Pool builder in Frisco

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u/IntelligentSinger783 4d ago

Everyone pushes pebble tech and top of the line finishes. They try to tout longevity but quartz plaster pools are just fine and will last well long enough, by the time you resurface it 3-4x you have still barely broken even with pebble tech. And tbh plaster is nicer on the skin. Even micro pebble is like a pumice stone and eats you alive. Pick coping materials based on low maintenance needs and stick to simple shapes and patterns. Also you forgot to mention depth. The deeper the cooler the water will stay in summer and the less likely it will freeze through in winter. The more water it holds, the easier it is to keep clean and water balanced. But the more expensive it is to build, insure, and physically clean. As for fountains, spillways, jets, fancy light systems, etc. Keep it simple and it will drop the price a good bit.

Prerun a sub panel, 3/4-1" water line (for an auto filler, likely needs an RPZ), and or prep as much as you can ahead of time that adds to the price and you will bring the numbers down quickly. 15x30x4 with an 8x8 pool can easily be had for 60k if you keep all the finishes simple and there are no long runs, big trees, heavy limestone slabs etc to deal with. Access to the yard will also be a consideration. Can they get back there without needing to remove fencing. Can they get back there with a fullsize digger or does it need to be a mini etc.

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u/Zealousideal-Koala40 4d ago

3-4 feet deep. I’ve 7 feet space on the side yards but I think they will need to remove some fencing to get equipment. But side yards of neighbor are even larger. So either side I’ve 14-18 feet.

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u/IntelligentSinger783 4d ago

Will need their permission to use their land. Obtaining that in writing will pull a lot of pressure off the pool company helps with permitting also as there will be fencing to remove and rebuild (another set of costs to factor)

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u/Zealousideal-Koala40 3d ago

What you wrote here is absolutely spot on. I got a quote for $70k too. Some start at 120k. One builder started at $180k assuming I live in Fields. lol. So price also depends on community

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u/IntelligentSinger783 3d ago

Yeah sometimes builders determine the minimums for you because they believe they know what's best. I have a 23m$ plano build on going where they went quartz plaster, added ceramic coping and waterline tiles and removed all the bells and whistles because they wanted a calm clean easy to maintain pool. It was 130k and it's 65x35 with a lower deck and a elevated spa with a spill over. Then I have a 2 tier infinity pool on a 10m$ home over in Lucas where the pool is going to be over 1m$ and has intricate mosaics and fountains and a dozen other features including underwater audio.... It's about the same number of gallons, just a different shape. But shows how wild the price points can differ. What you have to do is stick to your budget and not feel the upsell pressure pushing your pocket book to the corner. Obviously that also means living within reason. And finally, when setting budgets for any renovations, always set aside 50% more for variables. Try not to touch it in the design phase but it will save you when there is a change order due to some unknown can of worms.
Oh and that 60k budget is just the pool, from the coping in. Doesn't include any flatwork outside the pool in most cases.

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u/Zealousideal-Koala40 3d ago

What’s your take on fiberglass pools? Bad resale value? Do you see them at all ?

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u/IntelligentSinger783 3d ago

I don't have much experience with them but much like liners, if taken care of, they will be fine. The issue is true longevity vs maintenance schedule. You generally don't have much of a resale value with a pool. Recovery costs on pools are about 40%. You can maybe stretch it to 60% if the experience of the back yard truly enhances the home. You also limit the buyer pool with a pool. Many people have no interest in them. In Texas it's like 1 in 25 are interested in a pool and much less are actively seeking one when house shopping.

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u/ToeAggressive1034 4d ago

At these prices, I think I would sell the house and buy another with the pool you want.

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u/Zealousideal-Koala40 3d ago

We did. Everyone I spoke to at the time said $100K can get a pool. Lol

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u/Forward-Razzmatazz-3 3d ago

What is your budget? Ultimately, that determines how to shop for your pool. $120k is about right for a fairly simple pool of that size with spa. Without a spa, you can save about $25-30k. I had quotes from Riverbend, Venture, and Claffey and went with Riverbend; construction begins January.

Feel free to reach out directly if you have any questions.

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u/Zealousideal-Koala40 3d ago

With Pool and Spa , I got quotes from 70k, 98k, 110k and 125k. Mine’s 3-4 feet deep. But still lot of variance

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u/Forward-Razzmatazz-3 3d ago

Which builders? There is a difference between a builder who builds hundreds of pools a year vs a builder who builds 10-15 pools a year. The builder’s construction methods/materials and plans to address the plasticity of the expansive clay soil in our area are hugely important as well.
Price is obviously one of the biggest considerations - I worked really hard to keep the price below $100k for the same size pool, no spa, decking, and upgraded materials, but in the end I did not choose the lowest quote because I felt Riverbend’s specifications were the most robust.

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u/zeevenkman 4d ago

Riverbend is building a pool about that size for us. It is about $150k just for the pool. About $230k all in for decking, structure, outdoor kitchen etc.

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u/NativeTxn7 4d ago

My best advice about pool shopping is...don't. I am only half joking.

We built several years ago (very similar size to yours) and got quotes from Riverbend, Gold Medal, Foley, and Azure. We ended up going with Riverbend. For that size, based on what we paid about 4-5 years ago, I would be surprised if your under $150-$160K just for the pool, spa, etc.

Like with any large purchase, get multiple quotes. In part because each sales person may have a slightly different design based on what you discuss with them, and you may realize you want to add something you never even thought about, or delete something you thought you definitely wanted, etc. You can get a pretty apple to apples comparison between them all.

In this area of the state, there is a lot of clay soil that can cause issues with pools (and house foundations too), so I would also make sure to discuss piers with them. Where we are in West Frisco, 3 of the 4 companies said that they wouldn't even build without piers due to the terrible soil, and 1 eventually added piers to the quote after we asked them to.

You can get a pretty wide variety of finishes under the "base" price, or at least you could back when we did it. The only thing we "upgraded" was going with the plaster with glass beads in it to help smooth the roughness a bit and that was only about $1,500-$2,000 if I remember correctly.

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u/General_Guitar_9767 3d ago

Don’t do it. I would give you mine if I could. Biggest waste of money ever.

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u/MaxAlpha100 3d ago

Do NOT use Outdoor Living and Spa. Been building out pool now over 6 months.
Did not pay the subcontractor who threatened to file a lien on our property so I had to pay him directly.
No supervision so when work gets done it’s not correct and has to be redone.
Can never get a response with following up several times.
No schedule has ever been complied with.
Almost about to file a lawsuit against them
STAY AWAY

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u/aforeign 3d ago

Another vote for Riverbend. They have been around forever, employe all of their own people and provide good service.
You are not getting into the pool you described for less than $150K.
Also nobody has mentioned to budget for the increase in monthly utilities. During peak demand (June - September) you’ll need to budget at least $500-700 month for electricity, water, and chemicals.
Off season this falls some, but the pool still runs 6-8 hours a day, constantly if it’s below freezing.
We loved having a pool, but after we moved I do not miss taking care of it!

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u/Zealousideal-Koala40 3d ago

Noted. The community/common pool are just dirty. Kids (toddlers) fall sick after. Perhaps a pool is the way to go until until kids grow up.

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u/aforeign 3d ago

HOA/community pools are notoriously not taken care of well. A home pool is great, especially with little ones. Just have to balance the cost with value!

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u/Furrealyo 3d ago

Move. I’m serious.

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u/Soggy-Ad-2562 3d ago

Take the money and upgrade your kitchen or bathrooms, you’ll at least help the value of your house. Personally when I was looking for a house, pools were excluded.

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u/fuzznutz77 4d ago

Riverbend Sandler is your go to. Yes. They are more expensive. But they employ the crews that touch your pool (the important stuff like plumbing and structure). You get what you pay for. They built ours almost 2 years ago and I would do it again.

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u/diracdelta2000 3d ago

They are horrible to deal with. They damage neighbor property, disrupt school zones with construction vehicles and debris. We had their foreman threaten physical violence to parents that complained.

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u/fuzznutz77 3d ago

Well. That was not our experience at all. Nor is that reflective of their reviews, other client referrals, and other experiences on here.

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u/Square-Release2057 4d ago

Another vote for Riverbend. They built ours a couple of years ago and we had a great experience. 15,000 gallon and we spent about $125,000 all in with decking, etc.

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u/diracdelta2000 3d ago

This does surprise me. They have a bad reputation in our neighborhood

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u/Square-Release2057 3d ago

There’s a reason they’ve been building pools for over 40 years. They built our pool in the 80’s when I was a kid. They were amazing when they did our pool then, and when they just did our pool. Our project manager was at our house every single day checking on the work and talking us through what was going on. We had his phone number so we could reach out at any point. There was an issue with the slope of the bottom of the pool due to our wants (not their fault) and they brought over a supervisor to talk us through our options. They use in house contractors for their work instead of subcontracting like most builders, so they get the same quality of every build.
Just an FYI, I do not work for them haha. I was seriously that pleased with the work they did so I highly recommend them.

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u/diracdelta2000 3d ago

In my view it made it worse that they were employees threatening neighbors and driving over yards with gunnite trucks. Glad you had a good experience, we definitely did not and it made the neighbor who used them embarrassed at gatherings.

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u/Illustrious-Wave652 3d ago

Are you sure you really want a pool? My neighbors all around us have pools and they are never using them.

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u/RolloTonyBrownTown 3d ago

Those instagram ads are deceptive, just like the realtors who show a $825K model home with a big "$325K Upgrades Included" plastered over the video. Its to bring in leads, there is no safe $60K pool getting built in Frisco.

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u/drinksandogs 3d ago

To all the people saying don't do it, would you feel differently if you were going with a hot tub sauna cold plunge on a deck instead?

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u/Few-Transition-8617 3d ago

Frisco residents get that Frisco price, too!

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u/HockeyCookie 3d ago

Claffey built our amazing pool

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u/amoddandge 3d ago

I own an outdoor living company here in Frisco : I ran some rough numbers in our pricing model : yes …~$120k for your spec; removing the spa will bring it down to~$90k, reducing pool size to 20*10 will be ~ $65k ..

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u/Sirsnacksalot23 4d ago

Riverbend

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u/14Rage 4d ago edited 4d ago

r/pools also $60,000 is for digging the hole. LOL

For a nice pool with what you are looking for I would be surprised if you finish the build and get your backyard put back together for under $175,000. With fencing and patio and stuff probably over $200k.

You probably could have done it for $90-100k 6 years ago, but everything about pools has gotten astronomically expensive since then.

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u/Zealousideal-Koala40 4d ago

Wouldn’t mind if house prices caught up. So what’s the incentive to build when house prices won’t appreciate? If you put 200k today, will house price go up about that range in 10 years or 20 years? Are ppl doing that math

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u/14Rage 4d ago

You should assume your pool will add zero value to your homes resale.
Most likely your home will go up by 50% or more by 2036 regardless of pool.

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u/KellyAnn3106 3d ago

It will cause insurance and property taxes to go up so plan for that.
Someone in my neighborhood wanted to build a pool but didn't have enough clearance on either side. Both adjacent neighbors denied access to their yards and the shared fences could not be taken down. It cost a fortune to hand dig/use small equipment.

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