Enlisting someone to build a fibreglass pool in your Toronto yard is a big deal. Any mistakes could be costly and wind up doing long term damage to your property. But how do you know that the pool builder you hire is capable of doing the job right? Is there some kind of litmus test you can give them that will prove their integrity? Or is finding the right pool builder little more than dumb luck? Fortunately, luck only plays a part if you don’t know what to look for when interviewing potential pool builders.
Traits That Separate Good Pool Builders from Bad
Building a fibreglass pool isn’t rocket science, it’s pool science and in some ways it’s nearly as tricky as trying to send something into space. As such it requires a set of abiding traits on behalf of the pool builder to ensure a successful outcome. Those traits are:
1) Understanding of the product – While fibreglass pools today come in a wider array of styles than ever before there will still be times when a customer wants something that’s above and beyond the scope of standard fibreglass construction. At that point the pool builder has to recognize a line has been crossed and simply say “Sorry. Can’t do that.”
2) Experience – A $10 word you need to be able to apply to whoever you chose to build your pool. Sure everyone has to start somewhere but ‘somewhere’ shouldn’t be in your backyard. It may sound cold but let the novices gain their experience ‘somewhere’ else and leave the installation of your pool to the experts.
3) Speaking of Experts – Whoever installs your pool should be a fibreglass pool specialist. If fibreglass pools are just one of several types they install consider taking a pass. After all, you wouldn’t want your car repaired by someone who normally does tractors and you wouldn’t want your fibreglass pool installed by someone who normally installs gunite pools.
4) Responsiveness – Have you ever had a conversation with a contractor where they just sat there glassy-eyed while you talked about what you wanted? If pool builders aren’t paying attention to you during the preliminary discussions how responsive do you think they’re going to be if something goes wrong during the build process?
5) Preparation – A good pool builder shows up to the first meeting prepared. They have all their promotional material, a list of references and a notepad and pen to jot down the important points you make. They also bring a camera to take photos of the site for later reference and can provide you with a ballpark estimate for what your desired pool will cost.
6) Willingness to correct their mistakes – Like everyone else pool builders sometimes make mistakes. The bad builders will look for ways to integrate their mistakes into the final product or simply deny they did anything wrong and try to dump it back on you. The good guys will recognize a mistake quickly and take whatever measures are necessary to fix it.
7) Openness and honesty – The amateurs will quote you a price to get the job and then gradually throw in add-on after add-on until the price you thought you agreed to is a distance memory. Others will disappear in the middle of the process to go take care of something else leaving you in the lurch. And still others will walk away declaring the job complete when it clearly isn’t. The best companies understand the value of playing it straight and how such behaviour ultimately leads to more work, not less.
Seabreeze Pools are the Toronto area’s most experienced and trusted pool builders. Call them today to find out more about having a beautiful fibreglass pool installed in your yard.