Checklist
Questions to ask a pool builder
Bring this to every first meeting and write the answers down.
This is an independent referral guide. It connects homeowners with independent providers and may receive compensation. It is not a licensed contractor and it does not do the work.
About the company
- What is your Arizona contractor license classification, and is it active on the Registrar of Contractors site?
- Who will be on site day to day?
- Which trades do you use subcontractors for?
About the project
- Who pulls the City of Phoenix permit and who meets the inspectors?
- Which barrier option do you recommend for this house, and why?
- Where will the equipment pad go?
- How will equipment reach the backyard, and what will be removed and rebuilt?
- How do you handle rock or caliche in the contract?
About money and the finish line
- What is the payment schedule, and what is complete at each payment?
- How are change orders approved?
- What is the written warranty, and what does it cover?
- How will the pool be drained in the future? Phoenix says to use the sanitary sewer cleanout, not the street. See Phoenix draining and backwashing guidance.
Keep reading
Custom pool buildingDesigning and building a new pool under City of Phoenix rules, from plans to the pre plaster inspection.Slopes and tight yardsFoothill lots, rock, retaining walls, and narrow side yards.Ahwatukee service areaPhoenix rules, HOAs, and ZIP codes.Local guidePhoenix permits, barriers, and draining.
Questions on this service
How many builders should I talk to?
More than one. Ask each for a written scope for the same pool so the proposals are comparable.
Ask about your Ahwatukee yard
Say the neighborhood or ZIP code, the yard size, and whether the lot slopes or backs onto open desert.