Basic Pool Feature Analysis - Introduction

Ever get confused reading a pool builder ad and wondering if you are really getting a good deal or not?  I sure did. Half of the terms used in the ads were meaningless to me.  What was a "brass run?"  What about a "rolled beam" or an "automatic cleaner?"  

In order to see how much we can really save being the owner/builder, we first need to establish what the cost is for an owner built "standard" Basic Pool. We'll then compare it with the same pool built by commercial pool builders.  Before we can do this, we need to first understand what the specifications are for our Basic Pool, what they mean and how they affect the overall quality of the pool.

One question that immediately comes up is, "What is a 'standard' pool anyways?"  And "How would you compare it to other pool builders -  insuring that you are comparing apples-with-apples?"  Those are great questions.  Fortunately, there are good answers to these questions.  In fact, there is a de-facto standard for what the pool industry in Arizona considers a Basic Pool.  And its only because of this that we can even aspire to do an apples-to-apples comparison.

We'll start by defining what a Basic Pool is, then we'll look at each of the specifications in detail, defining what they are and explaining why they are important to your pool.  Finally, we'll give you a breakdown of its construction cost and compare it to various residential pool builders that do business in the metropolitan Phoenix area.

You will see what it takes to build a pool "at cost."  This is a significant number.  Ever wonder how much the car you are thinking about purchasing from the dealer is costing them?  Didn't you ever wish that you could see their real manufacturer's invoice so that you could gain some leverage in your negotiations?  Well, with the Internet today, you can get that kind of information ... for cars.  Its still a little ways off before you can get this kind of information for a swimming pool - that is, until now.  In the pages ahead, I will break down the "at cost" price of building a "standard" basic pool as the pool industry defines it.  I will then compare that price with - not one, not two, not five, not even ten, but 15 different pool builders that I clipped out advertisements for.  This will be helpful, because you will see what the general markup is for swimming pools and what the margins are for pool builders to cover their overhead, pay salaries, and turn a profit in order to grow the company.  These are all legitimate things required to run a company.  However, what if you could get the same quality pool without having to pay all that overhead, salaries, and company profit?  What if you could pocket that savings instead?

Here is a sampling of the advertisements I will go over in detail:

I break each of them down by their specifications and will explain each line item in detail.  That way, you'll see what matters and what doesn't.

After reading through the ensuing pages, you will be able to:

• Understand what is considered a "standard" Basic Pool as defined by the pool industry here in Arizona.

• Scan a pool builder's ad and within a minute, know if this pool builder is giving you more features, less features, or the same features in this "standard" Basic Pool defined by the pool industry.

• Get a good idea of how much pool you can expect for your money.  Using this standard yardstick of measure, you will be able to quickly go through ads to see what kind of true value you are getting.

• See ways that some builders practice some shady, bordering on deceptive advertising trying to lure the homeowner into thinking they are getting something that the other builders don't give.

• Understand what kind of markup is involved even with the most basic pools offered by Arizona pool builders today.

• See how much can be saved by being the owner/builder (acting as the GC) of your very own swimming pool.