How Do I Find a Great Pool Builder Near Me?
After hours of perusing website after website to get ideas and find the exact pool design and color you want, you just need to figure out exactly how to get it! You need a professional, experienced pool builder near you to turn your dream into reality. So you might be asking, “How do I find a great pool builder near me?”
Some pool-building companies are quite large–they do tons of marketing and have a team of installers juggling multiple projects at once. Other pool builders are one-person operations, and you’ll typically have the owner and a couple of helpers working on your pool project. One is not necessarily better than the other– it comes down to who you want to work with and whether you’re happy with the price they give you.
You’ll definitely want to get more than one estimate, and when you’re comparing those estimates, make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Go through the estimates carefully and consider whether they include the same options. Additionally, compare all their credentials and applicable consumer reviews so you can be sure you’re making the best choice.
As you’re starting your pool builder search, check out these resources to help you compile your short list of pool builders to contact:
- Google is a quite popular research tool for good reason. Try using search terms like “Pool builder (or company) near me.” To narrow your search, you might also try “Fiberglass pool builder (or company) near me.” Interestingly enough, different search engines will produce different results, so you might also try Bing, Yahoo or Ask and see what you get. Keep in mind that smaller, independent pool dealers, no matter how high quality their work, might not have the technical savvy or marketing prowess to get their business on page one in a search result. So click through the results pages to ensure you don’t miss any good prospects.
- Social media is another great option for finding pool builders near you. Facebook has a handy feature for asking for recommendations. Here’s how it works.
- Simply create a post on your page that uses the word “recommend” as in, “Can anyone recommend a fiberglass pool builder near me?” Note: it doesn’t work if you misspell recommend!
- Publish the post.
- Once the post is published, Facebook will generate a map, and you can type in your city or town and add it to your post.
- Your friends who live nearby will be able to see the post and comment with their recommendations if they know of someone.
- Referral service sites like Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor can be great resources. You’ll need to create an account, and there may be a charge to use the service based on the membership level you choose. These companies will ask questions about your project and match you with a pool builder near you. Then they will provide your information to the pool builder to contact you directly to discuss your project.
- The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has been around for more than 100 years. While it’s best known for handling consumer complaints, it’s also a great resource to help you compile a list of local swimming pool contractors near you. The great thing about the BBB is that they won’t ask for a ton of personal information from you. They can also provide you with quite a bit of good information on the pool company, such as how long they’ve been in business and who the owner is.
- Other pool owners are an excellent resource for the inside scoop on what you can expect from a pool builder. Do you have a friend or neighbor who has a pool, or do they know someone who does? Are they happy with the final result of their swimming pool project? Would they recommend their pool builder to others? Personal recommendations can be your best source of solid information. Area landscapers and home builders have most likely worked with pool builders near you and can also attest to pool builders’ quality and commitment.
Once you’ve chosen a pool builder, it’s time to relax and let them do their work. In the meantime, you can shop for the fun stuff, like loungers for your tanning ledge, pool accessories, and landscaping. You’ll be in the swim and having pool parties before you know it!