Calimingo Pools - Luxury Pools Orange County — Local services in Newport Beach

'Living Contractor Horror Stories.' The title here says it all. The purpose of these reviews is not to provide an emotionally driven rant to bring me personal satisfaction; but rather to benefit you, the reader, who may be heavily weighting reviews before making significant investments of your own in product/service providers where the stakes are high. I am taking the time to share this review for your future benefit, not mine. Simply put, Calimingo is a sham in every respect. Our young family spent the last several years preparing to pursue our dream residential outdoor living space. We decided on Calimingo as we, like many, fell prey to their appealing social media, videos, reels, HGTV history, volumes of positive yet now very questionable reviews and the like. We were promised a premium product and a premium experience in exchange for a premium price tag. Over the course of the past 22 months of construction, yes 22, we have received the premium price tag absent the premium experience and product. They have not delivered in any way leaving us with inconceivable dissatisfaction. We are currently in month 22 of construction on a 4 month contract. We have no end in sight as we and particularly our young children, are unclear whether to bid farewell to the upcoming summer months in complete disappointment for the 3rd consecutive summer. The themes include literally zero supervision of work performed, extreme delays, consistent months of zero attendance/progress, numerous/significant and unconscionable mistakes, repeated ‘do-overs’ of work, delayed corrections to mistakes, little to no communication for extended periods, project management/crew turnover, no assistance with material selection, controversy after controversy of what is EXCLUDED from the scope of the work defined in the contract and my personal favorite, I kid you not, the WORST customer treatment I have EVER endured. EVER. This transaction we thought was as simple as it gets. Build this complete design we paid for, the design we mutually agreed to, at this price we mutually agreed to in the time frame we mutually agreed to. They have not done it, continue not to do it and have fought with me every step of the way. I was promised the ‘Calimingo Difference.’ An outdoor living space that would be the envy of my dreams and more importantly, a non -nonsense, aggravation free build process. All this of course in exchange for well above competitive market based pricing. I was willing to pay above market to receive above market outcomes. After 22 long, excruciating painful months, I don’t have a completed project and it does not seem I am ever going to receive it from Calimingo. You might be asking if I brought my concerns to Calimingo with good faith attempts and the answer is yes, many times only to be dumbfounded every single time by the total disregard for the project and for my even remote satisfaction as a client. Every interaction with leadership and most especially the owner Jesse, has been met with arrogance and complete disrespect leaving me in total shock on every occasion. They could not be any more unapologetic for the turmoil they have caused in our lives. All I can say it pains me to write this negative review after all, it is at my own personal embarrassment, disappointment, frustration and expense. My goal was simple. Hire a designer/builder to bring an exceptional outdoor living space to our family and friends to make lasting memories to cherish for decades to come. Calimingo has hijacked this dream, hijacked 2 years of my children’s childhoods and hijacked my trust, confidence, respect and money in every way imaginable. Believe me when I tell you that this is factually the first negative review I have ever prepared and it is fully earned. Don’t let this happen to you and become a victim of Calimingo as our family has. They are the poster child of Horror Contractors. Purely shameful and perpetuating the stereotype of what a horror contractor...

We had been considering a complete renovation of our backyard for a few years and particularly figuring out if we could put in a pool big enough to be worth it given our backyard size and shape. After seeing Jesse's projects on HGTV a few times, my wife figured it wouldn't hurt checking him out for our project.

I immediately assumed that anyone on TV would be overpriced and/or too interested in other projects to really care about ours. Jesse put my concerns about his interest level to rest in our initial consultation and through multiple revisions in the design process.

Once we had a design we loved that took into account our goals, it was clear he genuinely listened to our priorities and feedback even though he has a strong artistic vision for his projects. I love that he can balance his taste and our project needs to create compelling results for us!

He bid the design including lots of detail for each item and at that point I could compare specific lines against costs from other projects we've done and prior vendors to see that his prices were very reasonable for what we were doing.

We gave the greenlight days before COVID hit, and despite permit challenges at the city due to the pandemic and everything else that happened in 2020, Jesse's team (Russ, Joel, Francisco, and crew) got our project done with a minimum of delays and did a fantastic job.

Almost as important to me after all the other projects we've done with contractors over the years, when the inevitable challenges arose on a project this complex, Jesse and team handled directly and professionally with a minimum of stress for us.

Thanks so much for a great new backyard and would love to work with Jesse and team again in the future on our next big project that needs a touch...

I recently had the pleasure of working with Johnny Bash from Calimingo Pools on a design project, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the results. From start to finish, Johnny displayed exceptional professionalism, expertise, and dedication.

Johnny’s attention to detail and commitment to understanding our vision were evident throughout the entire process. He provided invaluable insights that elevated our design to the next level. His ability to manage the project seamlessly, ensuring our needs and expectations were met, was truly impressive.

Communication was a key factor in the success of our project, and Johnny excelled in this area. He kept us informed at every stage, was always available to answer questions, and addressed any concerns promptly and effectively. His friendly and approachable demeanor made the entire process smooth and enjoyable.

Working alongside Johnny was Alan, the talented designer at Calimingo Pools. Alan’s creativity and expertise in design were exceptional. He took our ideas and transformed them into a stunning and functional design that exceeded our expectations. Alan’s attention to detail and ability to incorporate our preferences into the design were truly commendable.

The end result was a beautifully designed space that perfectly captured our vision. It’s clear that Johnny and Alan take immense pride in their work and strive for excellence in everything they do.

I highly recommend Johnny Bash, Alan, and the entire Calimingo Pools team for any design project. Their expertise, integrity, and passion for their work make them standout professionals in the industry. We look forward to working with them again on future projects!

Thank you, Johnny and Alan, for turning our vision...