Cost to build a pool in North Texas?

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So again in my process of getting pool build quotes, I am hearing more negative stuff about salt pools. One builder said out of maybe 250 pools they build a year, less than 5 are salt. When I repeated what I heard here (that basically the people that had corrosion issues with salt pools were not maintaining their pool well), he said it was due to a different issue. Water splashing on the rocks over time. Every time you get out of the pool. Salt water gets on it, water evaporates and leaves the salt behind. It builds up and starts to corrode the rocks.

I personally did not have the knowledge in the moment to refute it, but it also makes sense too. Builders pretty consistently tell me a salt pool in north texas with our fluctuating temperatures and weather is not recommended.
 
VP,

If you don't want a saltwater pool, don't get one. You don't have to have an excuse.

Just ask the pool builder why Pentair, Jandy, Hayward would make SWCG systems if they would hurt the pool??

It does not come as a shock to me that if a pool builder does not like salt, and tries to talk all his customer out of a saltwater pool, that most of the pools he builds are going to be non-saltwater pool. I look at it like only five of his customer had any brains.. :mrgreen:

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
voidpointer said:
So again in my process of getting pool build quotes, I am hearing more negative stuff about salt pools. One builder said out of maybe 250 pools they build a year, less than 5 are salt. When I repeated what I heard here (that basically the people that had corrosion issues with salt pools were not maintaining their pool well), he said it was due to a different issue. Water splashing on the rocks over time. Every time you get out of the pool. Salt water gets on it, water evaporates and leaves the salt behind. It builds up and starts to corrode the rocks.

I personally did not have the knowledge in the moment to refute it, but it also makes sense too. Builders pretty consistently tell me a salt pool in north texas with our fluctuating temperatures and weather is not recommended.
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Does the pool builder have a pool service, too, or a service company he has a relationship with? I am consistently mystified by the TX poolbuilders' resistance to SWCG. ALL of our PBs recommended SWCG systems when we were getting bids. And our weather differences wouldn't impact any corrosion to the pool area or equipment.
 
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It’s all about the materials one chooses in and around a pool. Texas flagstone is known to be very low quality and so if you use it widely in and around pools, it will degrade. 99% of the time it is pool owner / service company negligence that causes this problem. We had a post on here a few years back where an TX pool service operator all but admitted that stone work issues are caused by poor water chemistry BUT subs hate warranty work so they basically tell pool builders that if you install SWGs then they will refuse warranty work. That leaves the PBs holding the bag on all warranty issues and that’s why they don’t want to use SWGs - too much future liability.

If you choose the correct materials to use in and around your pool, then salt water is a non-issue. Stay away from cheap stone work (sandstone materials) and only use cement materials designed for freeze/ thaw cycling and chloride resistance. If cement structures like the Brooklyn Bridge can remain submerged in seawater for nearly a hundred years without collapsing, I think a PB can figure out the right materials to use around a pool.
 
I haven’t read through this entire thread, but a couple of points:

* Others can’t help much with pricing unless they’ve built a pool in your area, and recently. Pricing from 10 years ago isn’t helpful now, other than the fact that prices have gone up.

* COVID has definitely made pool prices more expensive. Supply and demand, and the demand is way way way way up. Wait times are long now on top of having to pay more. One of my neighbors has had a big dirt hole in the ground for more than month and is still waiting for steel. The steel typically happens immediately after the dig, like within a few days, so needless to say they are getting frustrated.

* I built a pool earlier this year in Houston. Couple of data points on pricing that my help you. My PB said adding a spa adds around $15-$20K to the price. The average size pool is around 100’ perimeter. Folks tend to think of pools in terms of gallons, but the PBs I met with said they look more at perimeter length than volume for pricing.

* There are “small” things that dramatically affect pricing. Our pool has 6 LED lights, which were more than $1K each installed. One of my neighbors has a few firebowls with built in fountains. He said those were more than $4K EACH.

* I would STRONGLY STRONGLY consider getting a salt water system. Even if you don’t decide to do it, I would fully research it so you make an informed decision. The salt system generates chlorine automatically for you. You don’t have to keep adding tablets like 99% of pool owners. Tablets also add acid to your pool which never goes away (CYA), that is the most common culprit for algae. If you want to take care of your own pool, get a salt water system. If you like to take vacations and take care of the pool yourself, get a salt water system.
 
poolnoobgrandma said:
Does the pool builder have a pool service, too, or a service company he has a relationship with? I am consistently mystified by the TX poolbuilders' resistance to SWCG. ALL of our PBs recommended SWCG systems when we were getting bids. And our weather differences wouldn't impact any corrosion to the pool area or equipment.
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I think I’ve figured out why PBs hate salt water systems: they don’t want to deal with them afterwards for warranty support. It’s much simpler from the PB perspective to just install a tablet feeder and let the pool owner move down the road. PB just wants to finish the pool, collect the money, and never hear from the customer again.
 
As a observer to this thread, I suggest you spend time reading the many SWG threads (and really any build thread, etc.) on the site to see the experiences of folks who have SWG’s and also have an active interest in maintaining their pools. Reddit is among many sites that I would consider the worst possible examples of where to get technically accurate information that you’d want to rely on for such a topic.

The next conversation we may have is why we don’t recommend ever taking a pool store’s advice on pool chemistry. You’ll have to do the same thing at that point. Decide if you think we are a reputable source of information and who you will choose to follow. You can’t follow Reddit advice, nor pool store advice and end up in the same situation you’ll be in if you only relied on TFP advice. Guaranteed. We also have 24/7 advice with no drama. Trying to find that elsewhere on the interwebs will likely prove fruitless.

Sorry for the direct approach, but just wanted to let you know how confident we are in being able to give you every bit of information you will need regarding pool chemistry and equipment choices. You’ll need to decide if you accept it or choose to use another source, or mix some of both. The latter two are not prone to long term success in our experience helping hundreds of thousands of pool users.
 
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voidpointer said:
Water splashing on the rocks over time. Every time you get out of the pool. Salt water gets on it, water evaporates and leaves the salt behind. It builds up and starts to corrode the rocks.
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My sales rep recommended against salt, but still installed a SWCG. He said the same thing and that I would need to rinse off the decking every time the pool was used. I’ve never bothered with that and 13 years later, I still don’t have any corrosion on my flagstone coping. I’m also in the DFW area, so it’s not a climate thing related to this area. As others have said, do your research and go with what you’re comfortable with. Just be aware of the maintenance trade-off and that you’ll also end up with near SWCG salt levels, even when using other forms of chlorine. Your builder should know that.
 
For those that may think I'm pushing back on salt, that is not my intention. I'm learning a lot and by repeating what conflicting info I hear here, I know I can get the facts. That's why I always bounce back to this thread every time I hear something contradictory. So definitely I appreciate every single person here who has contributed a response. I'm learning a little bit as I go.

Also I have read the guides on this site about salt systems but I'll admit it's all overwhelming. Reading a bunch of stuff about chemistry I'm not immediately able to comprehend doesn't help me as much as figuring out small problems as I go through the building process. Might be inefficient but that's how I personally learn best.

Newest thing I've learned here is that stone choice matters. I didn't know that until now. So I'll need to consider what is best for a salt pool. Thanks again to everyone!
 
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I looked through your detailed quote. You have 200 yards of sod included. That would be about 2 grand from a landscaper. I wonder what the pool company is charging for it. Also you have a large moss rock weeping wall - that adds quite a bit in cost. And I think I saw about 800 sqft of deck which is double the average quote. Only thing you can do is quote a bunch of companies. I quoted about 5-6 last year before my build and they didn't vary too much.

There is a lot of demand right now and prices are up for a lot of reasons. I don't think it will get any cheaper any time soon.
 
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Also be aware there's a lot of delays due to covid. We're in the midst of a build and it's a 3 week wait for gunite. Another delay for the plaster. Costs have gone up, concrete is a lot more.

I didn't read all the posts on this thread but whenever you decide on, it's going to take time to get it built. This is a good time to start though -- If your backyard sod isn't in yet, wait on it, until the pool is in. I'll also add that our pool builder said the pool quote is for everything. No tax on all the pool build. If landscape is in the pool build, then everything is taxed including the build. So on your pool quote / contract make sure it's only about everything pertaining to the pool. That'll save you money right there.

I read on one new homeowner build that the pool was financed as part of the house loan payment (even though the pool wasn't built yet). Maybe something to look into?
 
voidpointer said:
For those that may think I'm pushing back on salt, that is not my intention. I'm learning a lot and by repeating what conflicting info I hear here, I know I can get the facts. That's why I always bounce back to this thread every time I hear something contradictory. So definitely I appreciate every single person here who has contributed a response. I'm learning a little bit as I go.

Also I have read the guides on this site about salt systems but I'll admit it's all overwhelming. Reading a bunch of stuff about chemistry I'm not immediately able to comprehend doesn't help me as much as figuring out small problems as I go through the building process. Might be inefficient but that's how I personally learn best.

Newest thing I've learned here is that stone choice matters. I didn't know that until now. So I'll need to consider what is best for a salt pool. Thanks again to everyone!
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Welcome to the site! You are doing your due diligence by asking questions and you came to the right site. You will receive advice based on experiences from current pool owners who are passionate about their pools. I am assuming you are here because you are not an expert when it comes to pools and are in need of expert advice. Nobody here is compensated for sharing their knowledge. They are here because they love sharing their knowledge. I’m sure you could imagine if someone was so proud of their pool and so dedicated to keeping their pool in the best condition possible...spending hours a day on a pool forum to discuss pool stuff... the last thing they would do was have a SWG installed if it would cause any harm.
If you are sensing frustration from anyone here, I ensure you the frustration is directed towards the builders who claim to be “experts” and try to steer their customers away from installing a SWG. For what it’s worth, my first pool was not salt and my current pool is. I would never build another pool unless it had a SWG. Like a member said earlier in the thread, it’s just easier for them to talk the customer out of it and not have to deal with it. They will move on after they earn your business and spread false info to the next customer. That’s what makes me frustrated while reading this thread...certainly not you.
You want a better quote on your pool? Learn as much about pools / equipment prior to your next appointments so you can filter out the nonsense. Again, welcome to the forum!
 
Hi there! You are doing all of the right things! You found the best place to ask as many questions as you need to.

What you are reading is not frustration in your questions. It is TFP making sure you KNOW you have chooses and we will support you in any choose you make for your pool.

Keep asking questions and learning.

I will tell you to please not ask a pool store for the best way to take care of your pool. SAY WHAT??? What they will tell you is the best system will be the one that puts the most money in their pockets over time when you have to keep going back to them to get more of their product. What is so neat about TFP pool care is most of the stuff we put in our pools can be found at Walmart, Target, Lowes, etc! How neat is that???

Kim:kim:
 
I'd love to have one of these anti-salt builders take me to one of their prior projects that's been in use for a few years and sneak a salt test kit along with me to see just how much salt their non-swg pool has in it.
 
Hello,

Some of you folks have been a huge help the past few months with a few questions I've had about building a new pool. I'm still in the process of getting quotes from various pool companies to have a pool built for my home in North Texas. I will provide a link below to my latest one. Could anyone share thoughts on it? I am not sure if the equipment I'm getting is good, or if there are changes I should request.

The pool itself is under 10k gallons and is up to 5' deep. I feel like the pool is pretty small, but it could be lack of volume rather than perimeter size (there's a deck area inside the pool for chairs, it's not super deep, etc). This is a chlorine pool, not salt. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Click here for the quote
 
Hey Void - How does the quote compare to other quotes you have received in terms of price?

I do not know Hayward equipment, but that seemed in line with what you would want. The one thing I did not see is a cleaner. Will you be getting a robot cleaner separately?

It also looks like they excluded sod replacement, so just know that will be extra $ when that time comes.
 
The only other quote that I would consider came from Foley and they offered $105k to build a pool + spa. Pool surface area is 566sqft, size 37' x 18'. Same depth. Different equipment brands and such, but much bigger pool for an additional $14k or so. They also quoted $96k for the same design but smaller: 31' x 18', surface area 437sqft. Overall I feel like Foley has given me "more bang for the buck" even though the price is overall higher. You get more pool for the money, it seems.

Honestly it's been more of a struggle to get pool salespeople to keep in touch with me and give me updates on the progress of their designs/quotes than it has been deciding between bids. Over half of my contacts haven't even given me a bid after several months. This includes Chris at ADG, Robertson Pools, and Collin Bryan. They're all very bad at communication, despite the great reviews I've received from direct messages people have sent me on this forum.

This whole process has been nothing but expensive and frustrating, and I haven't even started construction yet. I can't imagine what a sh** show that's going to be if this keeps up.
 
Unfortunately your timing got much worse due to the freeze. The builders were slammed before the freeze, and now they're drowning in calls and can't get equipment for their new builds much less help people like us who they built for and have freeze damage. Chris told me months ago he couldn't get to at least 10 referrals a week. They're having to pick and choose jobs based on where they are (don't waste time driving all over the metroplex when you can build multiple pools in the same neighborhood/area...it's easier for their subs, too), the size/profit I'm sure, and even just getting a long with the customer. I wish you luck...honestly I'm glad we aren't building right now. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be!
 

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