Powerplay Pools

We hired Powerplay pools and Impressions Concrete to do a backyard reno in the summer of 2016. They built a pool and stamped concrete patio for us and we love our backyard. During construction, which took 3 weeks, they were consistently on the job, and whenever there were issues or we had questions the managers as well as the owner Earl, would see to its resolution personally which was very much appreciated. The job was a tough one as the clearance to the backyard was very narrow. The crew were always professional, polite and respectful. And, even now a year after the project was completed, the service continues to be excellent … we never feel like we can’t call them when we have questions about the pool/equipment/maintenance of the patio etc. The only few comments for improved service would be to offer an in-house or partner landscaping contractor who helps with the garden/greenery aspect of the design, that way a more holistic approach could be taken in the initial phase. Another suggestion would be to spend more time briefing, us the owners, in the first few days of the construction so that everyone understands the plan and details such as grading issues, the drainage etc. Overall, I would recommend using this company to anyone looking to build a pool or do a stamped concrete patio. The backyard looks great, the service is excellent and the staff are very polite, professional and helpful.

In response to the review by Mr. St Louis, When a contractor is retained to provide services, the terms and payment schedule is essential A client must trust the contractor to deliver on the vision of their project, and a contractor must trust that they will be paid in exchange. It was not my goal was not to embarrass myself by asking for payment the Friday night when I sought to collect the first overdue amount for the pool kit which was delivered days prior. It was prompted after the previous day I was told, “I promise to be your worst customer ever” and this was before the pool was installed. We probably should have gone our separate ways at this point. We take a progress payment when the pool kit is delivered to the client’s home. No threats were uttered by me, I simply explained that I could not move forward constructing the pool if the account was to remain delinquent. At the time the kit is delivered we accept a cheque for the delivery of the pool kit which is custom ordered for each project according to selections which are unique to each project. Prior to the liner being installed, we insisted on collecting the overdue payment from the additional services provided 2 months prior (which I had compromised and discounted already). This payment was received in the form of a cheque on that day which one of my staff had brought back to the office, and my accountant subsequently took to the bank teller to have it certified. Unfortunately, the project came to a stop again when the teller notified us that the funds were not certifiable. We DO accept cheques, (so long as they are able to clear) MasterCard, Visa and cash. With the heat of the day, the water trucks waiting on site, and the drama that ensued stopping work on the site, a decision was made late in the day to fill the pool with water (as noted by your review under the looming threat that if the water was not to go in we would be stuck with the bill for the water which arrived many hours too early). The decision made to fill the pool with water in light of the circumstances was not a good decision. There were more wrinkles than is acceptable and indeed cost the company more in the long run. When I visited the site myself to measure the pool to determine the cause and see first hand the wrinkles, I immediately offered to order and reinstall a new liner at my expense. An option was provided to have it replaced as soon as a new liner could be fabricated or late in the fall at closing time so that it would not disrupt the swimming season for our client. We delivered on this as noted. The lights are to be reinstalled in the spring as per usual when the pool is opened for the season. I do not believe that the first liner should reflect on my staff’s qualifications, but a result of the circumstances that day. We installed well over 60 this season with great success and they have done hundreds over the years in the pool industry. We have a tremendous group of the most highly trained professionals in the industry. I am thankful to see that the review albeit negative primarily towards my leadership as an owner, recognizes the strengths of some of them including Corey. We are not leveraged by hold backs or money to correct our mistakes. When a mistakes are made such as in the liner install, we are a group that has enough pride to comeback and fix the problem. This is case in point as there was nothing to gain monetarily by doing what was right in this circumstance. As someone who has been in business for over 13 years, I take a tremendous pride in the work that our company does and in the people we employ. As I said at the outset, the relationship between contractor and client needs to start with trust and it is the first and hopefully only time a project begins with a client making a vow to “be the worst customer ever” (your words not mine).

Earl Spinks and his team at Power Play Pools and Stamped Impressions were wonderful to work with. They were professional and fulfilled all their obligations to us, including excellent follow up service once our pool and concrete jobs were completed. I look forward to working with Stamped Impressions when we finish the rest of our backyard projects. Building a pool is a huge process, so having a trustworthy team with a solid leader behind them is key to having a good pool building experience. I'm happy that I selected Power Play & Stamped Impressions.

We had a big job done as our existing pool's concrete & surround had to be sawed out and removed, a new concrete base poured and new liner as well as adding steps, jumping rock and bullnose. They gave great suggestions, were very professional (quiet and respectful of the neighbours) , cleaned up behind themselves and had great follow-up. I recommend them without hesitation to all friends and clients.

We had Powerplay Pools build us a fairly standard inground pool in 2016. The finished product is OK (actually still not completely finished) but the journey was a absolutely terrible. The quote process was easy, with a lot of site visits, they took all our ideas and provided advice and guidance on placement and the overall design. We signed the pool contract, then tried to decide on a contractor for the decking. This is where things started to go bad and we really should have pulled out of the pool contract at his point. We went with a different contractor for the decking after a really bad experience with the owner trying to quote the concrete for our project. The pool build then started late and off on the wrong foot. Contractors arrived for prework (on an hourly rate outside of the pool contract) to prep the site without instructions or any of the details we worked out during the design step. We believe we were over billed for hours not worked, the owner agreed to refund half of the disputed amount. The pool build was delayed a few weeks, despite being assured when we gave our deposit we would be one of first 2 or 3 projects in the spring. The owner then arrived at our house at 9pm on a Friday demanding the next payment before he would release his crew to start the pool hole on Monday. He left disappointed but not after threats were made and he embarrassed himself. The project schedule was a mess. This is our fault for managing the subs ourselves, but Powerplay could not schedule us back into their schedule in a timely manner. They had way too many projects on the go. It took more then 25 emails to have Powerplay show up to move our heater in place. They made 3 trips for the heater, the first 2 trips they sent a single person to move a 400lbs heater. We eventually told Powerplay we were going to have another contractor move the heater in place and deduct the cost from the balance we owed before they arrived to move it in place. The same tactic was used to get the liner installed. We booked the water trucks to arrive on a Tuesday and if the liner wasn't ready Powerplay would foot the bill for the water. Miraculously they arrived on the Tuesday to install the liner. BUT, not without drama. The owner called his crew just before the liner was ready for water and told them to stop work. He required payment before he would release his crew to complete the job. We were holding back payment due to the issues we were having. He would not accept a check, and does not accept the only credit card we had. With the water trucks waiting, we had to drive into town to get cash before he would release his crew to finish the job. The liner ended up with 50-60 wrinkles in it. The owner initially would not correct the problem, claiming his crew was rushed because the water trucks arrived early and the wrinkles were "on us". We brought in 2 other pool builders to assess the liner and they both agreed it was either installed incorrectly or not the right size. Powerplay eventually did agree to replace the liner, but only after the opinions of other pool builders were shared. We had the replacement liner installed in late fall and it's now almost perfect. But we still need someone back (won't be Powerplay) in the spring to reinstall the lights, correct plumbing and finish the job. We can't recommend Powerplay, but if you do use them: -Don't accept the standard payment plan in the contract. Over 80% of payment is due before a hole is even started. You need more leverage with this company. -Avoid dealing with the owner. Work through Corey Foster instead. -Be onsite during the build. Every aspect of the build is rushed with this company and you need to be there to inspect all work. -Scrutinize any other work you have them do. They are competitive on the pool price and assume they try to improve profit with the other add-on work. We had a bad impression of their concrete work and quote and feel we were over billed for the only other piece of work we had them do. Good luck!