It seems like a reasonable price. The only issue I would make is the use of Hayward equipment. I would say that the majority of the pool builders in this country use Pentair equipment. Hayward has not been very good about honoring the warranty on their products the last several years. There seems to always be issues in regards to their salt systems and anytime I could get their warranty station to show up they always tried to point the finger at us the pool builder. They came out to one of my jobs that was showing some inacurate temperature readings from their automation system. This particular unit had only been installed for about 3 months. They told the homeowner that the system I bought for them was outdated and must be used. Well it was not a used system nor was it outdated. I purchased it new and in the box from my supplier. I also used their northstar pump until I had to replace every single one of them. I can tell you that your pool builder is not trying to save money by using Hayward equipment. It's actually quite expensive. Obviously he has had better luck with Hayward standing behind their product than all the rest of us

My pool is very similar and was just finished in Spring, Tx. Almost identical size pool and raised spa. It has Pentair equipment, 2 ton moss rock waterfall, Pebble-Tec finish (about $2500 adder), no LED lighting, 350 ft2 of concrete deck. We paid $45K and are very satisfied. We had one bid at $55K and three (3) at $45K. Hope this helps.

I have noticed on this forum that people have different experiences with different equipment manufacturers depending on where they live.

In the Central Florida area where we build pools, Hayward seems to have a little better customer service when it comes to handling warranties than Pentair. I do mean a little bit!
The Jandy rep is next to impossible to get a hold of and they completely suck! I really think it depends on the rep in your area. I suggest you call a couple of warranty service centers in your area to see what their recommendations are since they are the ones that have to deal with these guys everyday.

It looks like you are getting a fair deal on your pool, I would strongly suggest you switch to the newer and more energy efficient TriStar pump. I have a Northstar on my pool and it is next to impossible to get the damn lid off to clean it. I have to get a hammer and flat heat screwdriver to bang it loose. We also have had many Northstars not pass our plumbing inspection due to leaky seals.

I donÂt recommend plaster finish on such a nice pool check out Pebble Tec or Pebble Sheen.

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

Does anyone have photos of a "moss" rock waterfall? I am not too familiar with this in my area, or atleast we do not call it a "moss" waterfall???

It seems a little high, but not outrageous by any means. That 880 s.f. of slate may be bumping the price up quite a bit. We have some friends that have a pool similar to yours but a bit bigger- 500 s.f. freeform with spa, SWG, flagstone coping, etc. Theirs was 37k. The biggest differences are their decking was washed aggregate versus your slate, and they don't have a rock waterfall (although they do have 3 sheer decents). Our own pool is 400 s.f., moss stone grotto and 11' long waterfall, quartz finish, decorative tile mosaics, etc. and it was 35k. But we don't have a spa and our decking is washed aggregate.

Quote: "Does anyone have photos of a "moss" rock waterfall? I am not too familiar with this in my area, or atleast we do not call it a "moss" waterfall???"

Moss rock just refers to the fact that the rocks have moss and lichen growth on them. Here's a picture of ours (still under construction):

http://www.treswright.vervehosting.com/Misc/Pool/P1010002.JPG

You can't see the moss in the pic very easily, but the rocks are covered with mossy growth. I've been doing some reading on moss and I suspect that most of it will die off due to sun exposure except for the growth on the north side of the wall. Moss likes to grow in dark, damp locations.

As another data point, we're in Clear Lake, TX and have a pool very similiar to that but a bit smaller (92 linear feet including the hot tub), but with stamped concrete decking for about $42k.

I forgot to say that both of the pools I described are just east of Dallas. Locale has a lot to do with pool pricing I've noticed! It seems that we get really good pricing in TX compared to some other states.

Thanks for all the comments...very helpful. Has anyone seen or put in Indian Autumn slate? It's about a $5K upgrade (included in my bid) from the generic sun deck (aka xcel) that was offered. I don't know if it's slippery or uneven. Was told by the PB to stay away from stamped concrete. Is that good advice?

Stamped concrete is slippery when wet, it also gets really hot in the sunlight. I'm not familiar with Xcel, but if it's the same as Master Deck/ Kool Deck, etc. then that's a popular deck coating (remains cool and is non-slip). Slate is good too as long as it's not a dark color (dark = hot).

Who built your pool tmike?

I too am from Houston and am in the process of finishing up mine. Yours is similar size and equipment.

I recommend the intelliflo 4x160 (pentair) pump - your going to pay through the nose for electricity on that 2 hp.

My HT is raised 12 inches, I have a 30' 12" raised beam across the back with (2) 24" shear descents above benches and 3 bubblers on a tanning ledge, and flagstone coping. pool came with a supply side cleaner and pump. We are also a SWG system with an UV system to boot.

We upgraded the finish to Atlima (by wet-edge) with which we are not happy at all, should have stayed with the sunstone select

Including 550 ft. of decking with spraydeck finishing it came to about 43.5

It sounds like you can get a better deal. I'll be happy to share details of my experience and how the job was costed\contracted if you want to come out for a look.

Rafami - my pool was built by Paragon Pools and they did an excellent job.

DON'T EVER GO LESS THAN 8'. YOU'LL BE SORRY IF SOMEONE DIVES IN YOUR 5'4" POOL!!! AND THEY WILL...

quote" It's about a $5K upgrade (included in my bid) from the generic sun deck (aka xcel) that was offered. "quote

This is a fair upgrade price for new slate over new concrete.

I do agree with the others. In our market you should certainly be able to get a better price. It probably won't come from the same bidder.

When a man knows what the value of his product is worth he'll usually give a little, but not a lot. If his work looks great only you can decide if you should sign with a lesser priced contractor.
And, if he drops the price bigtime I'd be really wondering why?

I'm curious, is your potential builder a large company that builds a lot of pools, or a smaller outfit that builds a lower number every year? If it were me, I'd be much more inclined to sign with a smaller company for more money or search around for another company who'd put the price a little more in line with the market.
Have you taken any other bids? If not ask a few to draw a similar pool and provide a written quotation.
If you feel free to share your bidder I'll give you any insight I may have.

See ya,
Kelly