At Brunetti Pools, we want you to know as much as you can about buying a pool before you sign any contracts. We want you to be delighted with your pool and your pool-buying experience. That’s why we offer you this helpful guide to give you the information you need to separate the competent and trustworthy pool builders from all the rest, and then make the best decision possible.
So before you sign any contracts...
We suggest you interview prospective builders in person, over the phone, or by e-mail. Ask them a series of questions to determine their business stability, their technical competence, their credibility, and their commitment to customer satisfaction. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether you can trust the builder you’re speaking with. These questions should give you some helpful insight into the person and company you’re about to do business with.
We hope these questions can help you make the best possible decision when buying your new pool. After getting satisfactory answers, you will have a better understanding of which pool builders can be trusted and which builders are at risk of creating an unpleasant experience for you. Having a pool built should be a fun and exciting time for you and your family. At Brunetti Pools, we want you to be delighted with your back yard dream, no matter who you buy it from.
1. Where is your place of business? Do you have a showroom?
Look for a pool builder who has a showroom or long-term lease in a commercial building. A showroom will allow you to view the builder’s products, see his operations and meet some of his employees before you sign a contract. This will show you that they are serious about their business, and not likely to leave town suddenly. This type of builder is also more likely to have the financial resources to take care of things if there is a problem with your pool during and after construction. Check to see if they have a website or Facebook page since most reputable pool builders take advantage of the social media.
In this industry there are folks who are known as the “one-poolers” - a couple of guys working out of their truck attempting to build pools. They can leave town in the blink of an eye with your money. A pool builder with ties to the community isn’t likely to leave town quickly.
2. How many years have you and your company been in business under the present name and current owner?
Shady pool builders don’t like this question because it’s too easy to check out. Sadly, it is common in this industry for someone to build a few pools, run into financial trouble and go bankrupt then leave a unfinished pools in people’s back yards. Then a few months later, open a new company with a new name and start again in an attempt to put their bad reputation behind them.
By the way, when a pool builder goes out of business, your pool warranty disappears. Why risk your investment? The rule of thumb should be that if a pool builder has been in business less than three years, forget him. Trustworthy pool companies will make it past the ten-year mark which is an indicator of stability and trust.
3. What’s the “Draw Schedule” for payment on my new pool construction?
This is probably the single most important question you can ask your builder. The reason many pool builders get into trouble is they ask for too much money up front, then run into cash flow problems when it’s time to complete your pool.
4. Can you give me the names and phone numbers of at least two suppliers you’ve done business with for the last 3 years?
This is a great source of information because suppliers who’ve been cheated by a pool builder will be more than happy to tell you about it. More important if the builder doesn’t pay his supplier’s, the homeowner may get stuck paying them if the products were installed.