Misconceptions and truths...

In the pool industry as well as probably all other industries there are common misconceptions.  Like with anything else in life you get what you pay for.  A lot of people want a pool quote over the phone, or via email, and it just doesn't work that way.  With a pool builder, your going to want to go with someone who can convey your ideas into a finished product.  Your going to be dealing with the person for a 2 month period of time, and should have a good relationship with the person.  Trust and understanding are the 2 biggest factors that will lead to a project going good and smooth.  Pricing should be important, but not the end all.  You'll need to do an apples to apples comparison, because there are a lot of things that the average consumer have no idea of the price.  I've seen many pools, built by other companies, where I'm like, "we lost a job to these guys".  They'll sale pools with no waterline tile, no deck, no floor system, single equipment set ups on pool/spa combinations, ugly water features, and a whole slew of other stuff.    A lot of stuff that seems small to consumers, but builders know its a way to keep cost down.  I for one, wouldn't like anything "cheap" on my property.  If you buy it cheap, it usually will sell cheap.  And I think a lot of people are starting to realize this, as they try to sell their homes with "cheap" pools in the backyard.    New homebuyers, "ideally" don't want them. 
    A lot of people think they can save money going the owner builder route.  Well, you probably can save yourself some money, but the project "usually", won't go the way you plan.  There are a lot of things that go into the process of building a swimming pool, and a lot of things that can go wrong.  Dealing with just subcontractors is not recommended for building a swimming pool.  Subs, usually only know about their specific trade, and usually only care about their scope of work upon completion.  Say if there's a problem with the plumbing, your gunite guy isn't going to know what to do about that.  Or your rebar guy about the plaster of the pool.  They just simply don't see the whole scope of work.  They care about their trade, and their trade only.  This is what "general contractors" get paid to do.  We are paid to bring subs together to complete a whole job.  Not just parts of it.  We've seen many owner builders turn into nightmares, because you simply have to have the experience to tackle the process.  And to be good at anything, usually takes time.
    Usually go with a builder who was referred from a friend.  It's how I like to do business with people.  I like to build a relationship with a person, and it's usually easier to trust someone, that a friend has already dealt with.  Anyone can make a good first impression. When your dealing with a high priced project, such as a swimming pool, you'll want to know that the contractor is trustworthy, and has a good reputation of doing business.  You won't want to spend 50,000 dollars with someone you don't trust.