Have you always dreamed about putting a swimming pool into your backyard?
It’s not nearly as hard as you might think to make that dream a reality. There are more than 10 million homeowners all across the country who have installed pools in their backyards, and there are thousands of others making the decision to build a pool every year.
Before you start taking steps towards building a swimming pool in your backyard, though, make sure you have the right swimming pool company helping you do it. There are more than 13,000 swimming pool companies operating in the U.S. at the moment, which can make finding the right one a challenge.
It can be especially difficult if you’re interested in having a custom pool built on your property. Here are some tips that will help you choose the best custom pool builder in Cypress, TX.
Create a List of Custom Pool Builders in Your Area
At the start of your custom pool builder search, begin by creating a long list of the different custom pool builders operating in your area as well as surrounding cities and towns. Focus only on swimming pool companies that specialize in building custom pools.
You can find custom pool builders in your area by:
- Asking your friends, family members, and neighbors for recommendations
- Looking in the phone book
- Conducting a basic Google search for “custom pool builders in Cypress, TX”
Your goal at the beginning of the process should be to list as many custom pool builders as you can. You want to give yourself plenty of options once you start narrowing your search down.
Check Out Reviews They’ve Received From Customers
Once you’ve compiled a list of at least 10 custom swimming pool builders, the next step you should take is to read through reviews that those builders have received from customers over the years.
You can find lots of online reviews through Google, Facebook, and even individual company websites. Look for reviews that are long enough to give you a good sense of what a company is all about and how they treat their customers.
Don’t automatically discount companies that might have one or two bad reviews on their resumes. Instead, take a look at how those companies have responded to negative reviews and see what they’ve done to remedy any issues they’ve had with customers.
You want to find a company that does great work while building custom pools. But you also want to find one that communicates well with customers and goes above and beyond to leave them feeling satisfied.
Take a Look at Custom Pools They’ve Built in the Past
After you’ve had a chance to read through a bunch of online reviews for custom pool builders, you can probably start to narrow down your search a little bit. Cut your original list of 10 pool builders down to just five or six based on what you learned while scanning through reviews.
From there, visit the websites for each custom pool builder remaining on your list and see if you can find photos of the custom pools they’ve built in the past. Most custom pool builders are proud to show off their past work in galleries on their sites.
By taking a look at the custom pools that different pool builders have created over the years, you can see which do the best work overall. You can also get a better sense of what makes each pool builder unique.
Read More About Them on Their Websites
While you’re working your way through the websites of custom pool builders in and around Cypress, TX and looking at photos, you should also take the time to read about each builder on their site.
Read through the introduction that each builder has on their homepage. Then, head over to their “About Us” page to learn about some of their history. You can usually find out how much experience a custom pool builder has by doing this.
Once you’re done doing that, you can also check out which services a custom pool builder provides on their website. Additionally, you can usually find a section on the site that explains the process that the builder uses when helping homeowners design and create custom pools (more on that later!).
There is a wealth of information about custom pool builders on their sites. Use it to your advantage and really get to know what each builder on your list brings to the table before you begin touching base with them.
Reach Out to Builders and Ask Lots of Questions
At this point in the process, you should be able to narrow down your list of custom pool builders even further than you already have. Between reading online reviews and checking out builders’ websites, you should have the info you need to knock a few more builders off your list, leaving you with about three options.
Now comes the hard part: Reaching out to each custom pool builder and interviewing them either over the phone or, better yet, in person.
There are going to be a million and one questions that you want to ask a custom pool builder. But you should stay focused during the interview and make sure you ask them the most important ones.
Here are some sample questions that you should consider asking when speaking with a custom pool builder for the first time:
- “How long have you been building custom pools in Cypress, TX?”
- “Approximately how many custom pools have you built over the years?”
- “What is the most challenging custom pool you ever built?”
- “How do you go about helping a homeowner build a custom pool from start to finish?”
- “Do you help homeowners pull the proper permits for putting in a pool?”
- “How quickly does it usually take you to build a pool?”
- “Do you use subcontractors or do all work yourself?”
- “Can you show me what my pool is going to look like before you get started?”
- “Is there anything that could potentially delay my custom pool project once it gets going?”
- “Do you stand behind the work you do and offer a warranty of some kind on it?”
A good custom pool builder will have absolutely no problem answering each and every question listed here. They’ll be more than happy to explain everything from their experience level to their warranty options in detail.
If you come across a custom pool builder who isn’t willing to talk at length with you for any reason, they probably aren’t the right choice for you. You want someone who will communicate clearly with you right from the start.
Ask Each Builder For a List of References
At the end of each interview that you do with a custom pool builder, there is one last question you should ask. That question is: “Could you send me a list of several recent references?”
Each builder should have no problem sending you a list of about five references that can vouch for their work. The references should be homeowners who had custom pools put in by the builder within the last few years.
Once you have the list of references in hand, reach out to each of them and ask them to tell you what their experience with their custom pool builder was like. Ask about everything from the length of time it took to complete the custom pool to the level of communication that took place throughout the pool building process.
Earlier, you read a bunch of online reviews, and they gave you a decent sense of what each custom pool builder was about. But references can go a lot more in-depth and share stories about what it was like working with a custom pool builder.
Lean on these references as much as you can and ask them to provide you with information that will make your decision easier.
Make Sure Builders Are Licensed and Insured
You should not, under any circumstances, hire a custom pool builder who is unlicensed and/or uninsured. If you do, you’re pretty much asking for trouble and could end up with a huge headache later.
If a custom pool builder doesn’t have a business license, they haven’t taken the right steps to register their business and make it official. It could make it difficult for you to take legal action against them later if they don’t do a good job on your custom pool and refuse to make changes to it.
If a custom pool builder doesn’t have business insurance, they aren’t going to be covered in the event that an accident takes place while your pool is being built. You could be on the hook for medical bills and repair work if anything goes wrong during custom pool construction.
You should always ask to see proof of both a business license and business insurance before signing on the dotted line and agreeing to work with a custom pool builder. Otherwise, it could prove to be disastrous later.
See How Soon Each Builder Would Be Ready to Get to Work
Do you want to build a pool in your backyard within the next few months?
This could potentially limit your options as far as finding a custom pool builder goes. You could track down the most amazing pool builder in Cypress, TX, but if they don’t have the resources to build your pool quickly, it’ll all be for naught.
Think about the timeline that you’re working with before you start reaching out to custom pool builders. Ask them if they’re going to have any issues working with the timeline that you have in mind.
Learn More About the Process They Use For Building Pools
Every custom pool builder works a little bit differently with regards to the process they use for building pools. Some handle all of the various aspects of designing and building a pool, while others only handle specific parts of the process.
You need a custom pool builder who will have a hand in just about everything. They should:
- Provide you with a free design consultation at the start and listen to the ideas you have for your custom pool
- Create a 3D drawing of your dream custom pool based on your ideas
- Tweak their 3D drawing after hearing any feedback you might have on it
- Send you a final drawing for your approval (and for approval from your homeowner’s association, if necessary)
- Obtain all the permits that will be needed to build a pool in your backyard
- Arrange for the underground utilities on your property to be marked
- Settle on a start date with you and prepare to break ground
- Build a pool for you while sticking to a predetermined schedule
- Answer any questions and listen to any concerns you have along the way
If a custom pool builder can’t do all these things for you, you’re not getting the best experience possible. Look for one who plays a more active role in the process.
Consider the Cost Associated With Working With Each Builder
There are a lot of homeowners who focus on the cost of building a custom pool through different pool builders first and foremost. And while it’s only natural to want to be able to spend as little as possible on your pool, it shouldn’t be your No. 1 concern.
Try not to consider the cost associated with working with each custom pool builder on your list until the very end. You want to find one who will set you up with all the services you need for a fair and affordable price, even if it’s not necessarily the lowest price.
This will ensure that you love your custom pool when it goes in and that you get it for the right price from the right custom pool builder.
Choose the Right Custom Pool Builder and Build a Pool Today
There are so many advantages that come along with putting a custom pool into your backyard. When you build a pool, it’ll bring your family closer, allow you to get exercise on a regular basis, and turn your backyard into the place to be.
But before you get blinded by the idea of having a pool and pick just any old custom pool builder, you should keep the tips you learned today in mind. They’ll help you to choose the right pool builder in Cypress, TX to create your custom pool.
Contact us to see if we would be a good fit for your custom pool plans.
