Bowles Custom Pools & Spas, Inc. — Attraction in Orlando

I really wish I was giving a 5 star instead of a 1. We have had a nightmare experience with this company. Everything seemed good until we signed the contract. If you do choose Bowles-document everything. They do not follow through on their word and still demand money. They also do not disclose extra expenses you will incur that other pool companies pay for and handle. They were not our cheapest bid, but we thought by paying more we would have a better experience and quality. This, unfortunately, was not the case.

Overall, I believe any construction project will have delays and challenges. It’s the nature of the Industry. Perfection was not my expectation- but good supervision, realistic communication, and follow through on things that were told to us- were my expectation. Unfortunately, Bowles doesn’t have any of those.

Here are some examples of challenges we encountered. Sorry for the length, but when you are spending mega bucks on a huge project, I wanted to give as clear a picture as possible!

-quoted 10-12 weeks for construction- it’s been nearly 24 weeks since breaking ground (10 months since first call) and items are still outstanding -poor supervision of construction; I was continuously sending feedback in of things needing to be fixed instead of the project manager; he didn’t follow through on multiple items which delayed project and caused me added work as customer; the office admin ended up communicating with me more than PM. There is a huge disconnect with the info she has and what’s actually happening in the field. So a lot of things fall through the crack. -when you do have a concern the office staff has very vague “feel good” customer service lines they will say repeatedly to you but nothing ever changes -subcontractors damaged several areas of our property; some were fixed by Bowles, others I had to do myself; Mr Bowles himself tried to make us pay to have one major error corrected. Apparently, The poor culture and deceit starts with the owner himself. -despite outstanding damaged issues on my property they would not finish the pool until I paid all $$ owed. They wouldn’t even put in writing they would fix them prior to paying, which they still haven’t. -They will also refuse to put a project completion date in writing. Once the 12 weeks passed I asked for it in writing and they just “beat around the bush” and would never commit. I was told “2-3 more weeks” for months! -most construction projects have a punch list walkthrough with builder and customer, esp at this price point-they do not offer this. We haven’t seen the PM in months, literally. -designer included features on 3D image as well as construction plan, but later backed out and said it wasn’t included and we were required to pay another company to finish it, very misleading!

Poor leadership, communication, and project manager execution are at the root of this companies issues. I hope they can correct this to prevent other customers from experiencing what we did.

Hopefully, we can start making fun memories in our pool to erase the nightmare that it was to...

Our pool project was a long journey. Bowles stuck through it with us from design to the finish to make sure we were completely satisfied. Our end result is a fantastic pool and spa that we look forward to enjoying for many years to come!

We had a complicated project scope of downhill support wall, integrating a boat dock walkway, solar heating, gas heating, screen enclosure, pavers, rock waterfall, water features, sun deck, automation, and more. Paul spent as much time as we needed to design the pool of our dreams, and made plan revisions to keep within our budget. The drawings and computer models helped to put the vision together.

Victoria did an amazing job of keeping us informed of each step of the build process. She kept on top of any feedback we provided to make sure things were right. She is an excellent communicator.

Patty kept us on track with our invoicing as the pool progressed through the steps.

And Ken made sure that our pool was done right.

It did take longer than we anticipated, but we are happy with the work Bowles did for us. I recommend them.

Here are some notes if you are considering building a pool::

1. Make sure you do your research for equipment, building materials and all of the water features and requirements for your pool. Get an idea of how much things cost and how things will operate before you talk to a pool company.
2. Keep in mind for your budget that there are other required items that are necessary for the pool but are not done by the pool company. For example rerouting sprinklers, landscaping, patio furniture, exterior lighting, audio/visual, gas line install and hookup, etc.
3. Spend as much time as possible in the design phase. Go over each square inch of your pool so there are no surprises during construction. Don’t feel like you are taking too much time to discuss where a water jet is placed,
4. Document the pool build process with pictures and/or video so you have reference to go back to.
5. Make sure you are home for major construction days. Especially when the concrete is being done. This way if things are not going right, it can be corrected immediately.
6. If you see issues that you are not happy with speak up. It’s your pool and you...

Bowles Pools. We cannot say enough good things about them. My wife and I decided to install an in-ground pool at the beginning of this year. We contacted a few companies and got quotes for what we wanted. Most companies gave us quotes of varying prices along with upsale options. We were not feeling good vibes with any of them. After researching on Buildzoom, I came across Bowles Custom Pools &Spas. I liked what I saw so I reached out to them. Craig came to our home and listened closely to what we wanted and noted all of our property situational constraints. They promptly provided us with a competitive quote. We then went to their office where Joel walked us through our selections, and ultimately the contract. The permit was issued on March 13th, and Bowles started work immediately. Victoria the scheduler kept us apprized of every event, so there was no surprise appearances by subcontractors. Building a pool is messy business, but their subcontractors were very conscientious about their impacts. One subcontractor even commended us for choosing Bowles. I requested a Microglass treatment on the pool finish (and I recommend you do the same) and Bowles rapidly accommodated. Patti Bowles was always ready to answer questions or quick to get us answers. On June 13th we were dropping in the hoses and filling it up. The final inspection was completed on June 18th, and we were off and splashing. Bolwes maintained pool service for a month through Dales Gas, another wonderful company who salted the pool and balanced the chemicals. At the end, they gave us a "pool school" which was very helpful. The only issues we had was a need to relocate a downspout on the screen enclosure and a few "nubbies" in the pool finish. Both issues were resolved virtually immediately. Overall, we were very impressed with there performance. Bowles is a no nonsense, no pressure contractor. Having been a contractor myself, I was also impressed with the fact that we received no Notice to Owner from any suppliers or subcontractors. That tells you that they do business on the up and up, and have full confidence from their suppliers and subcontractors. We confidently recommend Bowles to perform your pool project.

Mark...