Selecting a pool builder - Houston Swimming Pools in Conroe Texas Mirage Custom Pools Inc.

There's a reason nearly 75 percent of our residential and commercial business comes from personal and professional referrals. Talk to a Mirage Swimming Pool customer about the way we do business.

When it comes to finding a company to build the pool of your dreams, talk to your friends and neighbors who have pools. More than likely, they'll tell you who NOT to use.

It's a sad fact, but many pool companies do not have the talent, experience or financial stability to deliver a quality pool to their customers. Unfortunately the promise of pretty pictures too often leads to shoddy workmanship and expensive repairs.

As Houston's leading pool builder, Mirage Swimming Pools goes to great lengths to ensure its customers receive personalized service throughout the design and construction phase of their pool. And in the unlikely event you need assistance after the work is done, we'll be here.

The same may not be true of many pool companies. Contact the Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau and see how many complaints have been filed against cheap, fly-by-night pool companies.

Indeed, many unscrupulous operators take deposits from new customers to finance construction of their other projects. All too often they disappear in the night, shutting down operations – only to reopen soon after under a new identity.

The name may have changed, but the questionable method of doing business has not.

Value is MORE important. Saving 10 percent on a pool may look like a good decision until the pump fails, the decking cracks or the pool plumbing begins to leak. Unscrupulous builders can reduce the cost of a pool be taking shortcuts in construction and providing undersized pumps and plumbing.

It's also important to check out the details. Sometimes a 16'x32' pool package refers to the size of the decking around a pool, not the pool itself. It's important to be sure you get what you pay for.

Build an expensive house on a poor foundation problems are sure to arise – most likely after the one year guarantee is up. Pool repairs can be expensive – very expensive. It's important to get the job done right the first time.

Mirage Swimming Pools provides a minimum guarantee of two years on all construction and major mechanical systems. If there is a problem, we'll fix it.

Mirage Swimming Pools offers quality pools that last – and we do it at extremely competitive rates.

Many pool companies attract customers with prices that are unreasonably low – only to dramatically increase the final cost with a variety of surcharges, fees, change orders and handful of excuses.

That's not how we do business. Mirage Swimming Pools has developed a favorable reputation for providing an accurate forecast of what your project will cost – and when it will be done.

If you're interested in specialty water features, such as spas, waterfalls or weeping walls, the time to plan them is at the beginning, during the design phase. Once construction starts, additional elements can cause significant – and expensive – delays.

Equally important to the pool shopper is knowing your prospective builder has the knowledge and experience to incorporate water features into a comprehensive and properly engineered project. Smart shoppers check to see if the company does all the work themselves or subs it out to others who may – or may not – be qualified, bonded and insured.

If the company proposing to build your pool uses flex-pipe anywhere except a spa, run. If a builder tells you four returns is enough, walk out the door.

If a builder suggests using anything other than licensed plumbers and electricians, you're taking a risk. If something goes wrong – and it doubtless will – you'll be the one who has to pay to have it fixed. And while you're at it, make sure your builder has a solid liability policy in place. That big hole being dug is a major expense – and it's right next to your house, an even bigger expense.

More often than not, the only person you'll talk to before signing a contract is the salesman. Some are honorable, knowledgeable, dependable people. Most are not.

People who work on commission tend to sell the dream and leave others to service the nightmare. Make sure everything promised is written in the agreement. Verbal assurances aren't worth much if your part-time salesman takes off for greener pastures. And once you've signed, you won't likely see that salesman again – until he's selling cars or whole house water filtration systems.

With Mirage Swimming Pools, you deal with our year-round staff – including the owners Rick and Cheryl Kuykendahl. We encourage you to ask all the questions you need to make an informed decision. Talk to our previous customers. Talk to people in the industry.

Because when you take the time to find out about quality pool construction, you'll come to Mirage Swimming Pools.

If you filled out one of the free pool bid websites, the ones that get you to get a free pool quote, get ready for the many phone calls that will follow.

This can be good and it can be not so good anyone claiming to be a swimming pool builder can sign up with these services and pay to have your information sent to them. After talking to so many that want to sell you a swimming pool which ones are going to do the best job? if they can do the job at all.

Some builders make you think you are getting a better deal than you really are, are the measurements for your pool water's edge to water's edge? or the outside of the coping?

Example 16’x32’ so many companies may try to make you think you are getting something your not, we meause pool water's edge to water's edge? not from the outside of the coping?

If you are comparing one builder to another make sure you are comparing the same thing. Most good builder will use water to water measurements since that is the important part of a swimming pool.

If you're looking for weeping walls or waterfalls who will be doing the rock work? If the builder does his/her own make sure you go see some of their work. A jack of all trades makes a master of none.

If you chose a waterfall style pool that is the main feature so do it right the first time. If you see plumbing going through the back with valves or even without valves that is a cheap and easy way.

Weeping walls, what size will the beam be? 12" is fine for normal coping but doesn’t look that good with rock work, same thing on the plumbing for weeping walls.

Remember black and white TV looks good if you have never seen color, Go see waterfalls and weeping walls in person from more than one builder.

Ask about plumbing, this is your pool and all this is very important! Using flex pipe anywhere except the spa can be future problems for you! It is cheaper and easier up front but down the road it can be very costly. This includes the cleaner booster pump, if the builder does not hard pipe it in he is doing it the cheap way. The flex hose does come with the pump and so many builders will use it because it is there.

How many return lines, Most builders will tell you four is enough. Four return lines on a average size pool will circulate the water, however a yugo will get you were you need to go, it may take a while and wear out soon.

We use no less than four returns (six is better) matched with larger suction lines, and two in the spa if equipped with a spa, and two skimmers, main drain (dual for safety) all plumbed separately with Pentair or Jandy swimming pool valves to control each one at the equipment pad.

Do not use the cheap ball valves.

1HP or 1.5 HP ( Varable speed is best) Pentair or Jandy full rated pump, matched with your choice Sand, DE, or Cartridge filter.

All equipment is on a gunite equipment pad with rebar steel, not the cheap throw down pads.

If you choose the in floor cleaning system which we recommend and use Paramount Cy-cleen or PC-2000 system. The cleaning system should have been engineered for your pool by the manufacture of the cleaning system. The installation is very important and should be done by a very experienced plumber.

Even if you live outside of the city limits, licensed electricians and plumbers should be used. Some builders will do this their selves to save money, again not a good Idea. Ask if they are licensed, it doesn’t matter how many pools they have done if something was to go wrong it is not worth your or your childes life not to mention there would be no recourse.

Ask for their General Liability insurance and call the insurance company to validate its active, ask to added as an additional insured during construction. Regretfully, it is common that pay the down payment to get the paperwork and then let it laps, it is very easy to change the dates on the paper work calling to verify is well worth the call. For some reason this is never done even with our own customers.

Ask about the life time warranty on the structure of the pool, since the gunite will be one of the biggest costs, ask which gunite company they use and check them out, we only use Modern Method the best in the business. They offer a life time warranty in writing.

In order to have a life time warranty on your structure, all structural steel and plumbing standards must be met.

We use Pebble Tec, Pebbel Sheen, Stone scapes, Wet Edge, Sunstone, standard plaster, Hydrazza.

Ask your builder to provide a release of lean after each phase. These can be annoying for the builder if he has to wait to get them, however if they have worked with the same companies for a long time and the builder pays like they should there would be no problem getting them before the job is even completed. If the pool builder keeps changing contractors and supply houses there is a reason? If they don't pay them you might have a lean placed on your home.

A swimming pool is a big investment and should be treated as such. Do some research and visit their office. Do they have a office either owned or long term lease, if they work out of there truck or house they could just pack up and move leaving your pool unfinished. If they have a office with a display pool this indicates they are in the business for the right reasons and will be around a while. Remember, you should do business with a swimming pool COMPANY and not someone that builds out of their house and has no real investment on the pools they build.

Check to see if the pool comes with a overflow and a fill line as part of the standard. It is a small thing that will make your pool much nicer, with the down pours we get in the Houston and surrounding areas the overflow is a must, with the heat in the Houston TX area a fill line is a must, who wants to get the hose out to fill your pool ?

Most of the time a swimming pool builder saving money doing most of the work himself generally cost you in aesthetics and money in the long run.

The same guy doing the electrical, plumbing, excavation, tile, coping, waterfalls, deck do you?

When dealing with sales staff, keep in mind they are salespeople and probably working off of commission. Their goal is to get you to sign on the dotted line so ask a lot of questions! We made a decision not to limit our sales staffs compensation by commission only just for this reason. We build great pools, we would love to build your pool and our sales staffs goal is to educate you, design you a nice pool and give you a fair price. We don't want them to sell you something just to raise their commission or pressure you to sign a contract right then and there. If you choose Mirage Swimming Pools Inc. it will be because you did your research and we did our job. We build swimming pools because we love doing it.

This is just the basic things to look for, there are things we do and will discuss in person that make our pools stand out and give the wow factor, our belief is you want to use your pool to enjoy it not spend all your time maintaining or working on it.

We are known for our high standards and great reputation. If you meet with any pool builder with a similar name and they miss lead you that they know us or that we work together this is simply not true. A honest company would tell you up front and be proud of their own work and reputation.

Choosing a pool builder that can deliver the right swimming pool experience

11239 Little Egypt Rd

Conroe TX 77304

Office 936-890-3570

FAX 832-324-7842