Gary's Pool and Patio

This was a Disaster!! Our pool installation started Feb 28, 2017. The deceptive and incompetent practices of this business are mind-boggling. Our pool installation took nearly 3 months. At the time of signing the contract with the OWNER of the company. He told us it would take 2 weeks. The Job foreman a few days later said "no, it takes 3 weeks." Almost a month into installation after a 10 day period where NO ONE from Gary's Pools and Patios returned our calls or called I finally received an email back from the General Manager when I told them I would not be paying on the loan to their company until our pool was completed. Every time I actually do get any information from anyone working there, I get a different story. During the installation, they damaged the fiber glass edge. The Saltwater chlorination System - promised we we purchased the pool, was not immediately installed. Then they said they had to order it. Nearly 2 weeks later it arrived in San Antonio. Five days later they finally installed it. We finally plugged it in and got it programmed, because the employee they sent to do it, had no idea what he was doing. Didn't even bother to look at the manual that came with it. Our entire yard is trashed, because they didn't load the dirt to immediately be hauled away, instead they piled it on our lawn. We now have an uneven, muddy mess. They also broke the sewer clean out access when they removed the dirt. I've asked for it to be repaired for over 4 weeks now. They finally repaired it after I filed a BBB Complaint around week 7. I had bricks placed over the top to keep dirt, water and critters from getting into our plumbing system for nearly a month!! The Concrete Decking - offered "free" 3 foot perimeter deck. This is a HUGE joke! The pool install is not complete without it, so it's not at all "free." It's just a sales gimmick (trust me... you pay for it) I asked since day ONE for the name and contact info for the concrete contractor. I wanted to talk about Kool Decking and color options. We've been told they don't know who it's going to be... there are two different ones working on other jobs for them and whoever get's done first. They keep saying there are people ahead of us on the concrete side. Fine... but let me talk with the contractor in advance so they know what we want! After 6 weeks of installation, saying they would get us a contractor, we've finally been told we need to get our own concrete contractor. We interviewed 6. None will work with Gary's due to being owed money or how cheap he wants it done. (all cost at least double the amount allocated int he "free" decking program.) We had to pay above and beyond to even get someone to work with us, and it added extra weeks to our installation due to them being booked. If I had gotten a straight answer from Gary's when I first asked at the beginning of installation, I would have had a contractor booked. We waited a month due to late notice booking. We were also told that we just need to sign our finalization paperwork prior to them releasing funds to pay for concrete. I will not sign a paper saying the work is complete when it is not complete. How in the world can they expect us to sign a paper saying the pool is complete with my backyard is a mud pit and there is no concrete even beginning to be framed in. They tried to get us to sign the same paperwork at week 3 of this process! We told them no and that they'd receive no more money until the job was done. Additionally, they overcharged us over $1,400 at the beginning. Money that is supposed to be allocated to concrete. We were repeatedly told by the owner and the general manager they would send us a check for those funds to pay the deposit with the concrete contractor. It never came, and I'm sure never will. We had to take out an additional loan to pay for the concrete decking, just so we had a complete pool! (our decking contractor was a lifesaver and rescued our project.) Be careful! What they have allocated for concrete is about a third of what it will actually cost, so you'll owe more money to the concrete contractor above what Gary's quotes you. This whole job has been a disaster! Buy from someone else! Don't use Gary's!

Constantly blamed weather or other projects or equipment failure - excuse after excuse - in order to delay showing up for our pool. Despite constant calls and emails and in person visits they never show up to finish work - miss appointments - only work short shifts - the company is deceitful and all about getting the money up front. Do not trust them.

I joined Angie's List just so that I could warn others about this horrible business.  It has now been almost 5 months since we signed our initial contract for a pool install and it is still not even close to being completed.  Keep in mind that they told us initially that it would take 10 days!

From the owner to the salesman, to the job foreman, every employee has lied straight to our face on multiple occasions.  "We will be out tomorrow" is a common phrase.  Most days they don't even show up.

They have "set" the pool 4 times now.  2 times heavy rain came before they finished (because they left the job site early) and floated the pool almost out of the hole.  The second time, it was so severe that it cracked the pool shell and then they had to remove the entire pool from the hole and repair the crack.

The third time they set the pool they completely filled it with water and it was not even close to being level!

I could go on and on but you get the idea.  Do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY!!!!

Advised it would take 3-4 weeks, so far it has been over 20 weeks and the job still isn't done. started the beginning of summer and it's now middle of October.

I would not recommend them to anyone.  This was the worst experience. They wanted their money up front. once they got the money they would not show back up when they said they would.  It took 5 months to get the pool in.