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Building a swimming pool is one of the most expensive and time-consuming home remodeling projects. One of the biggest challenges with a pool building project is sticking to your planned budget. Naturally, a reputable pool builder will always lay out the costs before they lay the first proverbial brick.
Naturally, some costs simply cannot be accounted for beforehand. There are some additional expenses, big or small, that can arise during the project that have to be addressed. This could break your budget for thousands of dollars. Companies like SoCal will be upfront with all the costs and mention that there might be additional costs along the way.
However, there’s a difference between unexpected and hidden expenses, which shady companies often exploit to milk more money from the homeowners. It’s important for you to understand whether the additional cost is a truly unforeseen expense or a hidden expense a pool builder was not upfront about.
To that end, we’re giving you a list of the most common hidden costs in a pool building project.
Retaining Walls
There are many things you can try to get stingy with, but retaining walls aren’t one of them. It’s true that the retaining walls are quite expensive, but they are also instrumental in keeping your deck and pool stable and making sure that the yard properly drains. So if a pool builder suggests waiting to see if you need them, insist that they add them to the bill right away.
Wider Patio
Similarly, when planning where to cut corners homeowners often don’t discuss the matter of the patio with the pool builder. Coincidentally, adding more patio is often the most expensive additional expense because of the width of the patio. Homeowners often go for the minimal required amount of patio to save more money when building a pool. Even so, homeowners should plan for the additional patio if the need arises and address whether there’s enough room for the patio if they need it in the future.
Dirt Management
All the dirt pool builders dig up has to go somewhere. And there’s a lot of dirt to manage. Homeowners are often surprised when they see the amount of dirt builders create when installing a pool. In some cases, the dirt can be dumped or spread out across the yard. In other, more common cases the dirt needs to be hauled away. Doing this in urban areas can be very expensive. That is why you need to make sure dirt hauling and management is included in the price.
Post-project Landscaping
Pool builders use a lot of heavy equipment when building a pool. Because of that, you might end up with some area damage after the project is completed. You may need to reseed the area in most cases. The driveway might also sustain some heavy damage if it’s the only entrance to the yard. In these cases, the damage is nearly inevitable, especially if the driveway is poorly built.
Electrical Costs
Some pool builders add the cost of electrical hook-ups to the final bill, while others do not. The extent of the electrical project depends on how many pool features require an electrical connection, such as the pump, lights, hot tub or heat pump. The costs of wiring these features can therefore vary. Still, before you give the builder a green light, make sure to have a clear picture of how much the electrical hook-up is going to cost.
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