OP
OP
PG01
Supporting Member
In oct 2006 we built/moved in to the house and my wife was home with our first of 3 kids and wanted a pool, called a few places and 10k was dropping the pool in a hole they dug and firing it up, no fence, no landscape no nuthin so figure all that we woulda been well into 16-17-18k range, no thanks when i just built the house and the $ just wasnt there...
Early 2007 i started looking again and decided it was gonna be above ground or a baby pool. Found a place near my house and got a 16x24 oval for about 3800, with ladder, filter, skimmer, solarcover, winter cover, blah blah blah and startup and some kind of warranties (dont even remember) on all the crap...Would be done way before the summer.
Two things though, i had to get the electric done and my property is sloped to the point where i have a full walk out basement but the front door is basically at grade, so i would have to pay them to excavate, build a retaining wall and then place the pool.
They were talking crazy #s for the excavating....f' that. My buddy dropped off his backhoe and i dug a trench for the electric and eyeballed the level as close as i could without a transit, i wouldnt know how to use it anyway, he was busy and they were coming to install next day. They said its close but, we need it exact or the pool wil be f'd up. I got screwed there for about 5-600 but still did ok as to what they were gonna originally charge.
I got all the electric done as they were finishing up install and the truck with water was waiting. Had the electrical inspected (this is before the code changed and you aren't allowed to do your own unless a licensed electrician signs off or something like that) and passed, closed up that trench.
Had to go get some 6x6's for the retaining wall, by myself. Lumber yard by me had just closed up after we finished building the house. (This is a good part) I only had my 89 dodge pickup and a 5x8 open trailer, that shit wasnt going near my tahoe. I needed them so i go to home depot, getting the straightest ones i can (which is hard to do because all their stuff seems to be, on some level, warped) busting my ass and there are 2 guys who work there hanging out at the end of the aisle watching me. This pissed me off, not even an offer to help when i had 3-4 carts loaded (first trip) ,so I pay, get everything out to the truck and as im loading it up (no help again) there is pallet right outside the door with a few more 6x6x8's so even though im dead at this point, i helped myself to a 'few' more.
So between the pool, wire, 6x6's and permits i was up around 5k maybe more.
Did the deck around the pool in '09 and about a 12x20 platform for a table and tent for some shade in '10 i think, and that was prob another 2000-3000 for material, footings and rental of the skid steer loader and one man auger that i got stuck in the ground a few times because of the clay dirt. Oh and i also used that skid to level out under my deck, lay some flagstone and put up underdeck panels to keep it dry.
so not too bad for 7-8k over a few years so i can come home from working outside all day and jump in while my spoiled brats sit in the air conditioning playing video games.....lmao
