Natural Creations Pools (425) 430-4307

BASE PRICES OF A POOL – WHAT IS INCLUDED?

Chlorination System: As your contractor, we must sell you a chlorination (sanitization) system which is often an in-line chlorinator. This is a swimming pool chemical feeder designed to hold eleven large chlorine tablets. This treats pools from 6,500 to 27,000 gallons of water.   Circulation Pump: All pools need a pump to suck water from two main drains in the floor of a pool, as well as suck water from the wall skimmer. The circulation pump is typically a one to two horsepower Pentair Whisperflo pump. The circulation pump is important in the functioning of the pool vessel. It pulls water from the floor of the pool as well as from the skimmer at water level. There is a waste basket in the skimmer throat. This basket traps leaves and top surface debris. The circulation pump also returns the heated and filtered water back to the pool. The wall returns are four to six 1 ½ “ schedule 40 PVC pipe that is 12”-18” below water level. There is a directional eyeball fitting reduced to ¾”. This ensures the pressure and helps move water in the direction of the wall skimmer. There are typically four to six of these fittings approximately 12”-18” below water level using the adjustable eyeball fittings. The eyeball fittings are designed to be adjusted so they can push water down the pool walls and into the wall skimmer. It is important to have good pool circulation.

Pool Heater: A typical pool heater is natural gas in various sizes. They range from 100,000 to 400,000 BTU. NC sizes heaters to fit square footage of pools. NC pools offers natural gas, electric, propane and heat pumps. The base price includes natural gas. All other heater types are subject to additional cost.

Pool Light and Nitch Housing: A 5 g color light, 120 volt, 120 foot cord (LED) PVC plastic switch-housing the light mounts inside.

Plaster: Traditional waterline tile pools typically use white marble dust, also known as white coat, is an old process of finishing many pool structures. Used underwater, it provides a superior seal as compared to the more porous gunite or shotcrete. Under ideal conditions, plaster finishes provide 7-10 years of service. However, the Pacific Northwest is not ideal conditions with its freeze and thaw and extreme heat changes. Typically, white plaster will degrade slowly, eventually requiring a fresh coat or renovation.

Natural Creations Pools prefers to use quartz pebble plaster -- a beautiful alternative to marble dust plaster (marcite). Quartz combines enriched Portland cement and colorful ceramic-coated quartz aggregates which can be used in all types of pools (residential and commercial) with a variety of sizes and pigments. Quartz provides limitless options for a one of kind finish and is available in 16 distinctive colors. The benefits of quartz are:

• Proven durability
• Scratch and stain resistance
• Lower maintenance
• Light texture
• Easy to wet-polish to a smooth finish 

Standard on all carved rock pools, NC Pools offers KrystalKrete Quartz pebble plaster in “blue pepper.” Natural Creations designs pools with the best sustainable products. One and done! No need to re-plaster and quartz pool finish. One and done! Imagine, no call backs to your pool company in 6-8 years to fix your rough and discolored white marbled plaster (marcite).

So……the choice is yours: Do you want the cheaper white marcite plaster or NC Pools’ preferred quartz pebble plaster? So regardless of who your contractor is, ask them, “Does your bid include quartz plaster?”

Vessel Construction: NC Pools will design and create a layout, supervise excavation, form the pool perimeter, install structural rebar per engineered pool plan, plumb entire vessel to equipment pad with all pipes holding 10 psi pressure. NC Pools will shotcrete the vessel after the pool has passed all required building department inspections. The shotcrete will be air-placed shotcrete with a 60/40 sand, pearock and 7.5 sack ready mix cement. The vessel walls will be 8” thick and the floors will be 6” thick. Additionally, a set of three steps in one corner of the pool are included.

NC Pools can create any shape of pool or spa that you like using our gunite process. The shape does not change the price. Pricing is based on the size of the perimeter footage. See examples below.

• NC Pools base price starts at $65,000 plus $5,000 for coping and waterline tile for a 15’ X 25’ (375 sq ft of water surface or 80 linear perimeter feet) traditional (rectangle) or free-form pool with a shallow end depth of 3.5’ to a deep end depth of 5’.
• A pool 16’ X 36’ (576 sq ft of water surface or 104 linear perimeter feet) with a shallow end depth of 3.5’ to a deep end depth of 6’ has a base price of $70,000- $75,000 plus $5,000 for coping and waterline tile.
• A pool 20’ X 40’ (800 sq ft water surface or 120 linear perimeter feet) with a shallow end depth of 3.5 to a deep end depth of 6’ has a base price of $75,000 - $80,000 plus $5,000 for coping and waterline tile.

All NC’s pools come with 3 gunite steps in one corner of the pool. These 3 steps will be 2’, 3’ and 4’ wide with a 1’ tread. Clients can substitute 3 plastic wall insert steps with figure 4 stainless steel grab rails. NC Pools wants to provide a safe exit for our customers. So we provide one exit per base price pool.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

Additional Depth: If owner request additional depth, they pay additional trucking costs of dirt, rebar and labor. Deep end depth affects the pool engineering. NC Pools is required to build per structural engineering of pool rebar. Increased depth also increases the rebar needed to be added to the vessel. Also the increased depth requires more material such as shotcrete, plaster and labor. Each additional foot of depth, past the base depth, is $2,000 per foot. Swim Out Benches: These pool design constructions offer an entrance and exit to the pool for swimmers, although swim out benches are not wide enough for lounge chairs like sun shelves and beach entries. The convenience of a swim out bench is that it does not take up the surface area that pool steps require, yet you are able to enter the pool comfortably, as opposed to jumping in. You will find that the swim out bench is often the area of the pool where you spend most of your time restfully sitting in the water. It is also a visually enriching pool design feature. NC Pools highly recommends this feature in the deep end of pools. This is $950 per bench seat with the following dimensions: 3-4’ length, 18-20” seat, 16-20” below water level.

Additional Steps and Benches: NC Pools base price includes 3 gunite steps in one corner of the pool. The top step is 2’, second step is 3’ and the third step is 4’. If an owner requests larger and/or longer steps, the additional cost is $100 per linear foot. Cost includes top and front of steps.

Additional Sun Shelves: If you are building a pool for you and your family to enjoy, we highly recommend a sun shelf in the design. A sun shelf can be featured from an oversized top step or second step, or a completely independent addition to the size of the pool. The sun shelve is the spot for little ones to play, or for you to set up your lounge chair. We often install an umbrella stand in the floor of the shelf. This allows for an umbrella to be placed in the owner’s desired location on the shelf. We often suggest installing GLO Bright bubbler fountains on the shelf’s outer ledge. This is always fun day or night. Lighting effects, combined with the soothing sounds of water cascades, makes for a beautiful backyard experience.

This special feature requires NC Pools to bend engineered rebar to shelf dimensions. This is time consuming and increases material and labor cost. Additional shelves are $1,200.

Salt Chlorination Systems: Why does NC Pools suggest and provide salt water (saline) pool chlorination? This method of pool sanitization is quickly becoming the most popular nationwide. Many people will tell you that salt chlorinated pools simply feel better on the skin – the water is softer and less toxic because a saline pool system produces much less chlorine; and it does so using a salt chlorine generator as opposed to adding harsh chemicals directly to the water.

Salt pools do not cause the eye irritation and stinging that typical chlorine pools are known for. In general, salt pools require less manual labor and are usually clearer. Swim suits, accessories and toys do not fade and break down as quickly. Also, blonde hair does not turn green as it has a tendency to do with traditional chlorine pools. Best of all, salt chlorination systems cost much less to run!!!

Believe it or not, it only takes one teaspoon of salt per gallon of water to sanitize your entire pool. Salt does not wear out or evaporate, so it is constantly renewing itself. Salt-generated chlorine is evenly distributed throughout a pool and spa in the most efficient way possible. Salt chlorination systems are ideal for all types of pools up to 40,000 gallons.

How does it work? Can you taste the salt? NO…you cannot taste the salt, and the water doesn’t smell like traditional chlorine pools. It works with a custom-designed salt cell. It uses an extremely low voltage electrical charge emitted as the water flows through the salt cell and turns the salt into fresh sanitizing chlorine. The return jets in the pool or spa then distribute the perfectly sanitized water throughout pool using the “return inlet wall fittings.”

NC Pools salt systems also connect with a sensor that automatically adjusts the balance so you don’t have to. Pool automation means more time with your family and friends and less time maintaining your pool and spa. Contact NC Pools about building a salt chlorinated pool.

Enjoy the benefits of this environmentally friendly and cost effective way to keep your pool clean and clear.

Sanitation Upgrade: The Del Ozone Solar Eclipse Ozone and UV Generator creates an advanced oxidation process that utilizes exclusive plasma gap ozone technology, with integrated trident Germicidal Ultraviolet light. When ozone and germicidal UV are combined in a single system, the UV light interacts with the ozone, and the resulting chemical reaction generates hydroxyl free radicals. Hydroxyl free radicals have even more oxidation potential than ozone generators and therefore the power of the entire system increases.

Del-Ozone Natural Pool Water Sanitation helps pool owners get the safe clean water they need to protect their family’s health with a lot less fuss than balancing water chemistry using chemicals alone.

Pool Equipment: NC Pools plumbers have over 30 years of experience, so the company is very careful to provide pool equipment installations that are only of the highest level of competence.

As it is evident in this gallery, all the pipes are straight and joints are at 90 degrees, ensuring proper function of pool equipment. You could say the plumbing of a pool is its core, and the most important part of its construction. We at NC Pools believe the equipment pad should be easy and ergonomic to ensure proper use.

RENOVATIONS

NC Pools provides renovation and modernization services. Our experts know how to make your pool, patio and deck as safe and attractive as when they were new – even if we weren’t the original builder.

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MATERIALS + QUALITY = PRICE

NC Pools provides high value and materials to our customers. Our customers have found NC Pools pricing to be extremely competitive and understand the sweetness of a low doesn’t last as long of the bitterness of quality. With the time and money that is invested into adding a swimming pool to a back yard, you want the right swimming pool design and builder to do the job properly, professional and with high quality materials and workmanship. Often times new clients seeking pool prices are not aware of the many options in selecting your poolscape materials, such as “coping”— coping is the term used to identify the stone or concrete material used to cap the pool shell wall. Options available are poured in place concrete, precast concrete material, tile, natural stone, brick and artificial rock. All of these types of coping finishes determine the linear foot cost of a pool. It is very important to select the proper coping for the weather conditions the pool setting will endure. Traditional pools have five options most often used.

Here are the five types of in-ground pool coping:

• Brick coping
• Paver coping
• Travertine/natural stone coping
• Cantilevered concrete coping
• Artificial rock.

Brick pool coping

 

• The average cost of brick coping is $30 - $35 per linear foot.

Paver pool coping

• The average cost of paver coping is $25 - $30 per linear foot.
• The primary difference between brick and paver coping is the type of edge the product has facing the pool. Brick coping has a bullnose or rounded edge and a paver coping has a factory edge similar to regular pavers.
• These terms can vary according to region.

Travertine/natural stone pool coping

• The average cost of travertine/natural coping is $45 - $65 per linear foot. 
• The materials chosen determine the coping cost.
• Milled stone (blue stone) patterns.
• Milled travertine coping – pavers.
• Dry set sand/wet set = cost.

 

Cantilevered concrete pool coping

The average cost of cantilevered concrete coping is. NC has written extensively about cantilevered concrete coping.

Your pool coping and patio will make or break the entire look of the project. NC Pools doesn’t care how many “pool decks” a concrete finisher has poured, because all that matters is the number of cantilevered concrete decks around an in-ground pool that the contractor poured.

Do not allow your pool’s cantilevered coping to be a contractor’s guinea pig. There are very few concrete finishers or cement finishers that are versed in preparing the cantilever forms on a pool coping detail. There are several techniques to forming the cantilever forms.

1. Cantilever concrete forms around an in-ground swimming pool require the installation of special forms that are made of Styrofoam. These forms are temporarily attached to the 6” water line tile with two strips of double sided tape. This allows the contractor to pour the cement into the “selected” Styrofoam coping detail. There are several bullnose looks that your swimming pool designer should show you to allow you to select the look that best fits your project. Be sure to ask your pool contractor what your choices of coping nose detail are. They should be able to show you a selection of “Stagmyer” pool nose coping forms to select from for concrete coping. Be aware that most pool companies only install the water line tile and then pass the coping and patio cement project to the owner to find cement finishers. Often times the pool contractors will give you the phone number of their preferred patio contractor that has worked on past pools. Ask your pool contractor, “who forms the pool coping, and what are the options to select from?” Pool coping is not a typical application for cement contractors to form correctly. This is why it is important to know who and what coping is being installed by a pool builder with cantilever skills! Pricing on poured-in-place coping can vary depending on the nose details and also the finish of the exposed top and nose. Some are exposed aggregate finish, stamped stone and acid etched “sand” finish, and often times the coping will be jointed in 16”-24” rectangle sizes. That is also a detail you should discuss with your designer. For example, should you make bigger rectangles that will make the pool less busy or smaller details -- All will play large factors in how your pool patio behind the coping will complement each other. The cost per linear foot to form concrete coping is $25-$35 plus the cost of the cement and line pump to pour forms, which is normally $2,000 to $2,500.

 

 

WATERLINE TILE

The cost of waterline tile is $30 - $35 per linear foot depending on your grout selections.

Pros and cons:

• Tradition waterline tile adds whimsy to your pool and spa.
• Ceramic tiles’ distinct geometric designs, when grouped together in a 6” x6” format, create the look of a solid line, a wave, mosaic patterns and can even create patterns in a variety of colors. Ceramic pool tiles are installed and grouted along the waterline. They are designed to withstand chemical treatment in pools and spas. NC encourages clients to go to www.npttilegroup.com and look at options available.
• Glass tiles: Because of the high price tag, many swimming pool builders remain reluctant to even suggest glass tile as a possibility because of its uneven brittle properties. Pacific Northwest weather conditions are not conducive for an outside pool and spa with glass tile. Indoor applications are not subject to freeze and thaw changes. Most glass tile are mosaic pool tiles and are smaller in size and thus need a lot of grout to hold them in place, creating the even finish from glass to grout line. Often the grout is attacked by the pool chemicals and begins to break down and eventually fail, as the mosaic tiles fall out so does the grout by pool chemicals. The more grout joints, the more damage can and will occur. NC Pools suggests 6” space tiles –thus using the least amount of grout to secure the tiles in place.

 

ADDITIONAL COST TO OWNER:

Permit application- $1,500.00

Owner pays an independent contractor that NC will provide. They will handle all the paperwork to facilitate the permit, draft scale plot plan, 3 full set blue line melom drafted pool and property plans. The fee includes all filing of plans and the city will notify that the building department has “granted” a pool permit for the pool construction. The permit cost is determined by the city’s asset value the pool adds to your home. A typical pool permit is $1,000- $1,200 and spas are less.

Pool Excavation Contractor- Natural Creations Pools has been using the same contractor to excavate all our pools for the last 20 years. Each pool site location varies so much from site to site. Most pool companies do not offer the excavation included in the base price of a pool. Each pool dig requires a track hoe and operator at approximately $130/hour. Dump trucks to fill 10 yards of dirt per load are also a necessary expense. If a dump truck cannot be located within 10 feet of the pool dig, the excavation contractor will need a Bobcat to transport the excavated dirt to the dump truck. The Bobcat and operator are $130/hour. There is a mobilize fee to the site of $350, the hourly rate begins when removing the equipment from the trailer and ends when the tractor is back on the trailer.

The dirt, approx. 160 to 240 yards, has to be hauled in 10 yard dump trucks to the nearest dirt recycle location. This varies in distance from site to site. So the closer the recycle location to the dig, the sooner the truck returns to site to fill the truck again and make the return trip to the recycle location.

Note: All fees incurred at recycle will be paid by excavation contractor and will be billed to owner when all trucking and excavation has been completed. On the last trip the contractor will pick up 7 – 10 yards of 2” washed rock for NC to apply to pool floor dig – approx. 4” to 6” depending on soil conditions. Owner is to pay for all fees per excavation.

A typical pool can be dug in a 10-hour day that is conditional to distance to recycle location and travel time to and from site. An average pool dig is $5000 to $8000 paid to excavation contractor and includes recycle fee.

Electrical Contractor: Electrical is not included in most pool bids. NC has a preferred electrical contractor that has been doing our pools for over 10 years. We have each home owner/contractor work directly with our electrician – we do not mark up our subs!

Again, the reason why pool companies do not offer electrical as part of the entire bid package is because each location we build a pool equipment pad requires 60 amp service be brought to the site. We do not know the condition of your panel amperage available, and distance the new electrical service has to be brought to. All these conditions cannot be determined until the electrician has been on site and met with the owner and prepares a bid budget. Example – a typical pool and spa with controller, pumps at equipment pad location. The average cost is $2,500 to $3,000. So, remember that is work performed at equipment pad only; you still have to get the electrician to get the power from the original source to the pad.

Gas - Gas to equipment pad: NC Pools has a preferred gas contractor who has been servicing our client’s pools for 10 years. Again, each home and site where the gas meter is located, makes it impossible for pool companies to include it in the base price of the pool/spa. The cost will be determined by the length of the gas pipe to pad location. Typical equipment pad costs to plumb a heater are $1,100.00.

So, a pool client should budget $10,000 – $12,000 for additional fees, contractors involved in pool scope of work.

Noe: This is over and above the base price of pool/spa.

We hope this explanation of a base price of pool/spa along with the “additional Cost to Owner” section helps pool clients better understand ALL the costs involved in budgeting for a complete pool project budget.