In 2012 I bought a house on a short sale that had an old in-ground pool. When I say old, I'm talking about 30 years or so. On top of that, the previous owners didn't take the best care of it. So basically I had a very cosmetically outdated pool with plaster that was eroding away and very rough.
I lived with it for a while, and in December of 2015, I decided it was time to fix it up and add some new features. Although this was a residential renovation/remodel, it was a big job. I was doing a resurface along with new waterline tile and cap tile, which is pretty normal. I was also going to do away with the never-functioning-properly in-floor cleaning system and having four standard returns plumbed in. In addition, I wanted to add a water feature and a baja shelf.
I researched online a bit, did the best I could at figuring what the cost should be based on work others had done, and narrowed it down to four builders. I contacted them and set up appointments to meet with each of them to get estimates. The first builder never bothered to show up for the appointment, and didn't bother to call either. When I called, they were pretty dismissive about it, so I decided if I can't get them out when they're trying to make a sale, I had doubts they'd be any good to work with once they had my money.
Next up was Blue Dot Pools. James, the owner, was the person who came out to do the estimate. I don't know what it was...it's not something I could put my finger on, but he was instantly likable. There was no sales pitch, no memorized spiel to go through. He simply introduced himself and told me about himself and his company. Afterward, he went around and took his measurements and sat with me to go over what I wanted. One thing I remember is a sentence he said to me during our first meeting, This is your pool. He would say that any time I would ask about having something done. Don't worry about what I think or what I want...this is your pool. Considering how many builders out there are more concerned about doing things their way and pushing products/services on you that they want to sell, this was really refreshing.
The next day James emailed me an itemized estimate along with a hand-drawn design for the wall/water feature we talked about (he doesn't do the fancy 3D computer design stuff). The pricing came back right around what I expected (actually, a little lower), so there were no issues there.
At this point I did something I wouldn't really recommend - I called and cancelled my other appointments. I figured I was just offered a good price by a builder I was very comfortable with, so I rolled the dice with James and Blue Dot Pools. Boy, am I glad I did.
Blue Dot Pools isn't one of the huge companies, and he uses sub-contractors as opposed to having an in-house crew for all of the different facets of the job. Let me also tell you that every single sub-contractor, actually every single person, that came out to work on this project was friendly, courteous, and respectful of my property. This is important because this wasn't a new build, it was a remodel of an existing pool in a yard that already had desert landscaping. I'll also tell you that the work completed from every crew that came out, from chip-out to tile, to plumbing/electrical, and finish application was absolutely outstanding. Nothing needed to be fixed or re-done throughout this whole process.
James was there every step of the way, checking to make sure people showed up on time and then inspecting work after it was completed. He was also in constant communication with me, via text, phone, and email to answer any questions I had. This is the owner, mind you. I really can't say enough about Blue Dot Pools and James' customer service. Simply second-to-none.
James was very patient with me as I waffled on some of my decisions, and never once got frustrated with me, even when I did some upgrades at the last-minute. He just kept saying, This is your pool.
When all was said and done, my old outdated pool had been turned into a gorgeous little oasis. This is the kind of pool you expect to see at a nice hotel, only smaller. This has just been a great experience from start to finish.
One final thing I'd like to add...James never really treated this like another job. He was actually enthusiastic about it and was almost as excited as I was to see the finished product. He took pictures constantly and was always going on about how nice this was going to be when it was done. He was right. It exceeded my expectations, as did he. This is a man who really enjoys and takes pride in what he does. He should be proud of himself and his company. I give James and Blue Dot Pools my highest recommendation if you are in the market for a new pool, remodel, renovation, or pool service. Absolutely second-to-none.
