Working with Grant Smith (Aqualink Pools and Spas)….. was one of the best decisions we ever made. Although the name of his firm suggests a spas and pools focus and he does indeed have an impressive amount of technical and creative expertise in the design and construction of all manner of spas, pools and water features, his talents in designing and building both hardscape and plantings go far beyond pools and spas. We knew Grant was a “head above” the competition when his bid was much more thorough than the other two bids we received and he spent twice as much time with us going over his bid, explaining what needed to be done, why he chose the materials he did and answering all of our questions. Here was someone who really cared about doing the job well and cared about us as customers.

Working with Grant was an amazingly positive experience. The basic design for this landscaping project was done by Studio-H (a Newport Beach Landscape Architecture firm) but the task of translating that design into a physical reality was done by Aqualink. Grant’s ability to work with us and our landscape architects really helped in dealing with the many small but important issues that crop up on any project like finding a way to site our spa so that it looked best and accounted for the fact that our backyard retaining wall, which we had assumed was parallel to the back of our house was not actually parallel.

Grant’s suggestion for changes in the layout of the staggered texture pavers in the backyard as well as the tiles and finishes for our amazing spa really served to enhance the beauty of the finished project. His meticulous attention to detail and quality resulted in a project that has done well over time and required minimal maintenance. His design for the drainage system made it possible to place drains that not only look attractive but also function so well that the winter rains ran off into the drainage system with no pooling or puddles. His work in finalizing and implementing the engineering design of our new over the hillside deck was equally impressive. The deck was built with a steel infrastructure set into deep footings on the hillside, obviously a far more complex way to build a deck than the usual wooden structure but well worth the effort since it is both much safer and much more durable than the usual wooden deck structure.

He more than fulfilled his early promise. Grant and his team showed up every day, on time, worked hard and efficiently and left on time. They kept the job site clean and tidy EVERY Day. They were sensitive to our neighbors and tried to keep the noise and mess to a minimum.

As with any projects, there were challenges along the way. At every turn Grant was there, solving problems, dealing with city officials with intelligence, grace and unfailing good humor. I have to say there were several times when I would have had some choice words for some of the city officials he had to work with; but, Grant was the consummate professional and expertly pushed around or over every bump in the quagmire that is a city bureaucracy.

At every step Grant kept us informed. If we had a question and texted him, he answered within minutes… EVERY time we texted, … seriously…. who does that?

When the job was finally completed, we were thrilled with the result. It was everything we had wanted. It was beautiful. And every day since then, we have enjoyed every element of the oasis Grant and his team created for us.

But the story does not end there. Grant continued to keep in touch, to make sure everything was working as we expected. Again… who does that.?

We were not the only ones who were impressed with Grant’s work. Our neighbors and our friends all commented on the excellence of his work and the professionalism of his staff. The architectural committee member from our homeowner’s association (who bird dogged the whole project) was also very complementary.
The fact that Grant was able to do very accurate cost estimates meant that the whole project was accomplished without any unexpected cost over-runs… truly amazing.

As we sat in our beautiful spa last night.. we again thought.. Hiring Grant was one of the best decisions we ever made. Thank you Grant for making our dream come true is such spectacular fashion.

After a lengthy process of interviewing 4 different contractors we selected Grant with Aqua-Link. During the entire process, even prior to our selecting Grant he always remained in contact with us. He was not the most expensive nor the least, but he was able to provide a product and service that was of the best quality for the price. Most importantly, he was ALWAYS available and communicative throughout the project and if any issues arose. In the end, his expertise and suggestions for why he uses larger pipes for his pool makes total sense. Our pool and spa heat up twice as fast as our neighbors with smaller pipes. He stands by his work and the products he uses and to this day (two years later) he is still very responsive to any questions we have. We’ve never had a contractor prior nor since Grant that has been so hand-on, responsive and supportive. We highly recommend him.

Aqua-Link Pools and Spa helped us to lay a large patio and build a fire pit. They also put in landscape lighting, irrigation and helped us to landscape our new garden. The end result exceeded our expectations. The crew worked very hard and completed tasks on a timely schedule. The work that was done was very professional. I especially appreciated the owner’s quick replies to any phone calls I made. I would highly recommend Aqua-Link Pools and Spa. It was a completely positive experience.

I would highly recommend Grant and his team at Aqua-Link. They provided the most complete proposal and provided multiple options for our budget. The proposal was complete with line-by-line expenses, dates, and payment schedules. One of the best things about Aqua-Link is their professionalism and responsiveness. I would use them again for anything related to a pool project at our home or in a new home.

I cannot speak highly enough regarding the integrity and quality that Grant (Aqua-Link) demonstrated during our entire backyard project. He was referred to us by a neighbor who highly recommended Grant and I would absolutely do the same. Grant was a pleasure to work with the entire time and a man of his word. Months after the project was completed, he is still available for “fine tuning”. I feel I had a unique positive experience during our backyard total redo and do not hesitate giving Grant a well deserved 5 star rating. Thank you Grant!

You can’t go wrong with Grant Smith and his crew at Aqua-link Pools and Spas!! We had a big project but Grant made it seem easy. His knowledge, confidence and detailed documentation, along with his excellent communication skills made what could have been a messy, stressful project, an enjoyable experience. It is obvious Grant and his crew take pride in their work and his honest work ethic is a pleasure doing business with. His industry knowledge and diligence to all aspects of the job such as soil requirements, proper drainage and quality masonry work are all key aspects in turning out quality workmanship.

The best part of working with Aqua-link Pools and Spas however, is the beautiful end product!! I would recommend them without hesitation.

If you are looking to build a pool/spa, an outdoor entertaining area or have landscaping done, Grant Smith and Aqua-Link Pools and Spas is hands-down the best choice. We hired them after interviewing multiple companies for the job. We were impressed by Grant’s knowledge and enthusiasm. He knew about different aspects of our job like the soil and city drainage requirements. Construction itself is messy and chaotic but Grant was there to guide us through the process and always kept us in the loop about what was going on. He was always available and promptly answered our questions. Anytime we had a slight change, he was there to make sure it was implemented. He also used top quality equipment and made sure that everything was built to last. Don’t go cheap on your project because this can cause you problems in the long run. We’ve seen first hand how Aqua-Link plans for the future and makes sure that our pool/spa will always bring us enjoyment and not headaches. We could not be more thrilled with the way our pool and backyard turned out. We absolutely love it! We have weekly swim lessons in our pool with kids on the block and the teacher has been teaching swim lesson for years. She told us that our pool and spa was the best she has ever seen. She is one of numerous people to tell us that our pool is the most beautiful and well thought out that they have seen. You won’t regret choosing Grant and Aqua-Link Pools and Spas for your project. They are the best!

I was quite bewildered by the varying pool bids and opinions I received from contractors. I was searching online to make sense of them when I came across Grant Smith’s numerous forum posts regarding high standard pool building techniques. I reached out to Grant for advice. I can tell he is one of the contractors that takes a lot pride in their work. Even though, he is not building my pool, he took the time to review & advise me on a bid from another contractor which I am so very grateful for. I wish it was possible for me to hire him.

It was a pleasure to work with Aqualink Pools for my new backyard pool and hardscape installation!
Grant completed the project on time and on budget, and the results exceeded my expectations. Both his crew, as well as his subcontractors, are professional, diligent, and easy to work with. The knowledge that Grant brings to his projects of both the industry in general and the hydrology/engineering behind the design aspects proved to be invaluable during the design and construction process.
I would recommend Aqualink Pools without hesitation for your pool construction, hardscape, or landscape needs!

Andy V.

The company did a great job with all aspects of the project. All documentation was complete and professional. Payment schedules were clearly defined and the work product was excellent.

The best part of our experience was Aqua-Link Pools allowed us to create the pool we wanted. They went above and beyond searching for the right materials to make our custom pool and spa look exactly how we had invisioned it! Grant was our key contact and he was always available for questions before during and AFTER our project.

My wife posted a review already about how awesome Grant and his team are but I wanted to include photos of the finished product. We just had our first summer with our pool and spa and every time we used it we couldn’t believe how beautiful and well made it was. We definitely picked the right contractor.