You can turn your backyard dreams into a reality by installing a luxurious inground pool. Luxury inground pools not only offer exceptional aesthetics but also increase the value of your property. Nonetheless, building a luxury inground pool is not a walk in the park. You have to employ a reputable pool construction company in your area. Alternatively, you can conduct a DIY project if you have the relevant background and experience in pool construction.

A detailed process of constructing a luxury inground pool 

Step one: Coming up with the pool design

When constructing a luxury inground pool, the first thing to do is to come up with a pool design that matches your requirements. More often than not, your pool design will depend on the size of your property and budget. Most dependable pool contractors present 3D pool designs to help you choose a good pool layout. All in all, your pool design should complement all your needs and budget. Currently, there are thousands of luxury pool designs to choose from. The design process usually takes about one to four weeks. It depends on the pool contractor you hire. 

Step two: Obtaining permits

Before you proceed with construction, you have to obtain the necessary permits. Usually, your state will require you to meet a certain criterion before you start constructing your pool. To get a construction permit, your local authorities have to conduct a thorough inspection of your property. It would be best to hire a reliable pool construction company to help you get these permits. In most instances, they are in a better position to communicate with the state authorities. Getting a pool construction permit can take about one to six weeks. The time varies depending on your state. Some states can issue a permit in less than two weeks.

Step three: Pool excavation 

Once you get the construction permits, it’s now time to start the work. First, you have to find a good pool space on your property. Most homeowners use their backyard space. Then begin by digging up the pool area based on the pool layout. During pool excavation, get rid of any debris and dirt lying around in the area. It takes a shorter time to excavate a simple pool design. But generally, excavation should be complete within two to seven days. Some pool contractors may use trucks to excavate the pool faster. 

Step four: Pool plumbing, Electrical 

After excavating the pool, install all equipment and cables involved in pool plumbing. The size of the pool plumbing system will depend on the equipment and water features you want to install in your pool. The pool plumbing process often takes about one to two weeks, depending on the extent of the pool plumbing and your pool contractor.

Step five: Installing the luxury inground pool

After completing the pool plumbing, install your pool. At this point, the installation process will depend on your type of pool. At present, there are three major types of pools; fiberglass, vinyl, and concrete. Concrete pools incorporate the longest installation time. These pools take approximately 28 days to cure, so they will likely be complete in one to two months. Fiberglass pools, on the other hand, have the shortest installation time. It takes about seven days to install a fiberglass pool. So, on average, it takes one to three weeks to install a luxury inground pool.

Step six: Landscaping, custom features 

When it comes to constructing a luxury inground pool, you’ll spend more time installing water features and decks. But generally, it takes one to four weeks to install custom features to your pool. Always install the most suitable water features that match your landscape. Also, use high-quality decking material to minimize maintenance costs.

How long does it take to build a luxury inground pool? 

One of the most frequently asked questions by homeowners is how long it takes to build a luxury inground pool. On average, it takes eight to twelve weeks to build the pool. Of course, this time varies depending on a wide range of factors. Although it might take a long time to build your dream pool, consider the benefits you’ll get out of these stunning features. Hire a top-notch pool construction company that is capable of bringing all your pool dreams to life.

Conclusion

Luxury inground pools are fantastic sources of relaxation and enjoyment. However, they are expensive, and they incorporate a long construction period. Therefore, make sure you employ experienced and professional pool contractors who can construct your luxury dream pool. Remember, one mistake during construction can cost you thousands of dollars. If you are conducting a DIY project, ensure you follow all the right steps of building a luxury inground pool.

Olympus Pools is back in the media again and now facing a $1.1 million dollar lawsuit with the country’s largest pool supply distributor SCP. A recent lawsuit filed in Pasco County by SCP Distributors LLC is suing Olympus Pools for over a million dollars in equipment delivered and installed in customers backyards. This is yet another challenge Olympus Pools, a once prestigious and well known builder faces amidst an onslaught of bad publicity due to allegations of unfinished pools and ongoing lawsuits.

It appears that SCP intends to go after Olympus Pools rather than begin putting liens on homeowners. This latest recent development has begun to make many trade partners and subcontractors extremely concerned.

Brian Leung, an attorney for SCP, said the distributor agreed to a promissory note with Olympus recently last month in April to settle the debt. In it’s lawsuit, SCP said that Olympus Pools had 6 months to pay off the $1.1 million dollar debt owed to the supplier. To date, Olympus has failed to make the first installment payment of $191,000 which prompted the recent litigation.

Leung said that when Olympus Pools failed to meet the agreed upon installment payment, that triggered the litigation which now seeks the full amount in addition to 18% interest.

Response to recent SCP Lawsuit

We reached out to Olympus Pools owner James Staten for comment about the ongoing issue with SCP and received an official statement via his public relations representative .

“Even though we continue to do business with SCP daily, they felt after the media reports it was in their best interest to secure our credit line.”

Olympus Pools – Public Relations Representative

“In my opinion, it is disappointing that despite being one of their best customers for many years, they chose to make things more difficult for our clients and team instead of supporting us during this time. However I’m sure we will get it resolved with them soon enough.”

In a statement a month ago to Pool Magazine, Staten responded to allegations directly and listed a variety of reasons why Olympus Pools had fallen behind on jobs. Staten cited the recent shortages of labor and materials impacting the pool industry.

“The conditions that arose during the pandemic, instead of increasing 20 to 30 percent we doubled in size.” said Staten.

While the pool industry itself may understand Staten’s plight, homeowners and investigative reporters have been much less sympathetic. Staten has faced virtual non-stop calls, picket lines and visits from reporters since the story first broke roughly 2 months ago. Backlash from customers has been brutal on social media. Consumer watchdogs and investigative reporters said hundreds of pools currently remain unfinished.

Staten admits that he and his staff sold way too many pools last year. Ultimately, he said that he “takes full responsibility” for the situation. However, homeowners have been livid at the waiting times as their projects have lingered. Many customers have complained that Staten continued to take on new projects while their backyards remained an ongoing construction zone for months and months past their promised deadlines.

Homeowners are increasingly concerned they could get stuck footing the bill for Olympus Pools unpaid subcontractors. Some homeowners have begun receiving liens in the mail.

Rumors of Criminal Investigation

Olympus Pools may face worse problems aside from the million dollar lawsuit filed by SCP. A spokesperson for the company responded to Pool Magazine inquiring about a recent report by ABC Action News that indicates 2 separate Florida counties have opened criminal investigations into allegations of fraud and misuse of funds.

“We have heard through the media that it is actually Hillsborough, Polk and Pasco counties. While we won’t speculate on behalf of law enforcement, what we can tell you is that we have not broken any laws and we are working to get these pools finished. There are a few people out there, however, who have become obsessed with seeing our company destroyed, despite their pools being finished.” said Olympus Pools in a statement to Pool Magazine.

Staten himself says that no wrong doing took place. “I know we have committed no crime. Just because someone makes a report or tells a story it does not mean that it is true.” said Staten in a statement to investigative reporter Jackie Callaway.

Many Olympus Pools customers have reached out to Pool Magazine over the last few weeks, sending us photos of their job sites, complaints and the various stories and news articles that have been written about Olympus Pools. The amount of negative attention in the media has surmounted to the point where Staten has brought in a professional press relations consultancy firm to help communicate with the media. In a statement released to Pool Magazine, an Olympus Pools representative said:

“Individuals have coordinated attacks on our company through a private Facebook group. They’ve coordinated physical pickets and protests on the street, coordinated efforts to reach out to the media and coordinated efforts to reach out to law enforcement. As a result, authorities clearly have to take those claims seriously, however, as I have said before, we have not broken any laws and we are still here. We’re completing work every day. We are not hiding and we are not going anywhere. We will finish all of the jobs we started, so long as our license remains intact.”

Olympus Pools Responds to Subcontractor Complaints

We questioned Olympus Pools point blank about recent allegations made by local subcontractors that are complaining to the media that they have not been paid. Recently Humberto Jimenez made a claim that he was owed over $380,000. Another contractor Brian Wagner had claimed he was owed over $73,000.

“$73,000 is huge for us. We could potentially lose half our employees,” Wagner told investigative reporter Jackie Callaway. “Our last resort is to file a lien. It is something we have discussed and really don’t want to do.”

“I didn’t want to speak out because I don’t want to start trouble and not get work from other builders.” Jimenez told Pool Magazine Editor Joe Trusty, “Many other subcontractors are owed money too, and they are afraid to speak out for the same reason.”

We inquired with Olympus Pools as to both of these particular contractors that reported to the media they had not been paid, a public relations represenative for Staten said the following:

“Regarding Mr. Jimenez, his statement that he is owed $380,000 is flat out false. Last week, he told the media it was $300,000 and we provided proof of payments to the reporter. We spoke to the person who handles Mr. Jimenez’s accounting and she told us that there is an issue on their end and that they failed to apply payments we made to their invoices. According to his own accounting people, they haven’t recorded our payments. As soon as Mr. Jimenez has his accounting in order, and it is accurate, we will review his invoices and determine the accurate amount to see if in fact there is a balance to settle. Regarding Brian Wagner, we have paid him $47,512 in the last 6 weeks and now owe him less than $24,000.”

It is important to note that Olympus Pools has made some headway with subcontractors since our last report. Pool Magazine Editor – Joe Trusty, was in communication with Aaron Allen of Paver Solutions who recently reported that his firm had finally reached a resolution with Olympus Pools.

Can Olympus Pools New Plan of Action Reverse The Damage?

In a phone call back in April with Pool Magazine, Staten insisted that he fully intends to finish each of the projects Olympus Pools has been contracted for. He also said that he would not take on a single new project until his company was caught up on their current jobs.

“We’ve cut off taking deposits, we’ve cut off starting excavation. all we’re focusing on is the jobs under construction,” Staten said.

As far as the homeowners who are afraid their jobs will not be completed, Staten said “Their pools are going to get completed. We are working tirelessly. I promise you, you won’t find anybody, any company out there working harder. We doubled the size of our in-house construction team so we can be more self-reliant and give better service.”

While the lawsuit and criminal allegations aside may prove to be nothing, Staten has a lot of work to do in terms of repairing Olympus Pools reputation. We asked them what they plan to do in order to restore confidence with the community and with their trade partners.

Staten insists that he has the funds to complete the projects he is under contract for. Recently he released a press release saying that he was partnering up with respected builder Jordan Hidalgo and Pools by Jordan to help finish jobs in a more timely fashion. This is news which may bode well for homeowners. Staten seems to have made considerable headway since partnering with Hidalgo who will now be managing administration, accounting, permitting, purchasing, and customer relations starting Tuesday.

Since May 10, Olympus Pools has completed the following:

• 26 Pools passed final inspections
• 18 pools have had concrete work completed
• 13 job sites have been cleaned up by cleaning crews
• 12 pre-grades were completed
• 11 pools had electrical work completed
• 11 pools had brick and tile completed
• 10 pools had plumbing work completed
• 4 screen enclosures have been completed
• 3 pools had plaster work completed
• 2 retaining walls completed

“I’m looking forward to putting this chapter behind Olympus and showing what our talented teams are capable of accomplishing together,” said Hidalgo.

Only just last year, Olympus Pools had an “A” rating with the BBB. The story this year is much different. Outsiders can only hope that bringing in a seasoned veteran like Hidalgo can turn the tide. Homeowners, law enforcement and the entire pool industry are watching closely.

The pressure is certainly on Staten to deliver. Although it may seem that forces are conspiring against him, there is probably not a single person involved in this entire mess that truly wants to see Olympus Pools fail.

Not the reporters and investigators who are just doing their job. Certainly not the employees whose futures and reputations are entwined with Olympus Pools. Neither do the trade partners and subcontractors that helped build Olympus into what it was. Nor the homeowners who entrusted Olympus Pools to be good shepherds of their backyard dream. Truth be told, the homeowners are probably the last ones in the world that want to see this company fold.

Right now, one can only speculate as to whether or not Olympus Pools can make a recovery and hopefully salvage a once highly respected reputation in the pool world, as well as their own local community.

Complaints have begun to surface from a growing number of customers of Lutz, FL based Olympus Pools. Customers have begun to complain to Better Call Behnken of NBC in Tampa that they are fed up with unfinished pools and little communication from the company. Customers complained to local news station WFLA NBC Channel 8 that they’ve signed contracts over a year ago, have spent tens of thousands of dollars and see little recourse in sight as they continue to wait for their pools to be finished.

Olympus Pool Complaints

“I spoke with the owner’s wife, Alexis, probably about two or three weeks ago and she went over some of the issues they were having and I felt like I believed her and trusted it was getting back on track, but the proof is somebody shows up and actually does my pool,” said Holly Taylor-Hanke, of Wesley Chapel.

Taylor-Hanke signed a contract in March 2020, but she still has a shell of a pool and claims no one from the company has set foot on her property in over a month. She claims that commitments are made and appointments are set, but that staff do not turn up.

Homeowners take to Social Media to complain

Taylor-Hanke’s story seems to not be unique. Homeowners in Pasco, Hillsborough, and Manatee counties have turned to consumer advocates like Shannon Behnken for help. A large number of customers have also taken to social media to voice their concerns.

Man Lam of Wesley Chapel decided to build a pool for his 5-year-old-son in September of 2020. Lam said he paid $54,000 in cash in order to receive a discount from Olympus Pools. Now almost eight months later his pool remains unfinished – and he expressed growing concerns about the foundation of his home.

“The soil degradation is because of rain forcing the soil into the pool, and they’ve addressed it by bringing in workers here and just putting soil back into the foundation,” Lam said.

Lam says workers left his job sitting for six weeks and only came back this week to do emergency repairs and to add more soil underneath his home.

“There has to be a long-term solution, because the rain is coming and it’s going to form again, with a hole underneath my house,” said Lam.

Pool Magazine reached out to the company yesterday for a comment but had not received a response by the time this article was published. Better Call Behnken likewise did not receive a response from Olympus Pool owners James and Alexis Staten when they attempted to reach them.

Big Problems After a Huge Year of Growth

Prior to recent events, Olympus Pools had held an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau. Their accreditation has since been revoked. The companies rating has now dropped to a “C+” the cause of which has been Olympus Pools failure to resolve underlying cause(s) of a pattern of complaints.

A check of recent permits applied for by Olympus Pools shows that the pandemic brought a huge influx of new business to the company. In 2019 the company had pulled 351 permits in Pasco and Hillsborough counties, that number jumped up to 597 permits in 2020. Aside from a terrific sales year, records show that Olympus Pools received a $264,800 PPP loan in April 2020.

John Vanburen in Tampa said that he first hired Olympus Pools nine months ago. Vanburen says workers have left his backyard an eyesore and haven’t returned in weeks. He also complained of work that has been performed repeatedly failing inspection again and again.

Complaints from Subcontractors have emerged

Complaints have also begun to surface from subcontractors who claim they have not been paid. Aaron Allen of Paver Solutions, a local contractor whose been in business for over 20 years took to Yelp to voice his frustration. We spoke with Allen and he says he refuses to remove the review even if he’s paid the $20,000 he says Olympus Pools still owes his company.

Olympus Pools has posted a message on their website that the waitlist to start pool construction is now 5 months. This however does not appear to answer questions existing customers have. Some complain they’ve been waiting for over a year for their pool to be completed but the company continues to take on new business while their projects remain unfinished.

Featured Photo Credit: WFLA News