View Full Version : I received my pool quote
Cripply
06-02-2012, 08:06 PM
and I am hyperventilating. I am moving to a modest but new and accessible home in TX and I requested a quote for pool/deck (stamped concrete) and landscaping. The lady just sent me
139,000 DOLLARS!!!!!!!!
:help:
No way, no how...
Where to begin?
Are rectangular pools cheaper?
Pavers instead of stamped concrete?
Maybe just buy an inflatable pool at Walmart?
Curt Leatherbee
06-02-2012, 08:23 PM
Above ground pool with a deck and ramp would be a heck of a lot less. I had one and it worked out pretty good. Being a para it did not matter that it was only 4 feet deep and at 32 x 16 it was plenty big enough.
Heck you could do something like this for not too much money and use trex synthetic wood so thee would be no maintenance. This looks beautiful.
SCIfor55yrs.
06-02-2012, 08:23 PM
My neighbors just filled their pool in. It became unafordable. The lowest quote they got for just refinishing the walls and bottom was $15,000. There were no other repairs involved. It was just a modest rectangular pool about 15' by 30'.
muskie
06-02-2012, 09:02 PM
Hi Cripply, we installed a custom concrete pool with stamped concrete apron and walkway to the deck, small waterfall 15x30 5 years ago it cost us about 60K with the landscaping we also have a 400K btu heater on it. I suggest you get another quote we used antony & slyvan they are a national pool contractor.
russianrob
06-02-2012, 09:12 PM
When we downsized from our 5000 sq foot home to 3000 sg feet we decided to put a pool and spa in. We installed the pool, screen enclosure, and pavers. Here is Florida it was about 30K in 2010. It is not huge, but typical for here. It also even has a wade in style entrance so I can easily get in and out. Plus it works great for my son who is a toddler to play in shallow water! No water fall or anything, but it heated by propane so the spa can warm up quickly. More affordable than electric. We have a large propane tank under ground that also runs our whole house generator in the event of an emergency.
titanium4motion
06-02-2012, 09:54 PM
Pools are poor investments for a home owner with poor return on your investment when you want to sell.
Ti
muskie
06-02-2012, 10:31 PM
Pools are poor investments for a home owner with poor return on your investment when you want to sell.
TiThis maybe true, but having something that gives you, your children and your grandchildren joy for the last 5 years is a price I was willing to pay even if we never recover a cent from the investment. Plus I don't plan on going anywhere for the rest of this life.
swh2007
06-03-2012, 12:29 AM
Pools are poor investments for a home owner with poor return on your investment when you want to sell.
Ti
Not so much in the deep south where it is warm most of the time.
peterf
06-03-2012, 03:09 AM
Wow that is a lot of money for a pool.
i ve been working in construction all my life, one must also look at the running and maintence costs too. On our tiny island surrounded by sea to have a pool is a status symbol. its a pity that outdoor pools are only used during summer months and end up being a waste of valuable space, however one should always design their home according to lifestyle.
24/7 Quad
06-03-2012, 09:22 AM
That must be a very, very nice pool they are quoting. The smartest way to purchase a pool is to buy a house with it already installed. Let the other owner take the hit. You will never get your money back and it will bother you when you realize the only one using it is the dog. With that being said, if it is properly built and has a salt chlorinator, maintenance is minimal. Its good therapy and nice to sit around at night. I floated around for several hours yesterday and it was very relaxing.
muskie
06-03-2012, 09:54 AM
Pools are poor investments for a home owner with poor return on your investment when you want to sell.
TiThis maybe true, but having something that gives you, your children and your grandchildren joy for the last 5 years is a price I was willing to pay even if we never recover a cent from the investment. Plus I don't plan on going anywhere for the rest of this life.
russianrob
06-03-2012, 10:33 AM
Great therapy. I use mine several times a week. I will agree with others that it may not give the return on the initial investment when you sell the home. But, from my experience here in Florida if you had 2 exact same houses--they buyers will most likely choose the one with the pool as an added benefit due to our year round "pool season"
gpbullock
06-03-2012, 04:03 PM
Why not try an endless pool? I think they start at 20k but may qualify as rehab/medical equipment for tax purposes.
I requested a quote for pool/deck (stamped concrete) and landscaping. The lady just sent me
139,000 DOLLARS!!!!!!!!
Holy crap!! What part of Texas? I own a landscaping company in AZ. I'll bring my crew over and do it for half that price! That seems very high to me, get another quote. Any chance you have any drawings you could post up of what you plan to do?
Bryce
Patton57
06-03-2012, 05:20 PM
and I am hyperventilating. I am moving to a modest but new and accessible home in TX and I requested a quote for pool/deck (stamped concrete) and landscaping. The lady just sent me
139,000 DOLLARS!!!!!!!!
:help:
No way, no how...
Where to begin?
Are rectangular pools cheaper?
Pavers instead of stamped concrete?
Maybe just buy an inflatable pool at Walmart?
Is this contractor the only game in town? Get a quote from a competitor.
Is there any way the contractor would know what kind of money you have? You'd be shocked how quick word gets out (especially in small towns) if people see you throwing money around and times are tough for the masses. I dropped a 100K on home upgrades back in 2001-2002 and my neighbors (locals) were offended and you could sense it until I left in 2010.
I'd ask them for a line item estimate as well as similiar estimates for the jobs they've completed over the last 6-12 months. Then try and put them all on a comparable basis (materials, size, prep, ...) and see if they're taking you to the cleaners.
This is a buyers market so don't be a sucker!
Cripply
06-03-2012, 06:49 PM
Thanks all. Great responses!
I agree that it is not for the investment, it is for the quality of life. I lived in TX before and we had a backyard with nothing with grass and a big fire ant hill...We never went out. We built a pool, flagstone decking, some trees...And we basically lived there. It was like expanding the home with one huge new room that we all enjoyed. We exercised every day by swimming, etc etc. Then when we had to sell, we did not recover every penny, but the house sold immediately where similar homes went unsold for more than one year, and had to dramatically reduce their prices.
For my current home, it also has a fantastic pool and yard/landscaspe. I put it for rent and it rented immediately, and again it was because of the backyard/pool.
I believe this lady quoted me like that due to the MD factor. Well, I just told her I did not go into this trade for money and I DONT have money. I do have a decent salary, but it covers my and my family's expenses and I give away what little remains...I have no savings. And I told her it would be absurd for me to dish 139K on a home that is worth a bit over 200K!!!!
I am looking at other companies now.
Cripply
06-03-2012, 06:52 PM
Above ground pool with a deck and ramp would be a heck of a lot less. I had one and it worked out pretty good. Being a para it did not matter that it was only 4 feet deep and at 32 x 16 it was plenty big enough.
Heck you could do something like this for not too much money and use trex synthetic wood so thee would be no maintenance. This looks beautiful.
Is this your pool Court? I am ready to dive right now!
Cripply
06-03-2012, 06:55 PM
That must be a very, very nice pool they are quoting. The smartest way to purchase a pool is to buy a house with it already installed. Let the other owner take the hit. You will never get your money back and it will bother you when you realize the only one using it is the dog. With that being said, if it is properly built and has a salt chlorinator, maintenance is minimal. Its good therapy and nice to sit around at night. I floated around for several hours yesterday and it was very relaxing.
Ahhhh what crystal clear water...
I agree it is cheaper to buy the home with a pool, you can then upgrade the coping, deck, plants, etc...But in my case I bought a modest home under construction so renovations for accessibility would be cheaper and fit my needs. I got quoted 30K to redo all doors, eliminate steps, re do baths and showers, kitchen etc etc. The end result will be a completely new and accessible home for a decent price. I now have to add the pool for exercise and because my kids/friends/hubby and even my dogs really enjoy it!
Cripply
06-03-2012, 06:59 PM
Holy crap!! What part of Texas? I own a landscaping company in AZ. I'll bring my crew over and do it for half that price! That seems very high to me, get another quote. Any chance you have any drawings you could post up of what you plan to do?
Bryce
Just a 20 x 38 pool (free form vs rectangular), stamped concrete, and then landscaping with 2-3 queen palms, 1-2 sabal palms, some sagos, then perennials, flowers, oleanders, etc. A medium sized rectangular backyard.
She also quoted me 8K for irrigation
Cripply
06-03-2012, 06:59 PM
Why not try an endless pool? I think they start at 20k but may qualify as rehab/medical equipment for tax purposes.
My kids like big pools with a slide!
titanium4motion
06-03-2012, 07:31 PM
This maybe true, but having something that gives you, your children and your grandchildren joy for the last 5 years is a price I was willing to pay even if we never recover a cent from the investment. Plus I don't plan on going anywhere for the rest of this life.Please don't try to convince me that a pool is a good investment. You forgot to mention the increase cost in homeowner's insurance and you have to have the pool enclosed or a fence around it.
You try to convince the CareCure Community members who broke their necks diving into a pool and what joy did they get sustaining a cervical spinal cord injury which they will live with rest of their life?
Ti
Just a 20 x 38 pool (free form vs rectangular), stamped concrete, and then landscaping with 2-3 queen palms, 1-2 sabal palms, some sagos, then perennials, flowers, oleanders, etc. A medium sized rectangular backyard.
She also quoted me 8K for irrigation
I'm glad you are looking at other companies. Those prices are just to high. We put in backyard landscape like you listed a couple of times a month and do the whole yard (irrigation, plants, trees, rock, grass, curbing) for 7-12k. 8k for irrigation is crazy. If I could charge those prices I could have a Lamborghini with hand controls. :-) If you would like I can look at any other quotes you get and let you know what I think about the price. I do this for a living and would be happy to give you my opinion on them. Here is a basic one we did a few months ago. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/59690229/2.JPG
Please don't try to convince me that a pool is a good investment. You forgot to mention the increase cost in homeowner's insurance and you have to have the pool enclosed or a fence around it.
You try to convince the CareCure Community members who broke their necks diving into a pool and what joy did they get sustaining a cervical spinal cord injury which they will live with rest of their life?
Ti
I won't try to convince you a pool is a good investment. I think you are missing the point of muskies comment. It isn't all about making money on putting in a pool. Its the joy of having it in your yard, ease of not having to get in the car to go somewhere to go swimming, having friends and family come over for a good time around the pool, pools can be beautiful and great to look at. Sure there are extra costs with a pool, but here in AZ IMO they are worth it. I wouldn't put in a pool in a cold area.
As for investment, I have rental houses and can easily rent them for more with a pool. My insurance only goes up 200 a year for a pool. I have no problem getting that back with the higher rent. I make much more money on my rentals with pools than without, and when I go to sell them they are worth more than the house next door with no pool.
A full roll in shower room is not a good investment, but we do them because they make our lives easier. At best you might get all your money back when you sell the house, but probably not, and it limits your market.
I love my pool. I hope to never have another house without one. I have paid more for every house I have bought here with a pool and sold them for more than my neighbors that don't have pools.
Bryce
PS C5 sustained from diving into a pool 17 years ago.
Pools don't necessarily need to be enclosed by a pool fence inside a back garden fence. We have an electric/retractable/key operated pool cover and don't have to have extra pool fencing. Our home owners insurance is no different that similar homes in the neighborhood that don't have pools.
Our local water company did a study a few years ago and found that a 25,000 gallon pool conserved more water than a 20' x 40' patch of grass, and even with costs to run the filter and chemicals (which are negligible in a covered pool) the pool costs less than watering a similar patch of grass and landscaping.
I don't care to swim. Even heating the pool with our solar panels to 90° is still too cool for me and NL likes the pool at about 82°. In one of our former homes, I would get into the spa at 95°-100°, but it was always quite an exercise, getting me ready, getting me in, getting me out... and I would get so cold in between. I get great pleasure out of NL's enjoyment of the pool (in her teens, she used to swim competitively) and watching her, she is poetry in motion when she swims.
We are second owners of the house, and the pool is about 25 years old. This fall, it will need to be drained and resurfaced. Not looking forward to paying that due, but it needs to be done.
All the best,
GJ
Cripply
06-07-2012, 05:45 PM
Okay, got revised quotes for 76,000, still too much as it does not include spa, heater or any fancy finishes...
roc21
06-10-2012, 05:36 AM
Pools are poor investments for a home owner with poor return on your investment when you want to sell.
Ti
maybe where you live...but here in south florida where we can swim all year, it makes a difference...
roc21
06-10-2012, 05:42 AM
Just a 20 x 38 pool (free form vs rectangular), stamped concrete, and then landscaping with 2-3 queen palms, 1-2 sabal palms, some sagos, then perennials, flowers, oleanders, etc. A medium sized rectangular backyard.
She also quoted me 8K for irrigation
try getting quotes from seperate co's....pool co. to just do pool....landscape co-for trees...concrete co, for patio.....sprinkler co...
my home had a pool, but i needed to redo ..i paid 2k to have redone with diamondbrite/tiles around top and new coping ...2k for shadowbox fence....4k brick pavers patio (both fence and bricks went all the way up to front of house on one side of house for path/gate to back)..1k.landscape(had lots of bushes/trees..had em gut it all but 4 palm trees...went to landscape supply, bought river rock/stones,had delivered,dumped in driveway..then went to local day labor place...got a guy for $50 to wheelbarrow it all into back and spread around exterior between patio and fence......for 10k i have an entirely new back yard...each part was done by different co's..
roc21
06-10-2012, 06:11 AM
You try to convince the CareCure Community members who broke their necks diving into a pool and what joy did they get sustaining a cervical spinal cord injury which they will live with rest of their life?
Ti
someone sounds bitter about something...easy convince =a pool after sci is great if not for exercise, just to hang on noodles in deep end and let your body decompress from the constant sitting..
and y hate a pool because of a stupid,yea i said it, stupid thing that someone did by diving head first into shallow water at a bad angle...it wasnt the pools fault
SCI-Nurse
06-10-2012, 08:53 AM
Pools don't necessarily need to be enclosed by a pool fence inside a back garden fence. GJ
That depends on where you live. When we lived in LA County (CA) the law required a locking gate fence to be installed around all pools. I am sure it helped prevent some drownings. I personally have had several friends who lost children to drowning when the pool was right outside the back door with no safety gate. A locking child-proof pool cover is an option sometimes, but it depends on the laws in the area where you live.
KLD
Cripply
06-10-2012, 12:12 PM
try getting quotes from seperate co's....pool co. to just do pool....landscape co-for trees...concrete co, for patio.....sprinkler co...
my home had a pool, but i needed to redo ..i paid 2k to have redone with diamondbrite/tiles around top and new coping ...2k for shadowbox fence....4k brick pavers patio (both fence and bricks went all the way up to front of house on one side of house for path/gate to back)..1k.landscape(had lots of bushes/trees..had em gut it all but 4 palm trees...went to landscape supply, bought river rock/stones,had delivered,dumped in driveway..then went to local day labor place...got a guy for $50 to wheelbarrow it all into back and spread around exterior between patio and fence......for 10k i have an entirely new back yard...each part was done by different co's..
This is what I used to do pre-injury. I made home renovations at the most ridiculous prices and ended up with luxury finishes that sold/rented the homes the moment they hit the market. I shopped for second hand materials, cement...I hired different people and did many things myself. But now I am just in such poor shape.
BRASWELLF5
09-02-2012, 05:40 PM
My sister got just a basic kidney shaped pool with no landscape but with a waterfall for 25k. When I get out of the pool I am like a wet noodle, my muscles are so relaxed. I use a pool lounger but I like to put weights on my ankles and put a small tube under my arms and be upright also to switch it up.