How to Choose the Pool Contractor Who Will Build Your Dream Pool

April 19, 2023
Pools

It pays to be practical if you’re in the market for an inground pool to turn your backyard into a pool paradise. One of the critical decisions you will need to make is which pool contractor you will hire to do the job.

First, you can ask friends, family, and coworkers who are pool owners who installed their pool and if they would recommend them. You can also ask if there are pool contractors you should avoid.

Armed with a list of names, you can see if they install the type of inground pool you want, whether that’s a fiberglass pool or a custom concrete pool. Some pool contractors install both, while others only install fiberglass pools.

If you opt for a fiberglass pool, research the various manufacturers, as some are better than others. For instance, we exclusively install San Juan Fiberglass Pools, as they are an industry leader.

Do Your Homework

Once you’ve determined a pool contractor installs the type of pool you want (fiberglass or concrete), it’s time to do your homework before scheduling companies to come out and quote you. This includes:

Reading their reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp, and other sites, and paying attention to how they respond to reviews (if at all)
Checking their Better Business Bureau profile for complaints and how long they’ve been in business (the longer, the better)
Making sure they are licensed with the MHIC
Reading and looking through their website — is it up-to-date and informative? Do they explain their process?

Based on what you learn about various pool contractors, your gut will tell you whom to schedule estimates with.

Get at Least 3 Estimates and Interview the Pool Contractors

Once you’ve chosen 3 or more pool contractors who are licensed, bonded, and insured, have rave reviews, and install the type of pool you want, start scheduling estimates. When the representative comes to your property, they should take precise measurements and talk to you about your tastes and goals for your pool.

This is also your time to interview them and ask any questions you have. Take notes, and decide who was the most knowledgeable and communicative. If it took one company a day to get back to you while it took another a week, they might not be very good in the communication department. Watch out for pushy salespeople who try to get you to sign a contract that day.

When the estimates come in, look out for lowball estimates. That pool contractor may be leaving something out or using inferior materials. Suppose the contractor you had the best interactions with came in with the highest bid. In that case, you could still go with them but use different materials that might bring the overall cost of your project down.

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Have a Signed Contract

It’s essential that once you choose a licensed, bonded, and insured pool contractor who’s been in business for years, you get a signed contract. The contract should state the scope of the work, the date construction will start, what happens if there are delays, what your deposit will be, and how you make payments through the construction process.

Whatever you do, don’t pay for everything upfront. Some bad actors use your money to work on other jobs rather than yours and struggle to pay their creditors and employees. That means they will eventually go belly up – possibly without finishing your pool. You should know that under Maryland law, a contractor cannot ask for or accept more than 1/3 of the value of the contract as a down payment.

Take a recent situation with a Maryland company called Catalina Pool Builders LLC. They closed their doors in October 2022, leaving dozens of families in the lurch. Amazingly, their website is still active, but if you take the time to read their Google reviews, you will see that they would take people’s money, start a job, and then never respond to emails, texts, or phone calls.

Make It Exceptional. Make It Woodfield.

When it comes to pool renovations, Woodfield Outdoors is the number one choice for an increasing number of families in Maryland. As experienced pool builders, we have all the expertise and equipment you need. Our fantastic team of employees is ready to transform your backyard into a pool paradise. Check out our Portfolio for examples of some of the pool projects we have completed for our clients.

We are licensed, bonded, and insured and have over 30 years of experience, so you can trust our process. We welcome you to read through our Google reviews and ask us for references. We’re proud of our work and want you to know that you can trust us to treat you respectfully and deliver exceptional work from the first phone call to the completed project.

We work with homeowners throughout Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Cecil County, Harford County, and Howard County. Schedule a call today.