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Thread: Pool RFI

  1. #1
    Member
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    Mar 2011
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    FL

    Pool RFI

    I am considering the idea of building a pool in my house, South West FL.

    My neighbor turned me onto the idea of being my own pool general contractor with the help of a website that drafts engineering, permit ready plans and provides some support. They charge roughly $2k for the plans/consult. However, this can save approximately 15-20k off the total price.

    I would appreciate any thoughts / ideals on general pool ownership and build experience as well, as this would be the first from ownership and build perspective.

  2. #2
    Site Supporter HeavyDuty's Avatar
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    Sep 2016
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    Not very bright but does lack ambition
    Watching - we’re thinking about one at the new place.
    Ken

    BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
    revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”

  3. #3
    Site Supporter Oldherkpilot's Avatar
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    Dec 2019
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    Warren, Ohio
    I am assuming the indoor range is already operational?😁

  4. #4
    Site Supporter Rex G's Avatar
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    Jul 2011
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    SE Texas
    If you, or your neighbors, have many trees, pool maintenance can be constant misery.

    Edit: Well, an enclosed pool will not have this problem, but, budget for that enclosure.
    Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.

    Don’t tread on volcanos!

  5. #5
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    TEXAS !
    Quote Originally Posted by Andy T View Post
    I am considering the idea of building a pool in my house, South West FL.

    My neighbor turned me onto the idea of being my own pool general contractor with the help of a website that drafts engineering, permit ready plans and provides some support. They charge roughly $2k for the plans/consult. However, this can save approximately 15-20k off the total price.

    I would appreciate any thoughts / ideals on general pool ownership and build experience as well, as this would be the first from ownership and build perspective.
    Never built one but I had one for several years.

    Pools are like boats. The two best days are the day you get it and the day you get rid of it.

    If you have kids in the right age range it can be worth it but in general it's a time/money pit much like a boat.

  6. #6
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Fort Worth, TX
    Random thoughts.....

    1. Don't cheap out on the details..... The asshole owners that had our pool installed failed to run a gas line for a heater. They actually built-in a hot tub, without a way to heat it. When we refurbed the pool a few years ago, we deleted the hot tub and turned it into a tanning shelf.

    2. Definitely install a tanning shelf/beach entry. It's where we spend most of our pool time.

    3. Pebble finish. Worth it. Don't even consider plaster.

    4. Maybe not relevant in SoFL, but for everywhere else..... If you live in a place where the leaves fall off the trees every fall, plan for a way to cover the pool in the off season. Dragging leaves out of the pool in the winter makes owning a pool way less fun. Install anchor points for a cover. Buy a cover. Have a way to winterize or uninstall pool equipment when it gets cold.

    5. Hot tubs... My preference would be to have a completely separate hot tub under a gazebo. YMMV.

    6. If you have small kids, having an alarm system that beeps inside the house when the yard/pool door opens is a must.

    7. Definitely have a "deep end" (>7 feet.... 8 is better). "Play pools" (<=5 feet) are boring.

    8. Diving board vs "jump rock".... Take your pick, but, definitely have a spot where you can dive in safely. It's part of the fun.

    9. Waterfalls..... Maintenance nightmare.... They are very handy for evaporative cooling.... Wife likes the sound they make... Totally not worth it. Leaking mortar, broken pumps, temptation for kids to climb on them... Install 1 or 2 bubblers in your tanning shelf instead. Sounds nice. Cools effectively. Zero maintenance.

    10. Salt vs Chlorine tablets.... I don't know any neighbors that "Love" maintaining their salt pools. Salt cells seem to be finicky. Mine is chlorine tablets with an inline chlorinator. Works fine. Maybe salt cells have gotten better recently.... I like the idea of a salt pool and you can definitely tell the difference in water quality/softness. Worth investigating, but, be wary.

    11. A pool is not a good investment. You're very unlikely to see home value appreciate to cover the cost of the pool. Some? Sure. If you're planning to relocate any time soon, don't build a pool.

    12. Deck space.... Have lots of it. Don't fill your yard with a pool and not leave any space around it to hang out.


    Good luck!
    "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776

  7. #7
    It will add cost but go with auto feed like a Becs system for your chlorine and acid. It’s not necessary but now you can link them with Wi-Fi and make changes remotely. Also go with upgraded pumps that can be rebuilt and or seals replaced.

  8. #8
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    Mar 2011
    Location
    FL
    Quote Originally Posted by HCM View Post
    Never built one but I had one for several years.

    Pools are like boats. The two best days are the day you get it and the day you get rid of it.

    If you have kids in the right age range it can be worth it but in general it's a time/money pit much like a boat.
    No kids here. Can you elaborate on the money sink part?

  9. #9
    Site Supporter
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    Aug 2011
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    TEXAS !
    Quote Originally Posted by Andy T View Post
    No kids here. Can you elaborate on the money sink part?
    So you either need to have a pool service or buy all the tools and materials yourself for basic warer treatment and maintenance- plus repairs when things go wrong etc.

    Pool service used to run $150-200 per month - plus The filter has to be run every day for at least part of the day so it’s going to bump up your electric bill.

  10. #10
    I have a pool that came with the home. I also live in Indiana so basically it is used about 4-5 months. My experience is based on not having a automatic cover and living on a golf course with lots of trees, so YMMV. I can say it is a money pit for sure. The cost of chemicals to keep it clear for those months likely runs about $500, that includes the opening/closing which I do myself (probably more this time due to chlorine shortage and inflation bs). Electricity bill goes up for sure, I can't give you a dollar amount but I would say running the pump adds a few hundred dollars to the bill each summer. I do not have a heater or automatic cleaner which can add to that bill as well.

    It is a daily thing for me to adjust chemicals, clean the bottom, get leaves or other items from trees out of the pool etc. An automatic cover will solve a lot of that, maintain the heat of the pool and help chemicals not to burn off, so add one of those to your budget. I know some people enjoy the daily work involved but I do not. My family which is my wife, one kid home full time and two who are in college only use the pool maybe 10 times during the summer. All that work to keep it pretty for no one to use it is a pain in the ass but not keeping it squared causes issues so it has to be done. We have likely about 4-5 years left in this house and I look forward to not having the pool when that day comes.

    There is also added liability insurance just in case something tragic happens. A fence/hard cover expense. You will likely have to replace the pump at some point which prices vary and I had to replace the liner due to a one of the kids doing something stupid and that was $6000 about 5 years ago, but the previous one lasted 25 years. I have a DE filter which seems to be fairly rare any more which works well but also is a yearly maintenance job to clean it. I likely save money by doing a lot of the work myself but overall if I could do it again I would fil in the pool or not have bought this house just based on cost/time vs. reward.

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