Hopefully, this list of questions will provid you with some insight as to what to look for, and what to steer clear from, when choosing a pool builder. With these questions in hand, you can get a sense of which pool builders can be trusted and which are a risk of creating an unpleasant experience for you.

The last thing a homeowner wants to hear after shelling out thousands of dollars are, “We’re sorry, but the number you have reached is no longer in service.” Having a pool is supposed to be fun and exciting for you and your family, and Campbell’s Pool & Spa wants you to be armed with information concerning your pool purchase before you sign any contracts. We want you to be delighted with your pool, no matter who you buy it from.

01. Where is your business located? Is a showroom available?
02. Under PRESENT OWNERSHIP, how many years has your company been in business?
03. Has anyone in your business ever declared bankruptcy or gone out of business?
04. Will you supply me with contact info of at least three of your suppliers?
05. How many references will you give me?
06. Are you a current member of the APSP and the BBB?
07. Will my checks be made payable to a business account or to a personal account?
08. Do you have workmen’s compensation and general liability insurance?
09. What insurance company should I call to get a copy of your certificate of insurance?
10. How many projects have you done that would qualify you to build my pool?
11. Is all necessary work for the pool included in my contract?
12. Ask for verification that their pool price isn’t a "Bait And Switch."
13. Are lien wavers from vendors and subcontractors provided to prove they’ve been paid?
14. Why should I trust you to build my pool?
15. What’s the ‘Draw Schedule’ for payment on pool construction?

01. Where is your business located? Is a showroom available?
The pool-building industry is notorious for the “One-Poolers,” referring to guys who work out of their trucks to build pools. Anyone working from the back of their truck and living in an RV, apartment, or motel can leave town whenever they want, taking your money with them. However, a pool-builder with strong ties to the community, like one who owns his own home, isn’t likely to disappear from town.

A showroom is important because it allows you to view the builder’s products, see his operations, and meet some of his employees before signing a contract. A pool builder who has a showroom or a long-term lease in a commercial building is also less likely to take your money and leave town, and it shows that they are serious about their business. Also, a builder like this is more likely to have financial resources should something go wrong with your pool.

02. Under your PRESENT NAME with the PRESENT OWNERS, how many years has your company been in business?
Unscrupulous pool builders are miffed by this question because it’s easy for you to research. Unfortunately in this industry, it is common for someone to build some pools, fall into financial difficulties, go bankrupt, and leave many unfinished pools in people’s backyards. A few months later, these exploitative pool builders open a NEW company with a NEW name and continue with the cycle. Sometimes they will even change towns in an attempt to release themselves from their bad reputations. Others, however, might even open a new business right next to the decaying old one, hoping no one will notice they had abandoned their clients. When a pool builder goes out of business, your pool warranty goes with them. It’s not worth risking your home and financial investment.

In this industry, the rule of thumb is to stay away from pool builders who have been in business for less than three years. For maximum safety, deal with pool builders who have been in the business for 10 years or more. Only stable, trustworthy pool builders will last 10 years or longer.

03. Has anyone in your business, such as yourself, your partners, the owners, or the officers, ever declared bankruptcy or gone out of business?
Pool builders who have never declared bankruptcy or gone out of business will not hesitate to tell you. On the other hand, those who have, know their secret is not safe due to easy access to the internet. They will either have to admit it and tell you a sad story about how it “wasn’t their fault,” or you will never hear from them again. It is irrelevant who’s fault it is when you’re stuck with an unfinished pool and no warranty.

04. Will you give me the names and phone numbers of at least three suppliers that you've done business with for the last two years or more?
Suppliers who have been cheated by a pool builder will be more than happy to tell you about their ordeal. Also, if the pool builder does not pay the suppliers’ bills, the homeowner may be left paying the bill (See Question #14 – “Vendor Liens”)

05. How many references will you give me?
You should expect a minimal list of 10 names, but twenty five or more names is preferable. A shorter list shows that your pool builder either hasn’t built many pools or has trouble satisfying his customers.

You should definitely speak with at least five people chosen at random from the list. Arranging a meeting at one of the homes is a good idea because it allows you the chance to see the finished product and talk directly to the homeowner who worked with the builder.

06. Are you a current member of the APSP and the BBB?
The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) both demand ethical business practices from all their members. An ethical pool builder has no reason not to join since the fees for membership are not burdensome.

The construction standards for the pool industry written by the APSP require its members to adhere to those strict standards. The highest level of certification offered by the APSP is the “Certified Building Professional” certificate, which ideally, the pool builder should show you. A clear warning sign for you is if a pool builder is not a member of both the BBB and the APSP.

07. Will my checks be made payable to a business account or to a personal account?
It can be difficult to discern between bank accounts if the company’s name is the same as the principal’s name. For example, if the pool builder’s name is “John Green,” and the check is made payable to “John Green,” then he can cash the check at your bank to avoid paying any state or Federal income taxes. You might be held accountable if the IRS discovers this.

When the company’s name includes “Inc.,” for example, or the principal’s name is only a portion of the company’s name (e.g., “John Green Pool Construction Co.”), then the bank is required to deposit the check into the pool builder’s checking account, greatly reducing the risk of the builder running off with your money.

08. Do you have workmen’s compensation and general liability insurance?
Someone hired by the pool builder to do work on your pool that is not an employee is called a “subcontractor.” Subcontractors can be anyone from a plumber, laborer, gunite shooter, or an electrician. You could end up with a liability should something happen to one of these laborers.

A pool builder with Workmen’s Compensation Insurance protects you from paying the subcontractor’s lost wages. A General Liability Policy protects you from lawsuits and the laborers’ other liabilities. You are put at risk if a pool builder has neither of these policies. A professional pool builder will have both policies, protecting you from any liabilities.

09. What insurance company should I call to get a copy of your certificate of insurance?
Any pool builder who says they’ll “get you a copy” or pulls it out of his briefcase is not trustworthy. Anyone can alter the dates of an expired policy, which is why the certificate of insurance must come directly from the insurance company to you. A reputable pool builder won’t hesitate to give you the name and number of his insurance company.

10. How many projects have you done that would qualify you to build my pool?
Today’s pools are substantially more sophisticated than they were a few years ago. With new features like “Vanishing Edges,” “In-Floor Cleaning,” “Grottos,” “Weeping Walls,” and countless others, it takes experience and engineering knowledge. They can be very expensive and disappointing disasters if undertaken by someone with insufficient experience.


Acquire the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the pool builder’s clients who have the special features you’re considering. Call them and inquire if the features work as promised and if they had any trouble with the builder. A professional pool builder will most certainly oblige by providing you with the names you ask for.

11. Is all necessary work for the pool included in my contract?
No matter where you live, it is possible for a pool builder to hit rock when digging your pool. A typical ploy unprofessional pool builders use to swindle your money includes asking you for more money to compensate for them being unprepared, or they may try to sell you a “rock clause” or insurance policy in advance under the guise of “protecting you from possible additional expense.” The reason this is considered deceitful is because a professional pool builder already knows whether or not he’s likely to hit rock, and he will do what is necessary to complete the project without charging you extra for the inconvenience. Another ploy to be wary of is the “rock allowance.” If the amount of time it takes to dig the pool takes longer than stated in the allowance, you could be paying and additional $5,000 or more.

If electrical or patio work is not included in the pool builder’s contract, you will have to search for an electrician and hope they are not inexperienced with pool construction codes and requirements. If a problem arises, the pool builder who left this to you will plead innocent and tell you that you need to work it out with your electrician, delaying your pool project for weeks or even months.

A wise decision is to choose a builder who includes all the requirements for pool completion in the contract and won’t charge extra for necessities he should handle.

12. Ask for verification that their pool price isn’t a “Bait and Switch.”
Dozens of factors impact the cost of a pool. An ethical pool builder will never quote a price without first completing a yard survey and a specific design for your yard. Anytime you run across an ad quoting an actual price, or even if you’re quoted over the phone, avoid signing a contract with that builder. Many contractors will provide you with a low, but artificial price to seduce you into inviting a salesman to your home. This is the “Bait and Switch” tactic, and you should avoid builders who use this method.

13. Are lien wavers from vendors and subcontractors provided to prove they’ve been paid?
A lien waver is a receipt proving funds have been paid to a supplier or contractor, and they do not have lien rights to your home. Upon pool completion, you should have lien wavers from all vendors and subcontractors to prove they have been paid.

A professional pool builder will provide you with lien wavers for all work and materials used to build your pool. You don’t want to be one of the homeowners who have paid 60% – 75% of their pool costs only to have the pool builder leave town after completing 20% of the work. Inevitably, when this happens, they have left the vendors and subcontractors unpaid as well, and these vendors then come to you expecting payment.

14. Why should I trust you to build my pool?
How do you feel about the pool builder personally? How you feel about someone is a great way to sense the personal integrity of the builder you’re dealing with. After all, you will be working with this person for the next two to three months or more, depending on the project’s size. You should ensure this is someone you trust and you feel good about trusting, and this question should let their true personality show.

15. What’s the ‘Draw Schedule’ for payment on pool construction?
Every job is unique, so it’s difficult to define the “ideal” Draw Schedule. As a general rule, however, a pool builder should have no more than 75% of your money by the time he’s finished with the “gunite” (cement) stage, which is only about 25% of the work. One of the reasons many pool builders get into trouble is because they collect too much money up front, running into cash-flow problems when it’s time for completion. By spreading out the Draw Schedule to coincide with the actual amount of work completed, you greatly reduce the risk and temptation for the pool builder to abandon the job. If the Draw Schedule appears to be heavily weighted in favor of the builder, and/or the builder asks for large amounts of your money BEFORE the work is completed, you may be safer looking for another builder.