Pool contractor has pool 1 foot too shallow

Frustrated in Fla · Postby **Frustrated in Fla** » Sat 07 Nov, 2009 16:24

I hired a contractor to build a 12 x 45 foot pool with 4 feet to 5 feet depth. After the concrete was hard enough to walk on, I walked in and realized it was less than 3 feet to about 4.5 feet. The contractor built up the sides a little - now it will be around 3' 2" deep to 4' 6" deep. This is not what I contracted for and I am not happy about it. I don't know what to do -- can this be fixed or am I stuck with it?

Postby **czechmate** » Sat 07 Nov, 2009 23:49

Frustrated in Fla wrote:I hired a contractor to build a 12 x 45 foot pool with 4 feet to 5 feet depth. After the concrete was hard enough to walk on, I walked in and realized it was less than 3 feet to about 4.5 feet. The contractor built up the sides a little - now it will be around 3' 2" deep to 4' 6" deep. This is not what I contracted for and I am not happy about it. I don't know what to do -- can this be fixed or am I stuck with it?

Dear Sir:
If you have a written contract, stating the depth of shallow and deep measurements and the finish is 1 foot less, you are in the rocking chair. Remember, even a sketch means finish product, not a rough dig.
You hired him to build a pool not a pond on the farm!
You can now name your price you willing to pay for the product.
Deduct the cost of build up, raising terrain around it, including change of landscape, delay and personal trauma.
If it happened to me, on the good day, I would consider to cover the cost of gunite from the vendor.
(Dig, rebar, and shooting gunite will be free).
And it would depend entirely on the contractor to make it the good day!
If the contractor does not like it, he will have to take it out and start from scratch.
He may have been stupid enough not to supervise the dig and screwed up.
He will not loose his ass on the complete rework. It is far better to loose $7,000 than $15,000.
Even High school dropout knows that.
If you do not have a written contract, chalk it up to lifetime experience and I feel for you.
Let us know how it went!

Gavin Wills · Postby **Gavin Wills** » Tue 01 Dec, 2009 04:09

No , do not let the man who cannot even get the depth right try to build up the coping. I really doubt that he knows that he has to embed 12mm deformed reo 125mm into the existing concrete with epirez 633 @200 centres vertical then tie same bars @150mm centres horizontal with min 50mm cover in every direction.
It's as easy as baking a cake after 36 years building and renovating concrete swimming pools, and the last 10 only doing the same on 25m and 50m commercial jobs.
Another thing I cannot believe about this is that the sub-contractors doing the formwork and steel must of know that the depths were wrong, they must have,as soon as they turned up on site they would have known it was too shallow without even taking any levels. Anyway in Australia where I live the licenseing board would demand to have it rectified @ the builders expence SO YOU STILL OWE HIM A FEW MORE PROGRESS PAYMENTS,I AM A LITTLE BIT AGGRESSIVE I WOULD MAKE THEM JACKHAMMER IT OUT WITH AN EXCAVATOR/ROCKBREAKER or I would let him build it up if the surrounds allow it with a lovely timber deck. But it is all up to you. Just try to be fair and work out a solution that suits both of you. bye!

Guest · Postby **Guest** » Tue 01 Dec, 2009 18:08

That's still 10-20% shallower than you had agreed on. I agree with czechmate that if you can live with this pool, then deal for the price you want to pay. The contractor will take the loss rather than have to go to the expense of demolishing the shell and starting again.

If you really aren't happy then the contractor has a whole load of rebuilding or you have some major yard work on the books!