Sunstone Pools & Outdoor Living
About us
Swimming Pool & Outdoor Living Construction Company
Business highlights
Services we offer
Coping, Decks, Equipment Repairs, Firepits, Fireplaces, New Pool Construction, Plaster, Retaining Walls & Hardscaping, Tile
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 73% | ||
| 3% | ||
| 3% | ||
| 9% | ||
| 13% |
"Mr. Member is leaving out crucial facts. The items he references are warranty items. His pool was 100% complete and he signed a completion letter attesting to that fact and made his final payment for the main construction agreement. In addition his pool was completed in November of 2015, not January of 2017. After completion of the project, he performed some drainage / fence work on his property causing a drainage issue which flooded his pool deck and caused his pavers to become un-level. Even though it was not our fault we agreed to pay for the labor if he paid for the materials. When we asked him for the $1,800 in material reimbursement his exact words were "Walk Away, I'm Not Paying IT, JUST WALK AWAY". We cannot perform warranty work for unethical individuals who go back on their word and stiff us like a bad habit. His continuing problems with the deck are consistent with his original drainage problems. He never fixed the original drainage issues. In addition, when we originally built his pool, we instructed him verbally and in writing, NOT to turn on his pool heater and spa blower to the spa until the plaster had 30 days to cure. When we arrived the week following the plaster process to balance the chemicals one final time his wife indicated that they had a fun hot tub party the weekend after we plastered the pool. Only 3 days went by before they used the spa / blower. To a certain degree we find it humorous that the only pool we have ever heard of issues with spa jets or plaster issue is the customer who stiffed for a material reimbursement that we performed in good faith to fix one of their mistakes. This customer told us to "Walk Away" so we did until he pays his $1,800 material bill then his pool is back under warranty. It's not really a surprise, we should have known. A record of the payment log showed that he also stiffed us for an electrical sub-panel we added in his garage, and was late on 5 of 7 total payments causing a delay in the project each time. We wish this member all the best."
"This customer called a few months after we finished her renovation. She noted there were small surface cracks on her concrete deck. We reminded here that per her construction agreement there is no warranty on concrete decks, and no contractor will ever warranty concrete decks. Surface cracks in concrete decks are caused by ground movement and more specifically soil conditions. We explain this to our customers when we tear out concrete and re-pour. Concrete it guaranteed to dry turn grey and crack. We have a hard time with this customer's review considering we discussed this in detail with her before, during and after the project. We wish this member all the best."
"We contacted this member and visited the job site location. Their issue was their spa was not functioning the way they desired. We took their spa jets apart and discovered that their filter had broken into small pieces and made its way into the spa jet plumbing lines which blocked their spa jet lines. This issue was not a result of our construction procedures, instead a result of faulty pool equipment. We have finished our project with this member and hope that they will update their review accordingly."
"We appreciate this member's kind feedback."
"We are very thankful for this member's kind words. We appreciate their valuable insight into the project to help make it a success."
Our project involved excavating a 14-year old, 10,000 gallon pool and build a new, 30,000 gallon diving pool. In addition, we added a few outdoor living areas as noted above. We obtained 3 bids from various pool companies in March 2015. What set Sunstone Pools & Outdoor Living apart from the other pool companies was: 1) the overall value compared to our budget, and 2) the instant connection my wife and I had with Brad and Kevinn, Owners, and Sal, Project Manager. We felt like we were working with family.
Our main concerns with remodeling our backyard was: 1) being able to understand the cost of such a complex backyard project, 2) the potential of receiving poor customer service and/or being taken advantage of (i.e. unmet deadlines, mistakes, unresponsiveness, overcharges, inflexibility), and 3) quality of construction. Sunstone Pools & Outdoor Living quickly eased those concerns by being open and transparent regarding their company culture and business model.
Regarding cost, Brad and Kevinn spent considerable time with me and my wife helping us understand the costs of our various projects. They not only explained why things cost the way they did, but they also provided several options or alternatives if we felt something was over our budget or didn't meet our expectations. They never forced a certain product or method of construction on us. Instead, they were very flexible and open.
Sunstone Pools & Outdoor Living level of customer service exceeded and continues to exceed our expectations. Brad, Kevinn, and Sal were very accessible and responsive to our questions or concerns. They were (and still are) reachable by various modes of communication at most reasonable times during the day and evening. The team made frequent visits to the project location to supervise the work being performed. With any major project there were a few deviations from the project plan, however, Brad, Kevinn and Sal recognized the issues and immediately rectified the situation to our satisfaction.
The level/quality of construction and overall appearance of our backyard is exceptional. The crews completing the various stages of the project were very knowledgeable, possessed many years of experience, and took great pride in their worksmanship. We found it helpful that the crews were very willing to discuss the details of the project with my wife and me. Just as important, the project was completed within the agree-upon time frame. After 5 months, there have been no mechanical or construction issues with any aspect of our projects.
In summary, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience with Sunstone Pools & Outdoor Living. Brad, Kevinn, Sal, and the team of project experts were great to work with. They built us a backyard living area that will create many memories for years to come. Thank you!
"We are humbled and thankful for this member's kind words about their project. We will not forget the experience of working to help them transform their back yard into their dreams. They greatly contributed to the success of the project. We hope they enjoy it for many years to come."
There response from Sunstone was "The member never provided us a survey so we could draw them a plan. We cannot draw a plan unless we know the legal property line / easement locations." I can tell you that without a doubt, the salesman left WITH a copy of the survey at our initial meeting... just like the other 2 companies that I had out to give me quotes. Nothing but an excuse to save face on their reviews. Bottom line is, your salesperson screwed up and forgot about my quote after he went "deer hunting" and never contacted me.
Talked to the sales rep on the phone and he came out to the house. We talked about the project and he took measurements. He told me that he would get back to me with an estimate... and that's the last I heard from him. Completely wasted my time. Spending my 70K with someone else.
"The member never provided us a survey so we could draw them a plan. We cannot draw a plan unless we know the legal property line / easement locations."
Im an experienced pool owner and quite frankly the renovation would have been an absolute disaster if I hadnt been there to observe and correct a number of mistakes made during the process.
One of the biggest issues we had with our pool was we had on several occasions been flooded with mud when there was very heavy rain. That was discussed in detail before we hired them and I assumed that the design that they came up with was appropriate . It wasnt. The first big rain we had the pool was flooded once again with mud (it happened about a week after the pool was plastered and during the 30 day cure period for the pebblestone plaster we were using). Their solution was to pump the 36,000 gallons of water I had just paid for out of the pool to remove the mud even though plaster during the 30 day cure period should not be allowed to dry out per the manufacturers recommendations. I stayed up all night for 2 nights spraying the plaster with the hose while the pool was being drained and refilled to keep the plaster wet during its cure period. Sunstone didn't help a bit and quite frankly were totally incompetent in dealing with this terrible issue when the pool was full of mud and looked like a cesspool. One of the new led lights we paid to have installed was done incorrectly and stuck out into the pool and had to be replaced with a smaller light which does not match the other lights. Brad's response to me was that I would get used to it.
When the pool was flooding with mud and I called Brad to get help his response was to send a guy out with 16 bags of sand to try and stop the water and mud flow. The mud and water went right through the sand bags and into the pool. When I continued to complain about what was happening he said we would have to wait until things dry out and he would bring his transit out to check the elevations. It was unbelievable to me that he had not already done this esp since when I had hired him he knew that the biggest issue I wanted addressed with the pool was the problem with water/mud runoff entering the pool after a large rain event.
After the replaster and when the pool was first started up I discovered that the deep end skimmer was completely clogged with plaster and rocks and I had to spend about an hour and a half digging that crap out of the skimmer return so the water could circulate through the skimmer. A bunch of debris and plaster got sucked into the pump (all new equipment) and the new backwash valve has been leaking constantly since the renovation probably because of all the debris that got forced through it. I have asked them to redo the backwash valve because the pool continues to lose water. I figured this out because they never got the auto fill mechanism installed and working so the water loss was pretty obvious. Thank goodness they screwed up on the auto fill or I probably wouldnt have noticed for a long time that it was leaking through the backwash valve. Unbelievably when the tech guy came out he observed the water leaking through the back wash valve and said we should give it a week after he backwashed the pool again to see if it would stop leaking. It is still leaking today (121/18/2015) and they still haven't come out to fix it.
Also there is mastic or plaster on the inslde of the lens of a number of the new lights which were installed which I have pointed out and they have made no effort to clean or replace these lights.
Also the remote controller for the pool systems has a defective screen and can hardly be read esp when it is daylight and they still haven't replaced it . The pool tech (Rick) who came out saw this as well as Brad and I cAN'T Believe it still hasn't been replaced after about 3 months. There are a number of other issues that came up during this renovation that I won't waste my time writing about but hopefully you get an idea of how poor the workmanship and customer service was.
Only reason I am sending in this review is because when I googled Sunstone after all these problems were happening I noticed that Sunstone somehow has earned apparently some kind of super recommendation from Angie's List. I would be curious to know how much they paid you guys for getting your superior recommendation because it certainly isn't earned by the work they do. Best I can tell Sunstone is nothing more than 3 guys that came out of Robertson Pools and they have no staff to be able to address issues when they arise and everything is done by subcontractors which they don't supervise. It was hard to believe that no one from Sunstone came out to check the work of the plasterer and electrician before the pool started to be filled and didn't become aware of the problems with the deep end skimmer and lights until the pool was filled.
I don't think I have ever seen any contractor be so negligent and unresponsive to serious issues that have occurred.
Last time my wife tried to call Brad (last weekend) he said he was at his deer lease and would call her back when he got back to town. Of course,we still haven't heard from him or anyone at Sunstone. When all the major work was done and the pool plastered and was being started up Brad was out at his deer lease then also instead of supervising the work . For $62,000 I feel totally ripped off and disgusted that I went with this pool contractor that had been recommended by the chaplain at Medical City Hospital where my wife worked.
Could someone from Angies List call me and let me know how it is that you guys have somehow given this pool contractor your highest and best rating. How much does that cost?
Most DFW pool contractors are "general contractors" meaning they hire contractors, called "subcontractors" to perform specialized tasks. This is how Sunstone Pools works and again, is how almost all pool builders work.
Breaking it down by subcontractor:
Excavation (Hole Digger) - They were fast and good. Only downside was that they left a large area of dirt on the driveway that was a remnant of the ramp used to load the dump truck. I had to clean that off which wasn't a big deal.
Rebar - fast and good as well. Rain created a collapse on a side wall but they quickly repaired it.
Gunite - Also fast and good. They used more cement in the mix than most subs in DFW use. A plus. Pool is a rectangle so they did a nice job of squaring everything off.
Pebble Finish Coat - We asked for a special color mix which I am sure caused them concern, but it turned out really well. There is a small area where the color went a little light, but I may be the only one who will ever notice.
Tile work- We changed direction mid stream and the project was a bit over this subs ability. It turned out fine in the end but it took some adjustments along the way. To be fair, Sunstone had this sub scheduled, for a much simpler tile job, and to change to a different one would have delayed the project.
Concrete Flat Work - These guys were the best subcontractor on the site. Absolutely fantastic. Stamped concrete with a dry stain that turned out really well. We also had a raised area for the covered patio where they machine troweled it and it is perfect.
Covered Patio Structure - Sunstone used over-sized steel columns which is a big plus over wood. That was over and beyond what they needed to do but they knew I was concerned about thin steel. The layout was well done and everything is square. The carpenters are top notch and a close second to the concrete crew. Very good. The roofers were probably the weak link of the project. They forgot the ridge vent, which they came back and installed but they had a difficult time getting the flashing correct.
Fireplace - Good and....well, slow. That's okay though because they were very thorough. They used a level on almost every block they laid. It turned out really well. I will take good over quick any day!
Sunstone has several subcontractors and you may get different ones than were used on our project but I suggest talking with Brad regarding who he will use. They are somewhat at the mercy of the subs though as they subs do work for other companies as well. That was a bit of an issue, but again, it will be that way with with any pool builder in DFW.
In our eyes, the biggest thing Sunstone brings is value. We talked with several pool builders, including the local ones in Flowermound/Highland Village, and they were much higher than Sunstone. There was also somewhat of a disinterest from the locals. It felt like the locals were about volume, not about our pool.
We would not hesitate to use Sunstone again. Few do it, but suggest that if you are thinking about a pool, start designing it in the winter. Do not wait until Spring as the weather may be an issue and contractors get busy.
Good luck!
"We were privileged to have had the opportunity to work on such a cool project with our customer being an architect. His amazing design talent helped make the project special and we appreciate his patience throughout the process. We are most thankful that we had the opportunity to get to know him on a personal level and learn new construction ideas and processes."
"This member provided NO property survey so that a set of plans could be drawn. The property has an existing pool already on it. The job was a pool renovation. The backyard was a complete mess with the landscaping so overgrown you could hardly see the backyard."
Me
Your design advisers did not show up last Thursday Morning Nov 19? Please be advised that the subject evaluation will be conducted between the Dec 1st thru the 4th. Anytime of day - if your services are not provided in this time period, I demand my refund of $79.00.Regards,MH
Them
Considering you cancelled your appointment with us not once, but twice, I do not
respect the tone of your email below. We have scheduled a refund check
of $79 to be sent to you at the end of next week. Please do not contact our company anymore.
Me,
I canceled the appointments ahead of the previously scheduled dates for
medical reasons subsequent to surgery.
I called a November 18 and talked to Brad Cormack, and he
gave me an appt Thursday Morning 19th - I received no calls that
your were not coming, and I had set aside that time for your appt and you were a no show.
Throughout the re-scheduling, it seems strange that I talked to different persons each time .
Moreover, during this period, I got calls from unknown
contractors requesting to come to my house, not to prepare drawing, but
to show me pictures and draw lines in the yard - How did they get my
name to know that I was preparing to build a deck attached to my patio.
That's my you have my e-mail.
MH
"This member purchases a coupon from Angie's List then cancels 2 appointments with us and then tells us if we can't show up on a certain date he is going to demand a refund? We elected to give him a refund on his coupon even though he did not pay us for his coupon, (the coupon money went to Angie's List) so that he could move on with his obviously very happy life."
"We appreciate this member's kind words, but we don't do landscaping and did not do any landscaping for her. We actually built her 2 arbors, a covered patio, an outdoor kitchen, and a fire pit. It turned out beautiful, and we hope she still loves it. We wish her all the best."
It went real well. These guys did a great job. I was really impressed by their professionalism and their knowledge. They brought the power of their trades to my project because they actually build new pools from start to finish. Their crew did a fantastic job even found some leaks I didn't even know about. They found that when they pressure tested the plumbing. The equipment they installed works great, the water has never been clearer with my new UV system. The masonry and plaster work turned out beautiful and they even helped us with the material choices so that all the colors flowed together. The job went as planned and just amount of time they said it would take. They were very fair to me. Didn't have any cost overruns or even ask for more money unless I added or changed something. Sunstone really did a great job on my renovation. My neighbor even called them over on his pool and they are currently working on a renovation for him. When someone does good work for me I'm going to make sure they get their due credit. I wouldn't hesitate to call these guys at Sunstone.
"We really appreciate this member's kind words and the privilege of working on their project."
"We are thankful for this member's kind words. We appreciate the privilege of working on her project."
"Our question to the member is how upset would they be if we had given them a bid just for the hardscape which would have been in line with their expectations on a per sq. ft. basis, but then told her that grading, sprinklers, and drainage are responsibility of homeowner? Answer: Very upset, and that's why we included the correct and complete scope of work in the bid, just like we do for all of our projects. First, off this member's money for the coupon went to Angie's List not us. We provided a coupon because we were requested to do so by Angie's List. Second, Kevin never went to this member's house, she does't even know who she met with, even though his name was on his business card and the submitted proposal and he spent an hour with her to discuss the details of the plan. Third, this bid was not just for a travertine hardscape plan for this member's side yard. The existing yard space must be excavated and graded and dirt removed to make room for a natural stone deck. Fourth, in addition the member has a sprinkler system that must be re-routed / modified so that water would only run to the planter areas on the design space. Fifth, there is a drainage swale between the two house requiring us to install approximately 100 linear feet of drainage from the rear of the property to the front of the property in order to evacuate all the water that would accumulate when it rains. So this member is adding in the required cost of the other phases of construction and labor (grading, sprinklers, drainage, etc.) and is upset with us because the total package price per sq. ft. is more than than what she thinks the market rate for this type of deck should be."
- We never met.
- I received a refund
"We asked the member to get a refund from Angie's List because when we spoke to her on the phone she wanted a landscape plan, not a pool plan. The member is not in a position to give us a bad review when she calls an outdoor living company and asks them to provide landscaping services."
"We appreciate this member's kind words and hope her project turns out wonderful."
AWFUL! I read the complaints about Sunstone Pools and their responses. I believe the complainants!
I had medical issues before my pool reno began and just recently recovered enough to tell my story. And, only recently have I been able to get past our upper deck and out on the pool deck and in the pool to see the full picture of the pool reno.
When the pool was released for swimming, my granddaughter was here and she kept telling me there were stripes on the bottom of the pool. I asked, what do you mean, stripes? She said, I mean white stripes! I couldn't see it from the upper deck. Once I was able to get in the pool, I could see what she was talking about. The pool surface is inconsistent. There are white stripes, swirls and white spots throughout the pool surface. Very unattractive and disappointing!
When the tile was installed, l absolutely loved it. The grout lines were gray, even and small just like I requested. The problem came later when a worker came back and added gray grout between the tile and the coping. This line was very uneven and noticeable because the coping is a natural brown and tan natural stone. This gray uneven line shouts 'look at me' every time I walk out my backdoor! In my opinion, I should have been told this was going to be done. The existing tan color would have looked so much better. I even asked if there was something I could use to color it that would withstand the chlorine. I never got an answer and nothing was ever done about my complaint. Very unattractive and disappointing!
The steps, I hate to even talk about the steps.....We were told it would be best to take the concrete steps out and not add caps and risers to them; cinder blocks would be used and that was the best way to go. Two workers showed up with a jack hammer that even I could tell was too small for the job. They worked for days trying to dig out 7 steps. The next thing I know, they have dug down on the existing steps and were putting the stone and risers on. When I questioned it, I was told that was the best way to go. When they got the stone and risers in place, it was an absolute mess. The steps were uneven, the grout lines were off, there was no pattern or consistency. All in all, I can call it nothing but some of the sloppiest workmanship I and many friends and neighbors have ever seen. I complained and Brad Cormack showed up to take a look. He explained to the workers who were not fluent in English what needed to be done. He also asked for a $3500 check while he was there. I asked what happens if they don't fix these steps to my satisfaction. He assured me they would be fixed. The guys worked all day and were not finished. We asked when they would finish. They said they would be back on Monday and we haven't seen them since. We contacted Brad, he said he would come back and take a look at them, we have never seen or heard from him since.
And, then there is the deck. They were supposed to pull the existing wooden expansion joints, spray the deck and then add new dek-o-seal. What they did was spray the deck and then pull the wooden joints which left jagged edges at the joints. The spray also did not meet the existing stone wall around the pool deck and those edges were jagged and uneven. No matter what complaint I had, they had an answer; but, not an answer that would fix my problems. Brad told me they would cut out the jagged edges that did not meet the existing stone wall and make them even and fill them with dek-o-seal. They never cleanded them up and made them even, just slapped dek-o-seal in there. Honestly, the dek-o-seal looks like a 5 year old put it down.
My french drains stopped up because of all the dust and debris. Brad told me they would blow those out when the job was done. They did not. They also did not clean up the dust, cement slung on my bedroom window and left all of my outdoor furniture in a pile in my side yard. They accidentally pulled the 1"x4" board off the bottom of my gate. They never put it back.
I have plenty of pictures I would like to share. But, I will have to check with Angie's List to see how to put them out here and to see if there is enough space. I also have email after email that record the problems and complaints.
At 68, I was looking forward to a beautiful space to relax and enjoy. Instead, I get angry every time I walk out my backdoor. If you are planning to do business with Sunstone pools, I strongly encourage you visit finished projects and those in progress. In fact, come see my pool; I will be glad to show you around.
"The member is complaining about the mortar bed joint between the tile and the coping of the pool. We did not replace the coping on the pool. We only replaced the tile. She does not have an issue with the tile, she is upset about the thickness of the mortar joint under the coping that was always there from the beginning. She is complaining about something that we did not change and was there from the beginning. We worked on her steps and we matched her steps to the driveway which was at an angle. No matter what we did we could not make her happy. Each time we finished working on the steps she said it looked fine, but then she then would email and come up with a new unrealistic reason why she didn't like the steps. She threatened at the beginning of the job that if it wasn't perfect she would give us a bad review like she had give to other people who had done work for her. We even gave this member a $1,500 credit so we wouldn't have to keep sending our crews out to fix non-existant issues."
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