The first is permitting. As a State of Florida Certified Residential Pool/Spa Contractor, we are able to pull permits under our own name anywhere in the state. Some permits take less than two weeks to get issued. Thankfully, rain has yet to slow down the permitting process of a pool project!

The second factor is your Homeowners Association. This time can take up to 4 weeks for approval. You will have to submit the proper forms with attachments. We can supply drawings to you, if that helps.

Ordering/making/transporting your pool takes about two to three weeks. The good thing about that time frame is that we can be working on the permit and homeowners association at the same time. Behind the scenes we are ordering plumbing and other equipment and lining up our top-notch work crews, which is never easy as they are in hot demand.

Then the pool arrives. We excavate, set, plumb and backfill your pool usually in a matter of days. Next comes the electrician who will get all the wiring done. This whole process usually takes about two weeks. We are done making a mess. The landscape is brought to rough grade.

Next comes the decking. If you chose pavers, there might be a delay here because of the lead time to receive some types/colors of pavers. Choosing style/colors as soon as possible helps move things along. We usually want to do the deck work a couple weeks after the backfilling of the pool so that the earth can settle (we help it along with water, of course). The same holds true for concrete decks.

Next up is the screening and/or fencing. For screening, the measurements are made after the decking is in place. After that, the screens are made off-site over the next 7-14 days, then brought to your home and erected, usually in one or two days. Since the hurricanes, screen companies have been scrambling to keep up with demand. Shortages in both labor and supplies have challenged the screen industry. It is not unusual to wait months for a screen post hurricane seaon 2004.

Fencing is about the same time frame. There are some other things going on along the way too which are occurring during this project.

So what does that add up to? Although it sometimes can be a several weeks, sometimes with weather delays it can be a couple of months. Remember, you want the pool done quickly so that you and your family can enjoy the pool. We want the pool done quickly and done well so that, among other reasons, we can provide a living for our family.

What is a Notice to Owner?
Some of our suppliers, as a matter of policy, submit to the homeowner a notice which states, essentially, that a product was delivered to your home for your benefit and under the laws of Florida, they intend to be paid. We buy the materials that are a part of your pool. We pay for the materials, and are glad to show proof of payment. At the conclusion of the project, when all obligations are met, we issue a blanket release of lien to you to provide further assurance to you that everything was paid for and that you will not be pursued by any supplier. If you receive a Notice of Owner, you need not reply. Give us a call and we will explain what it is for you. That is part of our service to you.

Are there extra charges?
Sometimes you may want to add something along the way, so definitely there will be an extra charge. Also, we don't want to charge every customer for things that might happen just some times.

For instance, when we look at your yard prior to signing our agreement, we don't know the conditions underneath the ground. So, we don't plan on charging for those items for everyone. If, in our professional judgment, we believe that your pool building project would be better served with additional items (usually a stone sub-floor) we add that at direct cost. We only charge the direct cost and manage that for you as part of our service.

Aside from stone sub-floors, additional items often include updating electrical service to code, carrying electrical service a great distance to the pump area, pumping water out of the excavation area, permit and other governmental costs above our allowance in our agreeement. Remember, we only charge our direct cost. We charge nothing extra to manage this extra work because we believe it is not right for us to profit from an unknown event.

But cost doesn't matter the most. It is Value that is paramount. Value is the relationship between the cost of ownership and the quality of the product and service. An economy car with 4 doors costs much less than a luxury car with 4 doors. Why do people buy luxury cars? Because they see the value in the product for the price.

We manage our operation, analyzed the market, developed a business plan that allows us to create beautiful pool environments without the burden of high overhead. What we do creates value.

For the price you pay and the costs you incur for years to come, there is no better value in the pool industry.

Myth: All pool companies set prices high and then negotiate downward
That is what many people have been conditioned to believe but we won't do it because it really seems dishonest. We have researched (and continue to research) pool systems and products and put them together with fine craftmanship. We know what it costs to do that, and we tell you that cost. We also let you know what on-going costs to expect---something others, for obvious reasons, may not not tell you about.

What does it say of builders who will let you pay more for your pool because you simply didn't ask for the lowest fairest price? It says that the customer is there to be fleeced. We won't do that. Everyone working with Mermaid Pools gets the same fair treatment.

Myth: The people working on the pool should be employees of the pool company.
That would be spoken by a pool company that has a cadre of employees on the payroll. We could do that but then we would have to spend more time managing them.

We in-house most of the pool constrution process, but we happily have found capable craftsman who operate their own business and are able to provide a dependable level of service to us.

Myth: "Real" pools are made out of concrete.
Real pools hold water and allow you to have fun. We often hear "Well I could get a real pool for that (price)." This comment refers to a concrete pool. Tradtionally, people are familiar with concrete pools, Since we specialize in low maintenance pools, an obvious choice of pool shells is fiberglass. However, you can create a lower maintenance concrete pool....upgraded finishes and filtration systems bring a concrete pool to the level of a fiberglass pool in terms of longevity of the pool shell. In doing so, however, the cost of that concrete pool also elevates to that of a fiberglass pool. You basically have to decide if you prefer a smooth finish or a pebble-type finish. If you build a concrete pool with anything less than an upgraded surface you most likely will face a resurface job in the near future. The cost of that will eat up all the initial cost savings you experienced on the front end.

People hire us because we have put together a group of products and craftsmen that build a low maintenance pool--both in the short term and long term. We manage it all for the benefit of our customers. We are not married to any technology. If a better surface comes along, we of course will consider it.

If it isn't low maintenance it is a REAL pain in the neck. Remember, a REAL pool is low maintenance.

Myth: Fiberglass pools can pop out of the ground.
Actually, all pools can pop out of the ground. Reputable pool builders--- regardless of what their pool shells are made of--will carry pool popping insurance. The reason is that the pressure of water---hydrostatic pressure--- determines if a pool will "heave."

An aircraft carrier which weighs thousands of tons can not overome the hydrostatic pressure and because of that, it floats! The biggest reason the hydrostatic pressure overcomes the pool is that there are times when pools, usually while being resurfaced, have no water in them and high groundwater overtakes them. Unless measures are taken to overcome that hydrostatic pressure, any pool could heave out when empty.

Pool popping is a scare tactic used by some to disuade you from looking at the newest technology available today. It reminds me of the horse carriage manufacturer who didn't want to recognize the advent of the automobile (or as they said "horseless carriage").

Myth: D.E. Filters are the best.
Best at what? D.E. filters are known to provide the filtration of the smallest microns of material. For that, you could say they are best. They are also best at providing you something to have to maintain. They are also best at getting you to have to make a trip to the pool supply store. Generally, our low maintenance pool systems will call for a cartridge filter which provides excellent filtration at a fraction of the maintenance time. There are conditions where a cartridge filter would not be the 'best' and in those cases we will recommend the filtration that is best for you and your lifestyle.

Myth: Pool lights are all the same
There is only one light we will put in your pool. It is a fiberoptic light. Because of our commitment to safety, we have made the decision not to offer any lighting with the possiblilty of electrical shock. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission there were 60 reported deaths in the past 13 years. There are other lights out there, but we will not use them.