Premier Pools & Spas - Sacramento

Badly and progressively worse. The initial digging by Premier Pools and Spas (PPAS) resulted in the destruction of our existing irrigation lines for over 37 plants and large trees that needed daily hand watering due to the high temperatures of August. Other damages included a sheared-off water valve from an encounter with a "Bobcat" tractor that was tossed into an adjacent bush by the driver, unnseccessarily allowing untold gallons of fresh water to spill over into our street during the drought. We were alerted to this by our neighbor who noticed it the evening prior. PPAS site manager/ supervisor was absent most of the time; showing up briefly about 30 minutes, every other day if that much. This lack of oversight resulted in construction delays, an improper water pipe orthogonal installation that created both leakage from our spa and seepage through the gunnite and tiles; depositing calcium outside the spa that defacing it's cosmetic appearance. It required 5 repair appointments to finally locate the offending leaks and effectively repair them; all of which could have been avoided if the supply pipes had only been inspected for orthoganality (being directed as plumb to the wall they are attached to) by an alert and present supervisor. Ancillary equipment such as the water heater unit was not inspected resulting in the gas company alerting us that parts were unconnected placing this unit in an extreamly hazardous condition. PPAS personnel failed to construct the gas supply lines plumb for connection from our propane tank to the pool/ spa heater. The stainless steel assist bars that install next to steps leading into and out of the pool were ordered and installed incorrectly. Unbelievably; I actually noticed the prepared holes (for these same assist bars) in the concrete moving while workers "stamped" patterns onto it and so I alerted them so that they could be realigned. Even after multiple entreaties to correct this; the planned holes were allowed to dry 1 1/3 inch out of alignment. This could have been avoided if a form had been made available and used, but PPAS seems unable to use "best practices" into their work culture. Pools need an overflow outlet to prevent water from severe weather events or a stuck supply line from overfilling. One was put in for us as part of the required, but nothing was done or mentioned about where this water would drain to; in fact, the outlet was buried under 7 inches dirt and rocks. We were told after discovery that it was our responsibility to figure the how and where of it. Most recently, we became aware that the colored concrete surface has been disintegrating; attaching to our bare feet or shoes and depositing on the floors of our home. We reported this under warrantee to PPAS who informed us (1 1/2 years after construction) that we were entitled to a free power washing of the colored concrete decking they poured. This should have been mentioned as part of required information during contract signing. Workers arrived on the agreed date, power washed the deck and told us to contact PPAS to arrange a date if we wanted them to seal the deck surface once it thoroughly dried. PPAS earliest appointment turned out to be 2 months ahead in late August and would need another power washing for two reasons: first, they did a inferior job, leaving missed areas and visible streaks and secondly, they need to clean again prior to sealing and will charge for it. I appealed and arranged with appointment for them to return the next week of which they failed to contact me and show up. I contacted PPAS to these failures and was informed that the warranted/ repair manager was in a meeting and would return my call shortly. That was last Friday; today is Tuesday and still no return call. I will not call PPAS again; instead, I will post my multiple dissatisfaction on this page and let the buyer beware.

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Premier Pools was fantastic but their concrete subcontractor was extremely difficult to work with. They did not install correctly and they never came to repair despite multiple attempts.

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Poor scheduling and communication. Contract specified Pebble-Tec aggregate pool surface, but post-installation documentation indicates an alternative product used--- aggregate pool surface began cracking, chipping and peeling at water-line within 2-years and follow-up service only exacerbated the problem. Premier Pool became less and less responsive and eventually ignored pleas for follow up service. Bottom line, the pool must be resurfaced after less than 17 years (cosmetically, it should've been resurfaced much sooner)--- I'm told that when correctly installed, an aggregate finish should last up to 40 years.

They are fantastic. They are top-rating. They were always professional. I barely ever saw them because they come when I am not at home. They are very good about walking up the gate to make sure that my dogs do not get out. They are clean. I never had any problem with them at all. If I ever did have an issue, it was resolved right away.

They are very responsive.

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Pros:
On budget; took our vision and able to replicate; Able to work with difficult property access issues; said it would take six weeks and it took exactly six weeks; Project Manager fairly responsive during build process; end result gorgeous pool

Cons:
After pool was done, they were not responsive to fix our gate (PM said he would fix but no follow through);
PM did no follow through after completion to make sure we were 100% happy. A simple phone call to ask if we were satisfied would have been nice along with a " thanks for your business "

Tony with Premiere was responsive and very easy to work with. He visited my home several times, both before and during the work on the pool. His team was quick and had the pool finished within a week. Everyone was wonderful and worked with me to install the design I'd created for my steps and tanning shelf. They provided a technician to train me on the use of my new equipment.
I received a great-looking pool and efficient equipment at a very reasonable price. Even now, the company is helpful in handling questions or concerns I may have about the pool.
I didn't give an "A" rating because not all of the items promised when discussing the options and things that could be done with my pool were included in the contract and thus, they were not provided. Because these were relatively minor and I should have known to get everything in writing, I still recommend this company.

Our representative (Kori) contacted us, designed and coordinated the installation of our pool, and was always responsive to our inquiries. They were flexible to our changes along the way and we are extremely happy with the results. The project was finished within the time lines provided (a few days shy of the six weeks) and the company was careful to keep us informed along the way. There were a couple of "fixes" and they were quick to make the adjustments.
The only criticism was when the pool was finished we had to wait 5 long days for someone to program and set-up the equipment so we could use the spa!
As I watch our neighbors struggle to get their dirt removed after more than two weeks, I am inspired to write this review and strongly recommend Premier Pools. They clearly have the expertise and organization to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

We went with Premier Pools after soliciting bids from two other vendors, listening to their sales pitch and visiting the Premier show room. Premier offered the best value and comparable quality, and were very professional. The pool install went well, and we were pleased by the speed and quality of the work done, and the professionalism of the field crews and workers.
However, the landscaping experience was another story. We contracted through Premier with Earthscapes, a business partner, Premier does not do their own landscaping. Earthscapes was good in person, but was uncommunicative, otherwise. Their field crews did not seem to know what was discussed with the sales rep. The basic grading, sodding, drainage install, mow strip, and irrigation install was completed 6 weeks late. Earthscapes did not communicate and did not respond to queries on when work would get done. Their field crews were good, but left their trash behind sometimes...at least their work appeared good. We solicited work directly through Earthscapes for a low retaining wall, and then elected not to use them after the experience. In addition, a part of the work agreed to through Premier included the rebuild of a 12-foot section of sidewalk critical to drainage. Unfortunately the task wasn't written into the contract and the work was never performed, though it was discussed several times. Once the pool was in and working the Premier project manager also disappeared and didn't respond to concerns about their subcontractor, Earthscapes, or unfinished work. We withheld the final payment of nearly 10% of total cost until at least the landscaping was completed, but the sidewalk fix was not done.
Our takeaway is that Premier completed a good product for a reasonable price, but once their part was done they were uncommunicative and not overtly helpful. Also, everything discussed and agreed to MUST be included in writing on the contract. Also, do not pay off the contract until ALL work in the contract is completed, period.

Our first week of this service was supposed to be 6/5/13. We unlocked our gate, nobody showed up toservice our pool. I called the following morning but could not speak to the person who had signed us up, I had to leave a message. Did not get a response until the next day, she told us that did not have us down for any weekly service but that she would put us down for the next week. The following week the only way we knew somebody had been there was because he locked the gate. There was no paperwork or anything like that left for us. 1week later he leaves a note saying that our pool now has algea. He does not tell us if he treated the problem or anything else. I phoned the next morning but could not speak to the person who handles that , I had to leave a voicemail, she was with a customer, I left a message at 9:30. I did not get a call back. The next day my husband called, he was told the person he asked for was out in the field and that he would have to leave a message,
he told the person he was speaking with that leaving messages only works if the person you leave message for calls you back. That person put him through to someone else (Eric) who told my husband he did not think that our $58.00 mo. covers him getting upset over algae in our pool or nobody returning our phone calls. He was not that nice about it, my husband asked to speak to the manager, Eric told him that he was the manager so my husband asked to speak to his superviser, he was put through to someones voicemail.
This is how they treat a client who has already spent close to $60,000.00 with them. How will they treat someone that wants
weekly chemicals or cleaning that did not buy the pool from them? Would we have an algea problem if they had showed up when they said the would the first time?
They need people to return phone calls, and people who can at least answer questions when a client calls with questions.
Their commercials are very misleading.
We have hired a different company to take care of our pool. Guess what, we didn't have to leave a voicemail or message!!!

The pool and quality of construction are amazing. We are lucky we work from home as it would have been a nightmare doing this if I had to report to an office each day and try and coordinate the project. I think Premier is the best pool company and we are very happy. Would have liked more communication about project construction start and stop dates. This was a big investment and we wanted it done right.

According to plan and budget

The pool came out great. I have to admit that I did not enjoy dealing with a couple of their contractors. The people that work for them that dug the pool were great. The people that did the concrete were difficult to work with. They did the drainage wrong and I had to have the landscaper fix it.

They were not very responsive at all and they have lousy customer service. They dug up trenches and wouldn't fill them in. They wanted my last payment on the pool before they completed the job that took them way to long to complete.

I WAS VERY SATISFIED WITH THE JOB THEY DID. THEY SHOWED UP ON TIME AND THE COMPANY WAS PROFESSIONAL. THEY DID GOOD JOB OF CLEANING UP THE JOB SITE WHEN THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETE. THEY ALSO MAINTAINED CLEANLINESS DURING THE PROCESS.