch you would see at a clubhouse pool.

Better safe then sorry

 

We have 2 different gates too, only 1 fence to surrond the yard though, however because we are on a hill the oneside is like 20 feet tall, it looks so stupid from the other side.

I didn't even know such a thing existed that detects the displacement of water and sets off an alarm, that's a great idea.

 

explain to me a sports pool. looking to have a pool designed this spring... curious

 

Our is a sports pool....

Rectangular shape, 10' wide by 40' long. 3' deep at each end sloping down to 5' in the center. Total about 13,000 gallons. No diving but great for swimming or just floating.

Take a close look at heaters, we have a gas heater that is very expensive to run. Looking at replacing it with solar, just have to figure out where to put the solar panels.

 

Sorry for the crude pic labels, but should give you an idea. Basically the ends of the pool are shallow and it slopes towards the middle. We did it this way for a few reasons. One is b/c we are both pretty short, as are most of the people who use our pool. The other is that this allows us to play volleyball and other pool games. The net just goes across the middle, and people can stand on both sides of the pool. As mentioned above, we felt this made the whole pool much more useful. The pool is 34' x 17' at its longest and widest...

And just in case you can't read it, from left to right the depths are 4', 5', 3.5'.