My wife and I had a pool built two years ago and we’re so glad we chose Superior Pools. Constructing a pool is one of the few things one does that is literally cast in concrete. This was our first pool so we were very careful selecting the design, the deck material, the pool equipment, and most importantly, the builder.
After interviewing a number of pool builders, we realized there are important characteristics that distinguish one from another. Some builders don’t provide 3D drawings, for example, claiming such diagrams couldn’t be used for construction purposes. Turns out, not true; they just didn’t want to buy the pool software and associated graphics computers, both of which are quite expensive. Other pool builders told us they don’t make equipment warranty claims on the customer’s behalf. One builder told us not to worry, they would tell us exactly what to say so the warranty claim wouldn’t be denied by the manufacturer. Another pool builder was able to produce 3D drawings but didn’t want to spend the time needed to finalize the design. We later learned he got in trouble with the County for lying about pool permits.
We discovered most pool builders use sub-contractors, which at first, seemed fine. Turns out sub-contractors are independent and can be difficult to schedule, resulting in construction delays. We have a neighbor who used a pool builder who had no in-house staff at all. His subs took over a year to complete the job. Afterwards, that builder didn’t answer the phone when it came to service.
My wife and I learned that travertine distributors don’t guarantee quality and color, often delivering broken pieces or pavers that don’t look like the showroom samples. Most of the pool builders we contacted warned us they would not be responsible for travertine; we had to accept it as delivered and pay for replacements if the recommended extra 10% wasn’t sufficient. Nor would they be responsible for travertine settling after a few years, as it typically does in Florida; we would have to pay for it to be reset when the time came. The more questions we asked, the more we realized we had concerns one typically doesn’t come upon until after the contract is signed, which of course is too late.
We happened upon Superior Pools in the Pool and Spa News annual list of top 50 pool builders nationwide and learned they were ranked #1 in customer service. We met with the owner, Jon Krawczyk. He has old school values – integrity, commitment, honesty, personal relationships. When we expressed our travertine concerns to Jon, he replied “Don’t worry. If it isn’t what it’s supposed to be, I’ll make it right, at my expense”. “I’ll treat you as if I were building my own pool”, Jon told us. And he did.
Our pool consultant, Ben, worked with us in finalizing the design. There were many iterations which were easy to conceptualize with the 3D color drawings. Using Ben’s computer, we were able to look at our future pool and deck from many different angles. Ben was able to show us in real time how each change looked. He not only had this state-of-the art technology at his disposal, he gave us as much of his time as we needed; a benefit not provided by his competitors. The end result was a beautiful pool, spa, and sun shelf that came out exactly the way we wanted.
Our pool was completed in four weeks, as promised. Having their own crews on staff allowed the various construction phases to be scheduled with no delays, a feat I understand that isn’t commonplace in the industry. Superior Pools maintains a good working relationship with County building departments and expeditiously scheduled the various required inspections, all of which passed without a hitch. We had several issues during the first two years, and Superior Pools promptly made repairs and dealt directly with equipment manufacturers on warranty claims. They were the only builder that took responsibility for travertine, replacing all unsatisfactory pavers at no additional cost to the customer. When the travertine pavers later settled, as anticipated, they reset them, replaced the ones that cracked, and power washed the deck, again without additional expense.
Jon stands by his work and wants his customers to be happy. Jon’s sales, construction, and maintenance staff are a reflection of his values. They went out of their way to provide excellent customer service. Superior Pools is not the low-cost builder. In fact, they’re more expensive than their competitors, BUT the integrity and exemplary support exhibited to us was well worth it. We consider it an investment that pays handsome dividends.
Jon likes to make a deal with a handshake. When you get to that point, you’ll know you made the right decision.