Tips to Avoid Hidden Costs in Family Pool Construction
With the value of land skyrocketing in Australia and family yards generally becoming smaller, custom design pools are now getting more and more popular. This is because the designs will take into consideration the size of your yard and its shape, which in most cases may not be the typical square or rectangular shapes. Custom design pools will also consider the space for seats or benches; heating options available like gas, electricity or solar; and the water refilling alternatives, which may be tap water refilling for small pools or automatic refilling machines. As you source a contractor for your family pool, you may be slugged with extra costs that you did not plan for. This particularly occurs with unlicensed contractors. Below is an overview of contract price exclusions to help you avoid hidden costs in family pool construction:
- Town Planning Permit, Asset Protection Fees or Council Deposits: Town planning will mainly be required in heritage or special building overlays. Family pool projects will only require a council bond or an asset protection fee that will be refunded when the project is complete without damaging the road, footpath or other council assets. It can be beneficial to take this permit personally, especially when you live far away from council assets, to avoid the overhead costs.
- Repair, Reinstatement and Relocation for Reticulation Systems and Other Utility Lines: Your builder may not know what lies underground, so it's your responsibility to feed them all the necessary information to minimize the damage and the associated costs. Give particular attention to gas and electrical lines as these may cause adverse danger and harm to property and personnel. It is paramount that you do a site survey of your property to ensure the positioning of the family pool will not interfere with any reticulation systems, such as power lines, sewer lines or telephone lines, to avoid the excessive costs associated with their relocation.
- Water to Fill the Swimming Pool: The water supply mains and other connections to the swimming pool accessories may cost a lot. Currently, pools in Australia can be filled from the tap so long as a water conservation plan is approved by your local water authority. The connection to the automatic re-fillers must be handled by a licensed plumber and is necessary for bigger pools.
With all these taken into consideration, you can be sure to provide your family with year round enjoyment at manageable costs and hustles.
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