Swan Pools West
About us
Mine is a family Christian business run by myself, my wife, my son and his wife. Specials are offered monthly and pricing is competitive without sacrificing quality. We are licensed in pools, masonry, concrete and are a general building contractor.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Decorative Concrete, Rock & Brick Work & Inspections, Swimming Pools & Spas
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
---|---|---|
98% | ||
0% | ||
0% | ||
0% | ||
3% |
"THANKS FOR YOUR KIND REVIEW -- YOU WERE A PLEASURE TO DEAL WITH AND I HOPE YPU AND YOUR FAMILY ENJOY THE POOL ,PATIO COVER AND BBQ FOR YEARS TO COME"
"We appreciate your positive review. You have been a pleasure to work with as well"
"THIS IS TOTALLY NOT TRUE -- THE HOMEOWNER ASKED US NOT TO START WHEN WE WERE READY - IT ACTUALLY TOOK 9 WEEKS TO COMPLETE DUE TO HIM ADDING ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS A SIDE YARD DRIVEWAY. THIS IS SO UNFAIR OF A REPORT. THEY WERE OUT OF TOWN AND UNAVAILABLE FOR MANY CHANGES AND WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THEM TO BE BACK TO CONTINUE THE WORK. PLEASE REMOVE THIS REPORT BEFORE I HAVE TO TAKE ACTION."
Dave is honest and hard-working. My advice is to be honest with him with your needs (remodel, addition, how you will use your pool/spa, safety, looks), timeline (we wanted it done for summer), what you are willing to sacrifice on (size-we lost pool area due to the addition of the spa) and what you will not (did not want it to look cheap-the bellacrete and mosaic tile waterline was extra; also ease of use via iaqualink was important to us).
If there was a day the guys could not work (maybe 2-3 days over the duration of project) dave called the day before or the morning of to let us know the conflict. He updated us on sunday before the start of each week to let us know what would be going on...demo on monday, plumbing/electrical on tuesday, gunnite on wed, etc. If his guys needed full access to the driveway which would impede on us going in and out he would tell me the night before. Always reachable by phone/text and if he didn't answer would call back within 1-2 hours.
If there was a problem he would come by HIMSELF to check on it. He is very solution oriented and a high communicator. No surprises with him without talking about it.
The project was estimated at 2 months and we finished in less than three.
The best part was the bags full of white peaches he brought from his trees in oxnard!
Thanks dave!!
We had some rain during the process but were still able to have our pool party by the time we needed it. My wife and I have waited 11 years to have this done, so we are ecstatic. Dave got the crews out here by 7:30 every morning starting on Feb. 27 and everything was finished by May 18th. All permits were pulled to begin with, then the process was done in 8 or 9 increments with specific payments collected at the time to start the next process.
The finished product was excellent and we could not have asked for better workmanship! Thanks Dave and Todd Lewis and your excellent crews for your expertise and professionalism!
Swan Pools West is the best!
Rick and Irene
I cannot emphasize enough how happy we are in choosing Swan Pools West to do our project for us. Todd Lewis was a sincere pleasure to work with. He talks a lot, and so do I, so we certainly got all out bases covered when it came to what work needed to be done. When there were last minute changes that needed to be done, he made it happen. He was always on site at every major stage of the pool remodel to supervise the project. His employees and subcontractors were terrific, primarily his plumbing and concrete crews. Attention to detail and a constant flow of dialogue is so crucial for a project this big, and we are quite impressed over how smooth everything went.
The project was required ripping up and removing the old concrete deck and turf, new filter equipment, new saline filtration system, new plumbing, new electrical, pool heater, building in a hot spa into existing footprint (solid gunite), building a baja shelf into existing footprint (solid gunite), using mini pebble instead of plaster, concrete sanded coping, stamped concrete decking, drainage in deck, back planters, and side yard to lead to street, reversing yard gates to comply with city code, and building a fence around the equipment. The drains along the planters and side yard weren't even discussed. They just factored it in to the project by going the extra mile to make the project a success. Adding a quick fill valve line was also a nice feature that I didn't even think of that was factored in. The company is a true marriage of construction and design. Together, we collaborated on aesthetics like color schemes, stamped patterns, pebble tec and pool tile options, and lining the bottom step to be flush with the spa wall, among others.
Every stage of the project was completed in a timely fashion. We started construction in June and was in the pool by Labor Day weekend. It would have been sooner if it weren't for delays with another contractor on a door to window conversion we were also having done on a backyard facing wall.
Aside from solid communication, Todd was incredibly forthright and honest. He saved us money when we downsized our pool fence to better match our backyard aesthetic. He also helped us make the best choice for us regarding using a PDA for the pool equipment versus a smart phone controlled system. The same consideration was applied during our discussion regarding LED color lights versus normal pool lights (we opted for the latter less pricey option). He played an intricate part in choosing the 6" tile that goes around the pool, understanding the design look my wife and I were going for and steering us away from a more expensive yet less appealing look for us in the end that involved decorative tile.
Lastly, when problems arose like sharp concrete edges, chipped pieces of coping, lack of sanding on the equipment fence, some faulty putty work from the electrician when installing the proper fault line to out electrical panel, a broken sprinkler pipe, etc., Todd promptly addressed and rectified all matters with professionalism that you wish all contractors would do.
As much as you want a contractor to guide you through a project, it is important for home owners to do their own due diligence and have that open honest dialogue with their contractor about options and worst case scenarios about matters like material choices. Pete is a master with concrete and placed expansion joints in all the right places. We do have some minor cracking in the concrete, but nothing that is egregious or unexpected. We also have expansive soil in our backyard and roots still present from very persistent carrotwood trees, so we knew that hairline cracking was a strong possibility.
With all things considered, this is a family business that understands that their name is attached to their business and that reputation is a valuable commodity that needs to be protected and upheld through solid workmanship. If you need a pool contractor, use these guys and ask for Todd.
The Swan Pools bid was the lowest by a little bit, and we really felt good about Dave and his reviews here so we went with him. Contracts were signed within a week and ground was broken within a week after that. Construction lasted 10?11 weeks.
Construction went well. There were a couple hiccups here and there, as can be expected from any big project. Dave or his son Todd were around often to check up on things and let us know what was going on. We definitely had ideas about what the finished pool should look like, and Dave and Todd really worked with us to make sure that happened within our budget. The crews that came and worked were professional and hardworking. I saw a lot of measuring and level checking.
When it was getting to the end, we had a birthday party planned, and it seemed like the final safety inspection might do us in. Todd made sure the party could go on as planned. He had his crew over at 7 am to complete the changes required by the inspector and scheduled the inspection for the same day so we could get water in the pool. There was water in the pool Thursday morning and a party on Saturday.
The finished pool is truly more than I could have asked or imagined. It brought me to tears it was so beautiful. The flagstone, stacked stone, tile and pebble finishes work so beautifully together. It looks natural and timeless. I never would have believed I would ever have something so beautiful. Swan Pools West built me the pool of my dreams.
"THANKS FOR THE KIND REMARKS - WE TRY TO ACCOMMODATE ALL YOUR NEEDS WHILE STAYING WITHIN BUDGET -- ENJOY YOUR POOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Followup was outstanding and communication was a key to a successful project. Swan Pools will be used again in our next project.
I found Swan Pools West on Angie's list, read some of the customer reviews, and visited Swan's web site to look at completed projects. A couple of days later I met with Dave Lewis to discuss the list of changes I was considering. Dave took measurements of the pool area and patio as we went over the needed changes. He prepared a proposal, listing each item and cost estimate except for the plumbing pressure test and pool leak test. I discussed some of the history of our pool, the original pool builder, and how the rock features, waterfalls and pool /patio decking were made. Dave said his son Todd has several years experience working with these types of pool features and would be handling the work on repairing, resurfacing, and recoloring of the rock features, pool and patio decks and walkways.
.
Our pool was drained and work started on Sept 25th with the removal of the old plaster. That day, and from then on, Dave or Todd and sometimes both, were on site to see that things were being done and done correctly. I'm the "curious" type, and whenever my work permitted, I was at home watching the work with interest, and asking questions. To me, knowing how and why something was being done is just as important as "what" is being done. Dave, Todd and their work crews were always courteous and responsive to my questions. Following the plaster removal, the pool plumbing was pressurized to test for leaks. No leaks were found but several places in the pool and spa indicated past seepage thru the old plaster, and were sealed. At the same time, Todd and his workers went to work on the repair and resurfacing of the rock features, walkways, and patio decking. Part way thru the process of repairing the rock surfaces, work stopped and all of the rock features were covered in plastic to protect them from wind and rain predicted for the next two days.
When Todd reached the point of applying color to the rock features and pool and patio areas, he prepared samples of three shades of "sandstone" and coated three of the rocks. He gave me an opportunity to look at the sample colors over the coming weekend to see how they looked at different times of the day, especially in sunlight and in shade, before I made a decision. This is just an example of the effort and consideration Todd put into his work to ensure that we were getting what we wanted. Another example was Todd's work on replacing the 3 foot by 8 inch deep hole in our patio which the original pool builder referred to as a "fire pit". Todd used sections of a "simulated rock" shell to form an above ground fire pit with rock like features matching the existing rocks. After adding turquoise colored glass, the new fire pit is a great addition to the patio. It is clear that Todd loves what he does and it shows in his work!! Todd also worked with me to add material to balance the flow of water over some of the rock feature waterfalls.
Additional repairs included replacement of the pool and spa lamps and removal of concrete around the pool skimmer. The original pool builder used uncoated rebar in the skimmer which rusted, causing large cracks in the overhang and dropping pieces of concrete into the pool. The repair included the replacement of the concrete around the skimmer and a new skimmer cover which now looks better than the original ever did. Also, the original builder failed to provide flexible material filler between the pool and pool decking which over time caused cracking. Dave recommended that it be repaired by creating a channel between the two concrete sections and installing flexible filler material. The cost was not in Dave's proposal, but I considered the repair necessary and agreed to it.
On November 12th, the pool and spa were replastered in a beautiful blue color with mini pebble texture and tiny blue glass beads that sparkle in the sun. A perfect complement to the sandstone rocky background. During "start up", one of the old Chardonnay (Ortega) diverter valves failed and it was decided to replace both valves for proper operation of the pool and spa. A lot has been accomplished in restoring the appearance and functionality of our pool and spa, but I know there is more to do. Working with professional, understanding, knowledgeable people like Dave and Todd and their associates was a pleasure. I now have a pool company that I can go to for help in the future.
Even though I live in ground zero for rush hour traffic, the crews were friendly and prompt. Each subcontractor seemed expert at his job and cared about the quality of the work.
David worked with us about design decisions we needed to make and the timing of those decisions (tiles, concrete colors, plaster colors, styles, etc) so we wouldn't get behind in the job. He also worked with our designer suggesting his ideas but quite willing to do whatever we decided on. Billing was clear and if we made an addition to the original order he would double check with us about how much it cost and created a new overall accounting. His years of expertise came in handy when we hit an unexpected bump in the road which included discovering old plumbing lines that went nowhere and dangerous broken and exposed electric lines. David took care of them without even blinking. That's the value of experience.
They demolished my rocks and plaster in short order then started digging the new plumbing and electric. They put down the coping and cement for the patio. They added the pool equipment within a month I had a new pool. David was always there for qyuality control and if the was a glitch, he took care of it immediately.
When the job was over he asked me if I was happy and what he could do better and this is a guy who's been doing this for decades. The fact that he is still willing to learn and grow says volumes about the work ethic and style of the company. They did a great job and a great price.
Todd at Swan Pools West was fantastic. He worked with us to define scope to fit our budget and design a beautiful pool to fit our taste. He also included Dave (partner) for quality checkpoints throughout the process. Todd was responsive, honest, fair and diligent in the work of his team. All of the people who had a part of the project were friendly, professional and produced quality work. We were thrilled with our new pool and spa and would recommend Swan Pools West to any friend, neighbor or family member.
The demolition work and site preparation went pretty quickly. The pool construction duration was typical. Completion and closeout went fairly quickly as well. They handled changes without complaint and often provided alternatives to consider. We did make one sort of big change and it was performed professionally and costs were minimal. Another example of their flexibility and interest in doing a good job.
The reason we noted "punctuality" as good instead of great was because Swan Pools West had several other contracts going on but they serviced us as quickly as they could. Plus, we were in no rush because work was scheduled for January-April and it was still a bit cool to need to rush.
The end product is very nice and neighbors have commented positively in all cases. I'd like to point out that Swan Pools West always, repeat always, returned my calls and answered my questions, regardless how frequently I asked and how many times I needed things repeated. We look forward to staying in contact with this team.
Highly recommended and a nice, friendly group of players.
Thanks Todd, Dave, Denny, Lupe and all the crew.
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.