THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FINDING A POOL BUILDER

The home renovation industry is currently valued somewhere between $575 - $600 billion. And with so much money to be made, this also means that our market is full of predatory contractors crafting dishonest schemes to get their hands on it. I want to tell you a story about one of them, and by the time I’m done, you’re going to know exactly how to protect yourself from them and from other builders just like them.

This is a true story about a real homeowner I've actually met with and their very real project that was recently completed. But it’s also about the two different contractors that they hired throughout the process. It was a big, covered patio addition with an outdoor living room, fully surrounded by automated, drop-down shade screens. It turned out amazing, but it was a long road getting there.

A TALE OF TWO CONTRACTORS

To start the project, “Contractor # 1” demanded that around 80% of the total cost be paid up front to begin. And, like the nice people that they were, the homeowners agreed and paid the builder what he was asking for. They came in with charisma, talked fast, and began work without any kind of written agreement. The quick math I did in my head tells me the homeowner probably shelled out around $25,000 - $30,000 to get things going.

This builder started by (necessarily) demolishing a bunch of things that were in the way, created piles of trash that were never removed, ordered half of the materials, started building the project incorrectly, and immediately asked for the rest of the money when he was only about 15% done. When the homeowner showed skepticism and refused, the builder ghosted them–disappeared forever.

That builder was long gone, and so was their money.

Shortly after this, the homeowners found Texas Outdoor Oasis, a trusted partner of mine and one of the highest-rated renovators in all of Dallas in terms of customer satisfaction. T.O.O. would go on to complete this project with stunning results, and I have no doubt that the homeowner is going to be recommending this company to everyone they know.

But the thing is, that homeowner’s initial mistakes meant that they basically paid for this project twice. Once, to get it started incorrectly, and once again to have a qualified builder come in, clean up the mess, and then start over before ultimately finishing it the right way.

Sadly, this is not uncommon. But this homeowner’s story doesn’t have to be your story. Do you want to know how many mistakes they unknowingly made? Do you want to know what you can do to avoid being in this situation? If you said “Yes”, you already have the right mindset.

ASK YOUR FRIENDS

Are you a human? Me too. Do you want to know an interesting thing about us? We’re incredibly social creatures–almost to a fault. We love connecting with other people. And one of the ways to gain almost instant credibility is to have someone you know well recommend you to another person that they know. This is one of the best ways to find a reliable contractor, because someone else is staking their own personal reputation on the referral.

So, ask your friends, your family, your coworkers, your neighbors. Who did they use for their swimming pool build or their renovation project? Another strength of this kind of interaction is, when it’s someone you know, they’re also likely to invite you over to see the work that this person has done. And now you’re getting more than just an opinion that they’re qualified; you get to see proof.

ASK THE INTERNET

I don’t know if anyone has told you this, but it’s 2025. The robot apocalypse hasn’t yet taken place, and for now, that means that you still have (mostly) unfettered access to the internet. Information is absolutely everywhere. There is no shortage of useful places to find honest, reliable, trustworthy businesses for just about everything.

My first tip for finding a reliable contractor is to go to any website or app that features business profiles with reviews. This can be Google (especially Google Maps if you want to find someone close), Angi (formerly Angi’s List), Thumbtack, Houzz or even Yelp. And this is just naming a few. There are so many other good platforms out there.

IS THIS A LEGIT POOL BUILDER?

Look up a potential builder’s business profile. Do they even have a business profile? Let me explain why this is so important. There is a really disappointing trend happening out there where a predatory person posing as a builder will scam homeowners out of money in one area, shut off their phone and their email account, and then start a new business in a new area. Getting deposit money and skipping town IS the business model for these guys.

If there’s any chance you might be talking to one of these criminals, they probably won’t have any kind of established business presence–no reviews, no portfolio–nothing. This type of person isn’t wasting time investing in much of anything resembling professionalism, so they’re probably not going to have a website or business cards or branded clothing or a logo on their vehicle or anything like that.

No–I’m not saying that a good contractor needs any of that. They don’t, and many of them won’t have these things. I only point this out to get you thinking about the possible implications of not seeing any of those things. This is all about red flags and what they might look like.

CHECK OUT POOL BUILDER REVIEWS

I mentioned the importance of reviews, and I honestly think that this is one of the strongest positive indicators you can look for. On the other hand, having a few good reviews isn’t necessarily the green flag that you might think it is. Businesses are more than capable of paying people in their network (or other scammy people on the internet) to leave fake, 5-star reviews that help make them look good from fake jobs that never happened.

In order to trust the reviews, make sure there are plenty of them. And reviews with photos of their completed work (where available) are even better. Some platforms even make it possible for you to reach out to a reviewer to get more information from them.

DOES YOUR BUILDER HAVE REFERENCES?

This is probably my favorite piece of advice to share with homeowners. If you think you’ve found a trustworthy builder, ask them for references. Talk to real customers who have actually hired them. Ask those former customers for their honest feedback. What was good about your interaction? Was there anything that was not so good? Spill that tea!

And as a bonus, ask them if you can come by and see their work in person. I can’t tell you how many reputable pool builders I’ve worked with who would welcome the opportunity to take a potential customer to a finished project. Contractors who actually do good work and provide excellent customer satisfaction will be even more excited than you are to have you visit their finished project.

We pool professionals are a proud bunch. We need that validation. So why not let us show off a bit here and there? It would really make our day, and it will provide you with a huge amount of reassurance.

WHAT ARE EMPLOYEES SAYING?

There is a long-standing piece of advice that’s still given to this day about dating. When you go to a restaurant with someone, watch how they interact with the wait staff. What they say and how they treat someone who is in a position to serve them can often reveal deeper truths about this person’s intentions and behavior patterns. The same is true when it comes to employers and employees.

Predatory business owners are capable of building incredibly misleading online facades and personas. With a little effort, you can easily make yourself look much more qualified, competent and benevolent than you really are. But what if you could get the real picture from someone on the inside? What if you could see that hypothetical interaction with the waiter?

Glassdoor is a platform that became popular among workers everywhere. The idea was that, as a former employee, you could go there and leave your honest review of a business and its leadership. This includes the good and the bad. Plenty of people will say it’s just a website that disgruntled former employees use to vent on after getting fired. And maybe that’s also true. But don’t underestimate how much truth is also revealed there.

I’ve dodged a couple of proverbial bullets thanks to Glassdoor. Some of the reviews I’ve read there gave me reason enough to ask around, and it confirmed what I was reading. And when it comes to other builders, I know for sure that some of the shocking testimony that I’ve read there is in fact accurate and shows the true colors of certain owners and managers. Truly benevolent businesses treat both their employees and their customers very well. Don’t discount the information available there.

IS MY CONTRACTOR INVOLVED IN A LAWSUIT?

Let’s face it; we’ve fully settled into our litigious era. It’s easy to file a frivolous lawsuit, and it’s also very common. But this does not mean that all of them are petty or meaningless, and if your contractor is involved in one (or several), you might want to know about it. Most lawsuits are filed at the City or County level, and to find them, you’ll need to look up the online portal for that specific local branch of government. If by chance your contractor is involved in a federal case, you might be able to find it listed on the PACER website (Public Access to Court Electronic Records).

I want to reiterate that lawsuits are common. Especially among general contractors. People get justifiably jumpy when they’re dealing with tens of thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of dollars. We’re all human, and mistakes are inevitable. One single lawsuit over the course of a business’s entire existence might be a fluke and otherwise not representative of their typical quality or operations. But if you can determine that there’s an established pattern, I’d urge you to start looking elsewhere.

WHAT IS THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU?

The Better Business Bureau, or “Triple B” as it’s commonly known, is a third-party non-profit that was established as a resource for businesses and customers alike. The idea is that the BBB has strict ethical standards that businesses should adhere to. Businesses pay to become members of the BBB, and as long as they stay in good standing, they get the BBB’s accreditation and endorsement.

Customers can utilize the BBB platform to lodge complaints about businesses, and the BBB will attempt to act as a mediator between the two parties. Avoiding complaints or professionally navigating and resolving them is what keeps you in good standing with the BBB.

The thing is, not every business is an active member with the BBB, and thus, they won’t all have the BBB seal of approval, even if they are doing a good job. And that means that it can also be irrelevant. But, this doesn’t stop customers from making complaints about them with the BBB for others to find online. And that means that this can still be a useful resource to tap into when you’re considering hiring a contractor.

IS MY GENERAL CONTRACTOR LICENSED OR REGISTERED?

General contracting can often be a grey area in the world of services for hire. Many states require general contractors to have a state-level license, showing that they’ve done some amount of study on the subject and also passed an examination, proving a minimum amount of competency toward what it is they’re doing. But this isn’t true for every state.

Here in my home state of Texas, we don’t have state licensing for GCs. The idea is that the GC is merely the organizer of labor, and that they’re relying on other highly-trained professionals to complete the work with competency. But many local municipalities may at least require a GC to be registered in their database and maintain good standing. And a few cities may even require their own localized version of a license.

Whatever the case may be, licensing and registration is ultimately meant to be a consumer protection mechanism. It’s just one more obstacle between paying customers and predatory builders, and if you’re one of the good ones operating above board and with good intentions, you shouldn’t have a problem putting in a little bit of extra effort to separate yourself from the bad apples.

Don’t be afraid to ask your pool contractor about their licensing or their registration status. And if either one happens to be required for your local area, it’s just one more thing you can easily double-check on your own.

SHOULD MY CONTRACTOR BE BONDED AND INSURED?

If you’re seeking maximum protection and maximum peace of mind, then the short answer is “Yes”. The longer answer involves explaining what both of these things mean.

If a builder wants to be “Bonded”, they can work with and pay a premium to a “Surety Company” to issue them a “Surety Bond”. This bond is a third-party guarantee that your builder is going to fulfill their agreed-upon obligation to you by completing the work that everyone has agreed on. If your contractor breaks the agreement and doesn’t fulfill their obligation, then the Surety Company pays you, the homeowner, the value of the project that the contractor has defaulted on.

Surety bonds are sort of like an added insurance policy, which means it’s an extra layer of cost for the builder, which increases the builder’s overhead (operational costs). When overhead increases, those costs always get passed on to the consumer. And this is why bonds aren’t as common for smaller projects. It doesn’t always make sense for every project. But on larger projects, it’s a good idea to at least talk about this and seek a builder who is willing to go through that process with you if it's something you feel you need.

As far as insurance goes, this should be a no-brainer. Insurance policies protect consumers from damages and liabilities. Every single reputable builder should have an insurance policy. Period. If by some awful chance you were to get accidentally hurt by their crew, or heaven forbid they manage to start a fire and burn your house down, you need to know that there is a third party involved who is going to make it right.

Your potential contractor’s insurance policy should be on file, in good standing, and readily available to share with you before you sign an agreement with them. In many cases, this can even be a requirement for them to maintain registration with their state or city.

I’VE CHOSEN A CONTRACTOR–NOW WHAT?

You’ve done your due diligence and you’re feeling good about hiring someone. Now is the time to see how they initiate an agreement. And the first step is to make sure there IS an agreement. Any reputable contractor (and really, anyone offering any services at all) should have a formal contract/agreement in place for both parties to sign.

A written agreement doesn’t just outline what is going to be included and what is being paid for; it gives both parties agreed-upon boundaries. It can set a timeline, list project milestones, and explain important details that may have been vague up to that point. It can establish expectations regarding when various payments and draws will be due, and sometimes it can even give both parties a pre-established, agreed-upon list of valid reasons for one party or the other to suddenly decide to walk away from the project with zero consequences.

Suffice it to say, you should always ask for and expect there to be a written agreement. And if your candidate doesn’t have one (or if they refuse to create one), that’s a huge signal that it’s time to move on and find someone more qualified.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR PAYMENT SCHEDULES

Every project is different, and that means that payment schedules and fees are different as well. What you’re paying your builder and when matters. Remember how I said the homeowner in my introduction story paid somewhere around 80% of the entire contract amount, up front? That was a huge mistake, especially given what happened.

I want to be fair to contractors and builders. They aren’t banks or credit agencies. They’re normal people just like you and me. You probably don’t have a ton of money sitting around to loan out to people, and neither do they. They need some amount of payment up front to start working, because they’re going to need to order supplies, they may need to hire additional labor, and they might even need to rent special equipment. It takes money to start any project, and you shouldn’t expect a builder to float those costs for you.

But in defense of the homeowner, no matter the scope or size of the project, in my opinion, no contractor should ever ask for more than 60% up front. And as the homeowner, you should never be willing to pay more than 60%. The money is the power in this relationship, and it’s also your protection. If you pay everything (or almost everything) up front, you’re left with very little leverage if/when the project starts heading in a disappointing direction.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE EXAMPLES

Please keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this, and there’s always room for negotiation. That said, here are my thoughts and suggestions based on experience:

For projects that are $10,000 or less, it could be reasonable to split the whole thing up into two payments: one to get started (~55%) and one upon satisfactory completion (~45%). But even for smaller projects like these, you might still consider setting it up like the larger projects I’ll cover next.

For projects that are over $10,000, it becomes more reasonable to break these up into 3 (or more) payments. One to get started (maybe ~45%), one at an agreed-upon milestone somewhere in the middle (another ~45%), and then a final payment after the entire thing has been completed satisfactorily (~10%).

For complicated, multi-stage projects and projects over ~$75,000, this is when we start to see multiple payment milestones; sometimes 4 or more. Take pool construction payment plans. You’ll often pay between 30% and 35% to begin the project and have the excavation crew kick things off. After that, most pool construction contracts will have you pay another ~30% whenever the pool is ready for gunite/shotcrete. You’ll then pay another ~30% when it’s time to complete the final phases, like decking and plaster. And finally, you’ll pay the remaining 5% - 10% after your pool builder has finished everything and taken care of all of the punch list items.

Regardless of what your project is or how much it costs you, be sure to always give yourself some leverage and protection. Don’t let a contractor run off with everything before they get started. But at the same time, be aware that there is some give and take happening. Your builder can’t just fund the entire project on your behalf before you pay them for it.

MY CONTRACTOR DID AN AWESOME JOB–NOW WHAT?

Are you kidding? Tell them that! And while you’re at it, tell everyone you know! Leave them a 5-star review. Snap some photos or make your own video testimonial and share it all on Instagram. And be sure to tag your builder when you do. Talk about them on Google and Yelp. Are you in a neighborhood group on facebook or NextDoor? Let everyone know about the great contractor you just used who works in their area.

Consider allowing your builder to bring a professional photographer over to capture top-tier photos of their work when it’s all over with. And if you’re open to it, maybe consider being that in-person reference I mentioned before. Let your project be the one that contractors can send potential clients to see.

These all might seem like things that only benefit your builder, and make no mistake–they do. But please also consider that your positive testimony about a good builder helps to elevate good companies and distinguish them from the bad ones. The more clearly we’re all able to highlight good people and good businesses, the easier it is to find them. And when good businesses are easy to find, it reduces the likelihood that someone else falls prey to a bad one.