Why You Should Buy From a Qualified Pool Contractor — Not a Part Time Bad Contractor

With over 35 years experience fixing (or bearing witness to someone else’s repairs) shoddy work, we can speak with authority on the subject of bad contractors. As Indiana’s number one pool builder, we’re experts in constructing beautiful swimming pools the right way. But also, from our vantage point, we know just as much in helping customers avoid bad contractors. These next two blogs will help define what a bad contractor is, and how hiring the wrong company to build your pool can have terrible consequences.

Part I: What defines bad contractor?

A bad contractor is someone who professes to be “in the business” of providing a service to homeowners at a greatly discounted rate, often using cheaper products to get the job done. The reality is that a bad contractor will overpromise and under-deliver every time, leaving a homeowner unsatisfied and having to pay extra to get the job done right.

Here are some common ramifications of enlisting a bad contractor:

A bad contractor has the homeowner pull the permit. If you execute this request, you’ve just assumed responsibility for everything the bad contractor does on and off your property. When your house is sold, you’re still responsible for any future issues. By obtaining your own permit, the entire, current and future liability lies with you. Meanwhile, the bad contractor just gets a free pass.

The most common reason a bad contractor wants you to obtain a permit is because they can’t. They’ll spin it and tell you it’s cheaper for you to pull the permit, saying they’ll have to charge you extra for the service. Qualified contractors means they must provide proof of insurance and be bonded for a required amount. Many times, a bad contractor cannot get a permit because they don’t qualify.

Here are some things that can go poorly when pulling a permit for a bad contractor:

• They Build structures in floodplains, easements, over and under utility easements.
• Improper pool size and total design specifications vs. the allowable zoning ordinance.  If this happens, you’ll be forced to remove the pool and possibly cut out your newly poured concrete before you will be issued a certificate of occupancy. Again, this is your responsibility.
• Damage to a public structure. All it takes is one hit by a vehicle to damage any public structure — such as a road, walk, sewer, water main or utility line. This is something we’ve seen these people do first hand. And to compound it, a bad contractor doesn’t usually have insurance. But hey, you saved thousands on your pool installation, right? Oh, they didn’t finish the job because they went out of business? Yikes!
• Drainage issues from adjoining properties that arise years later are your responsibility to correct — not the bad contractor you hired.

In summary, we’ve seen many instances where the homeowner obtains a permit and has to explain to the appropriate governmental agency as to why their pool was built in the wrong place or varied from the original plans. It’s a no-win situation for a novice to testify in a courthouse and defend someone else’s bad decisions and performance. It’s a very costly process and causes undue stress for a homeowner to take the responsibility for someone else’s work. The old saying still stands true, you get what you pay for. A pool is one of the only products you can’t sell or take back, therefore, choose your builder carefully.

Stay tuned for our next installment about the perils of hiring a bad contractor to do work on your house! And make sure to visit one of our five convenient Pools of Fun locations if you have any questions.