Throughout the years, we have been called out on many occasions to provide quotes on everything from new pool builds to renovations, to service work, etc. Upon providing the requested quote to the customer, I have been met on occasion with a statement similar to: "Wow! I got 2 other quotes and they were both 1/2 of yours! Why is your price so much more expensive than theirs?!" Our quotes are itemized, so you can see exactly where your money goes. We list the specific parts, equipment and materials being used as well as what's included in the labor. We have nothing to hide from you! We want you to make an informed decision that is best for your needs as well as your budget! There is no need to be vague, because before we take on any project, we come up with a specific plan beforehand on how best to tackle the job, what will be needed to make that happen, and then verify the environmental factors. So if we are changing an undersized pump from a 1hp pump that is run on a 115v circuit, however the new 3hp pump requires 230v, we will take into consideration the need to upgrade the circuit to a 2 pole, 230v circuit on order for the pump to be able to run. The company that didn't account for this, would indeed give you a much better price up front, because they hadn't factored in the necessary time and materials to upgrade the electric for the project at hand. So how do they handle it? They're already on site, and want to finish the job and get paid. Well? They have some 14 awg stranded wire on the truck. Code calls for solid 12awg. 14awg will get the job done, without leaving for an extra trip to a distributor to get the proper wire, and save the contractor not only the cost of 25' of wire for a 6' run, but the time of driving each way to go buy it, etc. It seems like a little thing, however, when that pump is operating at max capacity, and drawing higher amps, that 14 awg wire heats up, due to the undersized conductor. Resistance equals heat and heat will break down the conductor, make connections come lose, cause soldered connections in the equipment to melt loose, causing equipment failure, and in more severe cases, you can wind up with electrical arcing, fire, etc. At 4074 Pools and Spas we are thorough in assessing what the job will involve up front, so there are no hefty surprise charges down the road and giving you a thorough quote from the beginning, specifically using the best quality parts and materials for YOUR specific job. We don't warehouse common or generic parts, and then "make it work" for your project. Every project is different and has different requirements and we strive to meet those challenges in a clean, professional and workmanlike manner. Our employees take PRIDE in their craft! Additionally anytime we are designing or laying out a project, we always consider required clearances, future maintenance and service needs, accessibility, etc., which many companies don't take into consideration, and will slap things together, in a manner which makes future maintenance or access impossible. There are a lot of things to be considered by a reputable company.
Below you will find a series of photos of work done by "Professionals" in the field who claimed "They can do it cheaper," so future prospective clients can get an idea of the kinds of things contractors have done in order to shave money off the price and win the job, later leaving the homeowners with FAR more costly problems to be taken care of, equipment failing prematurely, safety issues, wasted money, difficulty finding a new contractor to "fix" what the previous company did, which is very difficult to do, because of the liability concerns associated with any other problems caused by the prior company.
