PHOENIX, AZ — It's about to get hot and if you're looking to cool off with a pool this summer you need to make sure to protect yourself.
Viewers around the Valley let me know some pool builders have taken their money and left them high and dry.
But this is one area where the laws gives you specific protections.
Pool builders must follow the payment schedule of:
-No more than 15 percent for down
-25 percent after excavation
-25 percent after installing plumbing and concrete
-25 percent after decking
-10 percent just before finishing materials
In one local case a homeowner gave the right amount upfront, but then paid another 25 percent the hole was dug. He's out about $13,000 with nothing to show for it. We're helping him and others track down the company but before you hire someone there are some rules you need to follow.
Your pool contractor needs to be licensed to construct pools, not just repair them.
Check the Arizona Registrar of Contractors to confirm they're legit.
If not, you won't be entitled the state's recovery fund if things go wrong.
After the license, make sure the contract is specific about everything from the dimensions to the decking in writing.
You can negotiate paying less upon progress, but you definitely should not be paying any more.
Also don't pay with checks or cash. You can't get it back. Credit cards have the most protection if you don't get what you pay for.
