From rock slide to grotto
Another major component of the pool, which was also imported, was the stone grotto and waterfalls. This portion of the project was originally designed to be a rock slide; however, it eventually morphed into a beautiful grotto with waterfalls and a large burning fir pit.
Taking this simple concept through modelling and final engineering to achieve the desired look and feel also took months in the making. Similar to the other imported features, the question of it fitting remained, as the entire pool was built before it even arrived.
The rock structure was installed without any major issues thanks to countless hours of design and meetings between the construction team and grotto manufacturer. For instance, a complete template of the pool was shipped to the manufacturer to allow them to trace out the grotto and send back to show how everything was going to fit. A complete plan for all the utility runs from the pool house to the grotto was also created to make sure everything was properly located to allow the structure to be simply placed on top when it arrived.
After another three weeks of plumbing, electrical, gas, sound, painting, and final testing, everything was up and running. All of the planning and communication involved in the Monique project allowed the grotto feature to be incorporated without major problems, thus creating a spectacular backyard water feature.
Extending the project’s timeline
Project timelines can often be an issue; however, the key to a project extension that is amicable for both the builder and homeowner is keeping the lines of communication open. For instance, the Monique project was originally budgeted for a seven-to eight-month timeline, which eventually became a 10-month construction plan.
Throughout the project the construction team routinely met with the homeowner to present updated project schedules, which worked to keep everyone informed as well as decrease any anxiety that may have intensified as the project went on longer than expected. In these cases, engaging the customer will go a long way in making sure the construction process is as good of an experience for them as possible. Keep in mind, this can be very difficult to achieve when there has been dirt everywhere for months and privacy has been lessened due to workers constantly being around each day.
Timeline extensions also come with budget increases, and the Monique project was no different. Due to the scope and complexity of all the unique elements, costs did increase; but, communicating with the customer and getting them involved in the process helped during difficult meetings where it was necessary to explain why more funds were required.
In fact, documenting the changes the customer requested and explaining the additional costs involved was necessary more than once due to all of the features involved with the project.
Further, there are always unforeseen issues that can happen during construction, which can cause stress for the homeowner. In fact, a few of these issues occurred during construction of the Monique project; yet, the homeowner was very understanding and knew in advance about the situation.
Most pool builders will attest, once the project is finished and the homeowner is able to enjoy their new aquatic amenity, they will often forget about all of the issues. Therefore, it is important to minimize these problems post timeline.
It is also important to keep the homeowner happy throughout the project. This was accomplished on the Monique project by setting the goal to have a major deliverable (element) completed for every Friday. This way the homeowner saw something new and exciting, leaving them with a good feeling the project was progressing. There is nothing worse than a customer stewing over the weekend and come Monday letting the builder know that things are taking too long.
Other strategies included allowing the homeowner to use some of the elements before the project was complete, in addition to keeping them offsite while completing a major project element and then walking them through to reveal the work as a surprise. Although this can be difficult, it can be worth the effort in keeping the homeowner happy. It is also important to engage the customer as much as possible throughout the project so when things do become difficult it is easier to work them out.
