Once the permits were granted, I called around to get pricing for digging the hole for the pool. Getting anybody to provide an estimate was not has hard as getting them to just return my phone call. I finally received a call back and he provided a reasonable price. I had nothing to compare it to, it did not seem too pricey, and I really wanted to get the pool started. We agreed on the price, but he indicated that he would try to “fit” us into his schedule in May, (it was April).
May came and went and no pool hole. I constantly badgered him throughout May to get a commitment. I was ready to make some more calls to other contractors when he finally showed up unannounced. Efiwym called me at work and let me know he was there. I left work early so I could provide him with the details of the excavation.
The pool manufacturer provided a complete drawing of this pool with a deep end. It had half the pool 4 feet deep and the other half had a sloping 7-foot-deep end. I transferred those measurements to a drawing showing the pool location.
When I got home, I met the contractor and handed him the drawing while explaining the requirements. After a few questions, he was ready to dig. He said he would be able to accomplish the excavation in one day. Keep in mind, this dig would require the removal of several truckloads of dirt. I cannot remember how many, but it was about 6-10 truckloads.
I watched from the patio doors as the excavator dug up the dirt and transferred it to a waiting truck. One after another the trucks arrived empty and left full. Utilizing a transit-level, the contractor was able to get the correct depth, location and shape of the pool opening.
When he was done, he shut off the excavator and jumped out of the cab. As I walked out of the house, he looked at me and simply questioned, “What do you think?” I did a cursory walk around the dig and said, “Looks good.” I did not take out a tape measure to check the location, the depth, or size. It looked good, so it must be right. I verified the price with him and wrote him a check. He handed me the receipt and headed back to the excavator. Soon the excavator and all the equipment would be gone.
I jumped down into the hole and was impressed by the straight dirt walls. As I stepped into the deep end, I could not see over the ground above. I was now at the point that I could start building the pool. I could feel the sense of excitement as my mind was on overload. “What to I do next,” went through my head over and over again.