To help illustrate our point of just how critical it is to select the right pool builder we are sharing what we call Pool Builder Bloopers. While we are proud to say none of these photos are of any of our jobs, they are actual photos of competitors projects.
Many of these situations served as the catalyst for the parting of ways between some excellent Project Mangers, Sub contractors and their respective Employers.
After a few seasons as Project Mangers, Subcontractors and Installers some of our staff grew tired of becoming an apologist for their employer. These Pool Builders were typically good people too embarrassed to admit during the project, that the promise of quality made by the commissioned salesman, never materialized. Or as often the case, the rush to keep up with layers of production schedules, and promised completion dates that lead to oversights, shortcoming and cover-ups.
These companies are driven by sales volume. They must sell large a large volume of pools, to offset the overhead needed to support that very same volume. It often becomes a resource robbing cycle of events. More pools, more mistakes requiring more people and associated overhead. In the end the customers "new pool" often resembles one that has been hacked and patched resembling a old pool renovation.
These same builders often lay claim to have built more pools than anybody...ever...on the entire planet...since before the dawn of time..." (or some such sales hype). Or they boast of being "Voted Best of This and Greatest of That" typically by the same publications that they spent thousands of dollars with in monthly advertising.
We don't believe in Gimmicks. Hype. Sales Commissions or False Advertising Claims. Free lights, Salt Systems, Pool Cleaners and Pebble Finishes are never "FREE", but rather buried in the price. Again, just more smoke and mirrors designed to get you sign this.
We decided to create a company with like minded people that could focus on quality construction - only a couple of pools at a time - and prevent these construction train wrecks.
Our business model is different. We strive to keep our overhead low, our volume manageable and pass the savings on to the customer. You can't find a better built pool offering as much value and savings as ours.
We live, work and support our local community and pride ourselves in not having to hide in public from the embarrassment of a job gone badly. Come back and visit these pictures often during your decision process.
Visit our 10-point promise guarantee to learn how we prevent these things from happening on our jobs.
As a customer of Aquatic Retreats Inc. you will never be told that any of these conditions are "normal" or to be expected during construction. We view these photos as simply unacceptable and bad reflection on our industry as a whole.

Critical Re-bar Reinforcement tying the Bond Beam to the Spa structure left approximately 8" outside of the Bond Beam.

Bench Therapy Jets plumbed uneven. Should be same distance from waterline tile.

Unsightly trash left behind by subcontractors. Child safety fence
is not providing protection around the pool

Builder forgot to plumb spa jet requiring removal of spa shell.
Unfortunately an excessive amount material was removed
and subsequently filled with inferior stucco mix.

One too many holes for the jets. Resulted in thin spa wall filled with stucco mix.

Plumbing for jet. Notice the uneven tile joints.

Not much sense in having a screen enclosure with gaps like that. Notice the
uneven tile and missing fourth tile from the left. This pool isn't even completed
and it is ready for a renovation.

Concrete over pour could of easily been removed when wet, instead contractor
had to chase down sub for demolition at homeowners demand.

Notice the cut in repair above the spa light niche. The builder forgot to install it.

The setting of the proper elevation was left to unsupervised subcontractors and
resulted in pavers that that were raised above the coping.

Non uniform brick cuts. No attention to detail.

Failure to connect skimmer prior to pavers resulted in this.

Poor installation of radius shear descent water fall.




Job cleanliness can be an indicator of quality.

When you pay $40.00 per deco tile they should at least be straight!
.

Stained driveway caused by ground water being pumped during excavation.
Contractor failed to route hose to gutter resulting in this permanent stain.
.

This would be funny until you realize that water and electricity don't mix

Notice how irregular the lower curve is on the step up riser?
You will never see clumps of bag mix used to form a structural step riser on our pools.