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Becoming a Pool Builder - Lakeside Custom Pools
By Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine
One year after starting a new pool construction company, freshman Austin pool builders Lakeside Custom Pools have learned one of the most vital lessons about building pools. That lesson is, under-promise and over-deliver.
Having decided to open a new pool company during one of the most difficult times in recent memory, we wanted to get their perspective about what the challenges have been like becoming a pool builder during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The company consisting of Ryan & Lauren Gunhouse and their friend and partner Kelly Peel, have been operating in the Austin, TX market since early 2021.
The three had decided to start a pool construction company servicing their local area of Bee Cave, Texas at the start of the Covid-19 and have been building pools all through the pandemic.
“We all came from different pool companies and met at another pool company,” said Construction Manager – Kelly Peel.
“We saw some imperfections,” explained Peel, “the pool industry here in Austin kind of gets a bad wrap. It starts with consumer trust or lack thereof. We wanted to deliver a high-quality product in a timely manner and decided that if we can’t do it where we were at, we would do a better job on our own.”
Pool builders across the nation have been experiencing logistical delays getting product. There have also been manufacturing shortages and price increases on virtually everything needed to build and maintain a pool. For many, keeping customers satisfied during this time has been a challenge. Thousands of pool builders saw their profit margins take a big hit with the recent price increases, especially those who fix cost their pricing.
For being a brand new builder in a busy market while facing all of these uncertainties, the waters have been pretty calm over at Lakeside Custom Pools. The company has been actively engaging with customers to make them aware of what has been going on and says disruption has been nominal.
“To be honest, it’s been kind of smooth,” said Peel, “I’m a firm believer that if a pool builder tells the customer that Covid-19 was the reason why their project was delayed, then that builder may need to check their moral compass.”
“We say that because building a pool the right way and doing it efficiently really boils down to scheduling, planning, and communication,” said Gunhouse, “what we’ve done to get ahead of the 8 ball is get things lined up before we ever start so that the project runs smooth. This means getting pool equipment. We had the opportunity to invest in ourselves and buy a bunch of equipment early on so that by the time we needed it we had it.”
One thing the new pool builders learned before starting their own firm; you can build a great-looking pool and still wind up disappointing the customer.
Concerned about under promising and over deliving, they feel that how the process went for the customer correlates to them becoming future brand ambassadors. Conversely, if that process went badly, they can factor that customer experience costing them some business down the road. It’s lesson #1 to learn becoming a pool builder.
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Photo Credits: Lakeside Custom Pools
