Before You Sign
Not All Pool Quotes Are the Same
Two builders can quote the same backyard and land thousands apart. The gap is rarely the pool. It is what each quote includes, specifies, and stands behind. Here is how to read one.
Why two quotes look so different
A pool quote is only as good as what is written in it. Some proposals spell out every material, specification, and inclusion. Others give you a single number and a short description. Both can say “new pool.” Only one tells you what you are actually buying.
When a quote comes in low, the first question is not why. It is what is missing.
The same job, two proposals
Same job: 16×32 custom gunite pool + raised spa, paver deck & screen enclosure — Naples
A Coastal proposal
Every line itemized
- Engineering & permitting$4,850
- Excavation & haul-off$6,200
- Steel & gunite shell$18,400
- Raised spa w/ spillover$9,750
- Plumbing & hydraulics$5,600
- Waterline tile & coping$6,900
- Pebble interior finish$7,300
- Equipment (pump / heater / salt / LED)$8,850
- Travertine paver deck, 900 sq ft$12,600
- Screen enclosure$11,400
- Startup & warranty$2,900
A typical competitor quote
One number, little to verify
Not stated anywhere
- Gunite spec & rebar spacing
- Spa spillover: included or an upgrade?
- Which pump, heater and sanitation system
- Paver type, square footage, sealing
- Enclosure style & screen grade
- Permit & survey: in the price or extra?
- What the warranty actually covers
Nearly the same price. One shows you exactly where every dollar goes. The other asks you to trust a single line.
Coastal Custom Pool & Spa · Building Southwest Florida pools since 1994 · License CPC1461084 · 239-437-3636
Questions to ask any pool builder before you sign
Ask these seven questions of every builder you talk to. The answers, or the pauses, tell you what you need to know.
- —Is every material and specification itemized in the proposal?
- —Are permits and engineering included in the price, or billed as extras?
- —Is the builder licensed and insured, and can you see the license number?
- —What safety drains and equipment are specified (VGB code-compliant)?
- —What workmanship warranty is in writing, and for how long?
- —Who coordinates the build day to day, from design to your first swim?
- —Is there a written contingency for site conditions, or does that risk sit on you?
Coastal families on what a real proposal feels like
Family-owned since 1994. Over 1,000 pools built across Southwest Florida.
Get a proposal you can actually compare
Ask Coastal for a detailed, itemized proposal. You will see exactly what is included, what each feature costs, and what it takes to build it right. Then compare with confidence.