Am I Paying Too Much For Coping And Tile Replacement?

[NeilS]

Hi Folks:

I wish I had found this forum a few weeks ago! We bought a house a couple of years ago that came with an in-ground swimming pool -- something I know very little about! It is in sad shape -- no question the coping, tiling, and entire deck needs replacing. We contracted with the company that maintains the pool to first get the coping and tile replaced. As we talk to them about replacing the deck, I am starting to think we are in over our heads. (No pun intended).

I don't think our pool company is a ripoff -- they have been in business for 30 years, have won awards from the Pool and Spa Association, they do commercial pools, etc. It's just that maybe they are a bit upmarket for my budget.

First off, I am trying to find out if we are paying a high price for the coping and tile replacement. As I said, we have already paid a 50% deposit and signed the contract, so there is no going back from this portion of the work. But the deck is a huge job also, and I need to see if we are paying more than we need to for the first phase, and if we should stay with this company.

Our pool is about 20 x 40, irregular -- about 125 linear feet. Our contractor is going to:

- drain pool

- chop out and remove existing coping and tile

- supply and install granite "mosaic" coping (looks like nice stone to me)

- supply and install 6 x 6 inch Italian Rock Face tile band

- apply caulk joint between coping and deck

That's all they're doing. Repainting and refilling pool is not included.

Total cost for the job is just under $15,000.

Does this sound reasonable? I should point out that we live in a very expensive part of the country, just outside New York City, and that as I said, I think they are a very good, very professional firm. Given that, what do folks think about what we are paying here? Should we stay with them for the decking repair? I can give those price estimates later!

Thanks so much for any help

[Albertgrouplandscaping.com]

Where in NY are you?

I would be interested in quoting the deck. You can check out my web sites albertgrouplandscaping.com or newyorkingroundpools.com.

Thank you, Jamie 845-782-1122

[ecotr]

Have you looked for a guy that could do a decorative concrete overlay on this deck instead of tile? With doing a thin stamped over lay you could make it look any thing you want and for the same money or less than tile. I would suggest taking a look at www.elitecrete.com and looking for a distributer near you and they will put you in touch with a contractor that will get you a price.

[4serendipity]

If you live in an upscale area with moderately inflated prices then this price would be just about right for a large and established firm. It is a big job to be sure - but more than this coping and tile require skilled artisans as opposed to general labourers so the job is that much more costly overall.

I would suspect that you could have found a smaller, but reliable contractor to do the same work including the interior finish of the pool for the same price. It sounds like you may have chosen the expensive route but look at it this way - the job will likely look good and the company will probably stand behind their work. Overall you will be looking at the deck, tile and coping for the next 30 years so it may as well look nice.

I hope this information is helpful.

S