aktillery,
BBB can be a guide if the PB has belonged for a number of years. It's hard to get a bad rating from the BBB because they want to keep memberships resigning up every year.
I would ask for references and not use BBB as an up or down for using a builder.

The BBB is a pay for play organization. If you pay there dues you get a good rating even if your bad. Do a google search. There was a big scandal about it in L.A. With the BBB.

Get references and do a google search on the company.

I equate the BBB along the same lines as the mob.

I never had a problem with them but I don't like being extorted.

Thanks guys! I had no idea. I feel much better about them now.

We turned down a pool builder because they weren't a member of the BBB. We ultimately went with one that received a stellar rating from the BBB, and we're so glad we did. The quality work from the BP justified their BBB rating. Now⦠on the other handâ¦...

We turned down a pool builder because they weren't a member of the BBB. We ultimately went with one that received a stellar rating from the BBB, and we're so glad we did. The quality work from the BP justified their BBB rating. Now⦠on the other handâ¦...

we initially went with a PB that was accredited and had an A+ rating. to make the story short, he has thousands of my money and did almost nothing. So, this is to say that most of the time, but not always, being accredited is a good thing for us consumers but not necessarily a deal breaker. I agree that fees add to overhead but if a PB's operating budget is that tight, how do I know he won't be cutting corners with my pool? BBB should only be one of your vetting tools. I urge you to check references, making sure they're not brothers or cousins, LOL. As you get down to 1-2 finalists, do a little deeper research to ensure there is no pending litigation or judgments against the PB. Ask about who does the work, his employees or subcontractors. Get the facts straight concerning warranties for work done by PB employees and/ or subcontractors. Finally, please go see at least one pool or more if you can. The pool might not be to your liking but it will speak volumes on workmanship and help you decide if this PB and you are a match.

I could write all day about my bad and good experiences with PBs, but attorneys are cautioning about how much I say for now.

Once you are down to 1-2 finalists, it wouldn't hurt you to visit or at least drive by PB place of biz. You could assess amount of activity and "life" of biz. You won't want to select a guy that talks a good talk and turns out is operating out of a closet, with no equipment, no employees. Somebody like that may rely entirely on subcontractors and unless you know he has a fantastic relationship with them, then his priority in terms of how quickly he can get things done is no better than if you thumbed thru the phone book looking for help. In short, try to evaluate that his talk about good working relations is more than lip service. Naturally, customer references will give you a lot of insight as to those aspects.

I don't mean to scare the pants off you or any other reader but you need to know that, at least in TX, the industry is not regulated. There are good builders out there, but with little regulation, the shysters abound. Not only that, but I feel comfortable saying that at least 75% of them get away with their shenanigans with zero consequences. If you are spending anywhere from $5-100K in remodeling/building the pool of your dreams, you don't want to be stung by a scoundrel, do you? DO YOUR HOMEWORK, ASK, ASK, ASK WITHOUT FEAR. Anybody that acts elusive or insulted is no one you want to deal with.