By Jeremy Ruben, Founder of LANDOVA Design & Planning · October 20, 2026
Before You Call a Pool Builder · Part 4 of 7
Jeremy brings firsthand experience as a high-performing pool salesperson and designer. During his time on a pool sales team, he closed deals at nearly three times the rate of the rest of the team.
Getting three pool quotes feels responsible. You have options. You can compare prices. You might even have three impressive drawings.
But if those drawings describe different projects, the lowest number has not answered the question you think it has answered.
You have learned what three companies propose to sell. You have not necessarily learned what three companies would charge to deliver the same result.
Start with a simple hypothetical example
Imagine three proposals. Builder A includes a pool with a compact patio. Builder B includes a larger patio, a different equipment package and a heater. Builder C includes a spa but lists utility connections separately.
All three may be legitimate offers. Their totals cannot tell you which builder offers better value for your chosen project until you reconcile those differences.
Now imagine that the drawings all look similar. The same problem can remain in the written details: different quantities, model numbers, finish allowances, site-work assumptions or exclusions.
Compare the project in layers
- Physical scope: pool dimensions, depths, shelves, benches, spa configuration and the relationship to surrounding work.
- Surfaces and quantities: coping, interior finish, waterline materials, patio area and the proposed installation scope.
- Equipment: specified models or clearly defined equivalents, heating, controls, lights and the accessories included.
- Site and connections: excavation assumptions, access, disposal, grading, drainage coordination and utility responsibilities.
- Completion: cleanup, restoration, startup, homeowner orientation and the documents supplied at handoff.
- Commercial terms: allowances, exclusions, proposal validity, payment milestones, schedule assumptions and warranty responsibilities.
You do not need to engineer the pool yourself. You need enough written specificity to identify where the offers differ and direct technical questions to the right professionals.
Use three labels instead of guessing
Included: the proposal states the work and the relevant quantity or specification.
Excluded: the proposal expressly says the work is outside that price. It may still belong in your overall project budget.
Clarification needed: the proposal does not give enough information to tell. Do not automatically treat silence as an exclusion, and do not quietly assume it is included.
This third label is particularly useful. It turns a suspicion into a question the bidder can answer. A fair comparison gives contractors an opportunity to clarify their offers before you rank them.
Keep allowances visible
An allowance is a placeholder for a defined category or selection. Ask what it covers, what quantity it assumes and how a different final selection changes the price.
A low allowance can make a proposal look attractive without matching your desired finish. A higher allowance may better reflect your intent. Neither number is meaningful without the underlying selection and scope.
Record unresolved allowances separately from confirmed prices. You should be able to see which parts of the total are firm and which still depend on a decision.
Give bidders the same starting point
LANDOVA’s controlled bidding approach starts with an agreed design and organized scope. Participating trade partners can price a common basis, identify qualifications and propose alternatives clearly.
If someone offers a different solution, keep the base proposal and alternative distinct. Otherwise, a useful recommendation can quietly change the project while you are still trying to compare it.
Also share relevant clarifications consistently. If one bidder learns that an additional area is required, the other bidders need that information before their prices can be compared fairly.
The best bid is more than a corrected total
Once the scope is aligned, evaluate the company that will perform it. Consider the actual construction team, communication, scheduling, references, contract terms and how problems are handled. Controlled bidding improves the information available for your decision; it does not guarantee the lowest price or perfect construction.
My recommendation is straightforward: decide what you want, describe it clearly and ask builders to show how they will deliver it. Three numbers are useful only when you understand what each one buys.
See how LANDOVA organizes controlled bidding.
Read the complete series
- Buying a Pool? Why a Pool Builder Shouldn’t Be Your First Call
- You Want a Backyard. The Proposal May Only Include a Pool.
- A Pool Salesperson Is Selling a Pool. Who Is Helping You Plan?
- Three Pool Quotes Can Mean Three Completely Different Projects — You are here
- The Pool Price Isn’t the Backyard Budget
- Five Stars for the Sales Pitch. But Has Anyone Built the Pool Yet?
- The Better Way to Buy a Pool: Plan With LANDOVA, Then Choose Your Builder
