I get where you’re coming from about having everything in writing, but I’ll admit, sometimes the paperwork just slows things down more than it helps. When we redid our old brick patio (not a pool, but similar chaos), the contractor and I hashed a few things out on the fly, and honestly, it worked out fine—maybe I just lucked out with a decent crew. That said, I do wish I’d paid more attention to the color samples... our “antique red” bricks looked almost purple after a rain. It’s wild how much things can change once they’re in place.
That color thing gets people every time. I’ve seen folks pick a tile or stone they love in the showroom, then once it’s out in the sun or wet, it’s a totally different vibe. I’m all for being flexible with contractors, but I’ve also seen “handshake deals” go sideways fast. Sometimes a quick note or even a text thread about changes can save a lot of headaches later. Still, nothing prepares you for how materials actually look once they’re installed—nature just does its own thing.
That’s the truth about color—my pool plaster looked almost gray in the sample but reads blue-green in the actual pool, especially midday. The contractor warned me, but it still threw me. I’m with you on documenting every change; I learned the hard way when a “verbal agreement” about coping stone led to a two-week delay. Curious if anyone else ran into weather delays? We lost nearly a month to rain last spring, which really threw off our timeline.
Curious if anyone else ran into weather delays? We lost nearly a month to rain last spring, which really threw off our timeline.
Funny enough, we barely had any weather delays—just a couple days here and there. Our bigger issue was actually waiting on tile shipments. I thought rain would be the main culprit, but nope... it was backordered mosaic glass that pushed us over. Guess you never know what’ll slow things down until you’re in the thick of it.
