Update (Aug 2025): I filed consumer complaints with the MA AG Office and with the MA OCABR (HIC) about the issues below. For context only, no official determination. In my experience, anyone with similar disputes can submit an AGO and OCABR complaint at no cost, and OCABR has an arbitration with fees listed on Mass.gov. Original review from Jan 2025: I had a deeply unsatisfactory experience with CEP. In April, I signed a contract for a pool project. As the project progressed, costs escalated due to charges and price increases I did not anticipate. While I requested a couple of upgrades, many of the price hikes were either scope changes presented as necessary to proceed (e.g. retaining wall instead of raised beam) or the final amount I learned after work was completed (e.g., ledge hammering). As of January 2025, the pool remains unfinished, and work I fully paid for hasn't been resumed despite my efforts to find a resolution. After I paid all the initial deposits, I began noticing deviations from our agreement. I felt CEP's explanations for cost increases were inconsistent or unclear, and I was not given advance notice of several price changes. For example, I paid over $20,000 for ledge hammering, billed at $3,200 per day as per the contract. However, the actual workdays often lasted six hours or less, yet I was billed full-day payments (except a couple of instances where they clearly worked a few hours that day). The quote for the fireplace installation inexplicably increased from $10,200 to $13,000 within a few months which I later refused. I was also billed for a load of stone that was already included in the contract but didn't get a full refund. Unfortunately, these are just a few examples from a long list. The biggest issue was CEP's installation of an electric pool cover instead of the hydraulic cover specified in our contract. They strongly suggested to upgrade to the hydraulic cover, citing numerous issues of electric, which is significantly cheaper. Looking through all the correspondence with them I couldn't find anything justifying an electric cover nor there is contract addendum for it. I was only informed I had to pay even more to make the hydraulic cover "commercial-grade" to make it length-wise all while not knowing that I'll be getting an electric cover - type of cover they initially advised against. I withheld the final payment for the cover in an effort to find a mutually acceptable solution, even though I had fully paid for all other aspects of the project (coping, vacuum). Despite this, CEP stopped all remaining work and did not return the pool equipment I had purchased under the original contract. They continued to seek full payment for the hydraulic cover while redirecting all communication through their attorney, CEP's responses did not address my concerns, and my proposals for resolution did not lead to meaningful progress. Quality was another concern. A retaining wall was installed without waterproofing, and the coping had chips and holes upon installation. An existing wall, located about 8 feet from the pool, was damaged during construction. I was informed that the damage was unavoidable, yet no repairs were offered, leaving me responsible for fixing it. Fortunately, I hadn't signed any contracts for the hardscape portion of the project, so I hired a local hardscaping company that provided better-quality work at a significantly lower cost. For example, local companies offered me stone veneer installation for $50-$85 per square foot, compared to CEP's quote of $125 per square foot. When I requested detailed invoices and clarification on charges that didn't seem to align with the work completed, my requests were not well received. I strongly recommend keeping all communications in writing, measuring all items before and after installation, and requesting itemized quotes per sq.ft or ln.ft. I regret not reviewing the contract with an attorney before signing and checking CEP's track record on disputes with other customers. CEP claims superior quality in other reviews, check the pictures and judge for yourself. read more

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Buyer Beware: Misrepresentation, Stolen Materials, and Unethical Business Practices We contracted with Creative Edge to build our pool in Wenham, MA and feel a strong responsibility to warn other homeowners. This goes beyond a simple dispute--it reflects a disturbing pattern of deception involving fake finishes and misrepresentation. Over several months, we had detailed conversations with Creative Edge--particularly Heather Baril--about using WetEdge Prism Matrix as our pool finish. We were unfamiliar with the brand until she introduced it to us via email on January 27, 2025, stating clearly: "We use WetEdge... we do Pebble, not Pebble Sheen." She also sent the WetEdge website and discussed official colors and upgrades in detail. Based on these representations, we moved forward, paying in full for the plaster and the WetEdge upgrade on June 27. The next day, we uncovered a shocking truth: the applicator wasn't certified by WetEdge, and the product wasn't purchased through WetEdge at all. In fact, WetEdge confirmed that the material intended for our pool had been stolen, and was being illegally mixed with a cheaper product called Stonescapes to fake a WetEdge finish. We immediately contacted our bank and attorney to stop the payment. WetEdge's Director of Sales, and later their parent company, confirmed: Only certified applicators may install WetEdge for the warranty to be valid. Creative Edge has not been authorized to purchase, represent, or install WetEdge for years. The planned product for our pool was a counterfeit mix, not backed by any warranty. At no point did Creative Edge disclose this. When confronted after uncovering the trap, Heather denied saying they used WetEdge--despite multiple 50+ emails proving she did. This deception caused massive stress, delays, and safety concerns--especially as we're preparing to welcome a child. And this wasn't just a fluke. Before we signed, we found a Google review from another customer, Dmitry, describing a nearly identical situation. When we raised it with owner Dave Brabant, he dismissed it as "one bad customer who didn't have the money to finish." Now we know better. We later spoke with Triad Associates, the only authorized WetEdge applicator and distributor in Massachusetts. They confirmed they cut ties with Creative Edge over five years ago due to a warranty dispute. They believe this may be part of a broader, ongoing scheme that could affect dozens of pool owners that Creative completed pebble projects for. Our supposed "WetEdge upgrade" alone cost over $30,000 over the standard plaster finish. If Creative Edge used this tactic repeatedly, it's not just a customer issue--it's something the Attorney General will need to explore. Adding insult to injury, Creative Edge has falsely claimed we didn't pay our balance after all of the deception--despite clear records showing we did. These deflections are exactly what you'd expect from a contractor caught in the act. We've made every effort to resolve this fairly, but ultimately we believe in transparency, accountability, and warning others before they fall into the same trap. If you've worked with Creative Edge and were told you were getting WetEdge, you should contact WetEdge directly to confirm. Their team has been incredibly helpful and is investigating further. This wasn't a misunderstanding. This was fraud: stolen product, unauthorized labor, and intentional deception, all used to trick families into paying for something they would never receive. We regret being in this position--but hope speaking out can protect others from falling into this trap. Document everything. Verify everything. What you're promised may not be what you get. read more

Our experience with Creative Edge has been fraught with misleading information, lack of accountability, and troubling deception -- particularly around their use and representation of WetEdge products in our pool project. There was virtually no supervision at our job site and subcontractors routinely complained about poor communication from Creative Edge. We found ourselves having to answer questions and provide supervision of the project. Whenever concerns were raised, Creative Edge deflected, denied, & minimized issues. One example of this negligence involved pool safety. Creative Edge failed to inform us that, due to not having a fence, we would need a locking hot tub cover in addition to the automatic pool cover. We discovered it ourselves weeks before completion. It is stunning because it is a State Regulation and is not specific to our town. But the most disturbing part of our experience was the deception surrounding the pool finish -- specifically, the alleged use of WetEdge products, which we were charged nearly $29,000 to upgrade. We began working with Creative Edge in 12/24 and evaluated multiple bids. Creative Edge's price for pebble finishes was notably higher, when we inquired-Heather Baril stated via email on 1/27/25, "We use WetEdge," and linked us to their website. Over the next several months, there were dozens of email exchanges with Heather about WetEdge, their product lines, textures, colors, and finishes. At no point were we told that Creative Edge does not actually use WetEdge or that their installers were not certified. On 5/29/25, I asked Heather about the differences between the two WetEdge product lines Signature Matrix and Prism Matrix (Signature Matrix and Prism Matrix are registered trademarks & are not used by other pebble companies) and Heather responded via email stating that they were currently doing a home in Bolton, MA in the Prism Matrix line and in the color Indigo Blue On 6/2/25, I asked Heather about the differences in texture between Signature Matrix and Prism Matrix and Heather responded that "Prism Matrix is the same thing except they add glass as well" and then stated that many of the references she provided us have pebble and "if you want to contact any of them, I am sure that they will let you come and take a look at the pool. I believe most of them have pebble finishes in the signature matrix" Everything -- from product information to color selection -- was based on WetEdge branding and trademarked product lines. Never did Heather take the opportunity to say we were not receiving an authentic WetEdge product. We made our final choice believing we were paying for and receiving authentic WetEdge. We asked for the name to ensure the applicator was certified through WetEdge. When Heather finally provided the name the morning of, it was not a certified applicator. Considering everything we had read about WetEdge and how much we were paying for the product (almost 29k upgrade) we felt this was odd. We spoke with WetEdge directly, and they confirmed: * WetEdge products are only sold to certified applicators. * Any finish not installed by a certified installer is not eligible for a warranty. * More critically: If a product is being used without going through a certified applicator, it's likely stolen or mixed with non-WetEdge materials and is being misrepresented. When confronted, Heather completely reversed course, claiming that Creative Edge never said they use WetEdge. But our email correspondence proves otherwise. If you were told by Creative Edge that your pool features WetEdge -- and it was not installed by a certified applicator, your product may not be authentic and your warranty is not valid. We hope this review helps others avoid a similar experience and prompts further accountability. Creative Edge's business practices are deceptive and deeply disappointing. read more

I contracted with Creative Edge in 2014. I HIGHLY recommend NOT to use this pool company. Private message me and I will send you pictures of work they had done and the MANY emails I have saved from them. ******Also the review on here "Heather B (Baril)" is actually the owners daughter whom gave 5 stars, it was a fabricated review. Just a fact.. *** Long story short. CEP Fired the sales man/Project manager whom sold me the pool, fired their brother whom worked for them (I believe he now works for Environmental pools in Chelmsford). The pool was built 2 feet higher (Elevation) than it should of been, the depth of the pool was off by 5 inches in the deep end, the plumbing was done incorrectly (The pool owner confirmed they forgot to provide floor drainage for our heating system, Also they forgot to install the bubblers in our tanning ledge and it had to be 'chipped out to accomidate the plumbing and there is now a raised area where the plumbing is. Also, the sitting bench was put on the wrong side of the pool per our drawings. They NEVER delivered my pool skimmer baskets, never opened my pool (they claimed they closed our pool, but it was never filled with any water) programmed my electronics of my pool, the plaster chipped (a size of a dollar bill) and had to redo the plaster ((Atlantis Plaster company claimed that I told them to work in the rain....even though I know nothing about pool building )) **The pool is a salt water pool and there was never any salt added to our pool *** The Owner DAVE will NEVER return your calls (unless you want to buy a pool) and always deflects to his wife (Lisa) for issues whom is always combative to work with. The MOST frustrating thing was I had TWO tiles break from the Stone coping contractor and instead of calling Triad associates to fix the issue and get to fix and replace the tile and regrout, they asked the plaster company to do and our grout doesnt match and looks out of place. I withheld $500 to make sure I got my Robot cleaning system, remote, salt, etc and because im too far outside of their travel area they will NOT come out. Worst decision ever was to buy a pool from these deceptive business owners. Horrible just horrible business practices. Retail store closed quickly after many new unhappy pool customer started coming in (I had heard) Scummy people. read more

They were very easy to work with. Great experience with the installation of the pool. This is a family run business and a true pleasure doing business with them. The thing that I liked is that with any large projects problems inevitably occur. They addressed them right away and even with all the supply chain issues they stuck to their price. I highly recommend them . In fact, my nephew just hired them for his pool read more

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From start to finish they were great to work with. Contracted with them for a 18' x 36' gunite pool in the Fall 2022, expected to break ground in April 2023 - they started 2 weeks early - on March 28th. 5 weeks later the gunite was there and I had a pool in my yard! Not completed by any means but I was able to see what was coming. I had to coordinate the site work; cement, new fence, grass, etc. and they worked with me to accommodate everyone involved and still complete their portion of the project. I opted for the "pebble" finish and although the price was steep I am happy I went with that option. The water was delivered on June 28th - exactly 3 months after we broke ground. I started swimming that day! The ONLY hitch was the heat pump equipment that was installed was faulty (no fault of theirs) and Creative Edge Pools made sure the entire unit was replaced. I was able to enjoy my pool for most of the summer and working with Creative Edge Pools was quite easy. Looking forward to many years of enjoying my back yard oasis! read more

Horrible communication. You are literally your own GC (Even if you dont install pools). No one gives you any update on anything. They always want their check though! Worst home improvement experience ever! *7/11/17 Here is the update. This family/company has really worked their butts of to make us happy. My previous review was mostly just based on bad communication. Dave, Lisa and Kristen got right on it and fixed everything. The pool is done and looks beautiful. Even with hiccups along the way I would definitely recommend this company. Very likeable family that works hard. I don't mind problems/mistakes on a home improvement project because it always happens. I HATE when companies don't fix the issues. Creative Edge does. Thanks guys! Matt read more

Do not use this company if you don't want to be stuck babysitting. We had a pool installed and there were multiple issues with it (wrong tile installed on stairs after the correct tile was already around edging of pool, we had 2 lights in our contract and only 1 was installed and it isn't even centered, the tile on the stairs is not centered, plumbing was done wrong and had to be fixed, our designer that sold us the pool took off on us and would hide when there was an issue, etc. etc. etc. We signed our contract on 5/26/2014 and gave them the deposit that day. Work began 6/24/2014 and we were told we would be swimming in the pool by mid August 2014. Fast forward to over a year from the start of the project, July 2nd 2015 that was the FIRST time the pool was able to be used and the kicker is WE HAD AN EXISTING HOLE FROM OUR PREVIOUS POOL!! Even with the wrong tile on the stairs (which looks like cheap crap and I hate) Dave the owner was going to make light of our situation and fix it in the Fall of 2015 so we could enjoy our pool for the summer. After the conversation we had with him on July 2nd that was the last we heard from him and his company. He walked away from the final payment due. Never once was a payment late or a check bounced. The final payment of $1,4055 Dave agreed we would not make until the pool was done to our liking, which obviously it still is not. Not only did Dave walk away from money and his client, he left a pool unfinished. We were never even contacted about the pool closing that was included in our pool purchase (when you are spending $51,000 it should be included). When I commented on their Facebook page about the pool closing as they were advertising them last fall, they then blocked me from commenting on their Facebook page. Real childish. In the end it was more convenient for Creative Edge to just walk away from the job than fix their mistakes like a good company would do. I was conned by their amazing Facebook reviews but it turns out they are all done by Dave's daughters, family and friends. Please message me if you need any supporting documents on this. We have every text, email, and contact log saved. Do your research and go with another company. read more

I signed a contract in 2015 for a pool to be installed later that year in order to get financing done, and other things. During this time, I feared of losing my job as my company was sold and requested a refund of my 10%. (this was maybe 10 days after signing). I told them I'd pay them for their time, as I new I couldn't take the financial risk, I was told no worries, we'll get you the money....well I never got it. I was told the check was thrown out, etc etc. Because of Arbitration clause in their contract, unless you want to spend good money where bad money is gone, you can't go to court as its too expensive. So basically I lost 6k, and got nothing in return. No drawings, no permits were done, nothing. Basically stole my money. Based on these other reviews and their reputation in town....their business wont last long. read more

I do not recommend Creative Edge Pools. They are a pool company that does not finish their jobs. I was told a 30-day work period to finish my pool and now it is a year later. Please spread the word to not hire them. They seem great when you sign the contract but then weeks, months and now a year goes by without the job getting done. They are BAD NEWS!!!!!!! Just found out today that they have not finished 5 pools my pool being the 6th one!!!! Do not hire them!! read more

I signed a contract in April 2016 for pool renovation with Dave Brabant and his company Creative Edge Pools of Wilmington, MA. The contract stated a finish date of May 31. The contract was for tile, coping, plaster and checking on light. He stated once they started it would be about 7 days. He started on April 25, and was told I was the first on his list. As of today June 3, 2016, there are still items not completed and he was paid in full. There was very poor communication once I signed the contract and was told at one point to call the store with questions instead of him. Customer service at this establishment is severely lacking. I asked Dave at one point if he would be filling in the expansion joint (the space between the decking and coping) and he said he would. An employee at the store told me it was not included and after telling her Dave said it would be she got back to me and said he would take care of it. He gave me several dates and he never showed up. When it came to pay the plasterers I inquired about when the other issues would be resolved. Dave stated in a text "I will take care of the deck because I said I would and will deal with the light afterwards but I need the plaster payment paid today please". I paid him final payment. I know now I should have held money back. May 19 I asked when he would be by he said an hour and then texted back and said he thought it was someone else. Then he stated tomorrow, May 20 I texted in morning asking what time no response, texted again at lunch no response, in the evening I texted again. He responded on May 21 and apologized and stated he has a lot of people on him for getting jobs done. On May 23 I texted asking when he would be by, I received a call from my husband stating that a woman was out pouring sand into the expansion joint using a paper cup and my husband said it looked awful. Sand was everywhere. I called the store expressing our dislike and the woman who answered said "it's sand brush it up". I told her it is sand that hardens and it wasn't coming up and it was done incorrectly. I texted Dave and again expressed our unhappiness with how this was done and he said he can fix it but he needs time and again apologized. He stated he didn't think it was that hard and he needed until after Memorial Day. May 24 I texted telling him and stated I understood he was busy but he should just finish the job he started. On May 25 he said he would come by in about a week or so after Memorial Day but he couldn't give me a date. I stated that was unacceptable. Then I sent the letter to him and he never responded. The expansion joint is an important part of the pool it allows for expansion of the pool deck when the weather gets hot and cold. Without proper expansion joint, over time the pressure from the pool deck will break the top of the pool wall, resulting in major repair and tiles falling off. The pool is warrantied for 4 years. I thought he would want to be sure this was done correctly. Every article I have read states you should not use sand and also all old caulking should be removed which was never done. At this point it is not easy getting a pool company to come out and fix someone else's mistakes, especially when I turned down 4 other pool companies in the area and hired Creative Edge Pool. My husband and I are very disappointed, I hired Dave because he seemed like an honest, sincere and hardworking guy. I would not recommend Creative Edge Pool. read more

We hired Creative Edge Pool and had a very similar experience as the other reviewer "Lauren". In our situation, after the fiasco was over, we hired another company to finish the job and through doing so we found 2 other people that just went through very similar situations with Creative Edge. The owners wife states you are in breach of contract, they stop all work and they walk off the job. They seems to have a track record for doing this. Also, one very large paver company we spoke with does't deal with them any longer because they have had so many problems. read more

Incompetent and deceptive. Working with them was one of the most frustrating and stressful experiences of my life, so much so that I cannot even begin to rehash the events of this past year without my blood boiling so I am going to keep this short. On the outset, the owner, Dave seems to be genuine, personable and knowledgeable; however, very quickly you start to understand the real disaster this company is. Countless no-shows and mistakes, no communication for extended periods of time. It is beyond me how this company has been around for even the short time it has. They have terrible relationships with their subs, and Dave is never onsite when work is being done so there is nobody guiding the subs in any direction. You will babysit every step of this project, you will miss more days of work than you ever thought you could, and you will lose more sleep over whether or not this huge investment you have made will ever be completed (which it will not). We were promised a finish date of "end of June, by the time the kids get out of school", we are now left with an unfinished pool, faulty equipment, a yard that has been completely destroyed, and the company has basically walked off the job. We have hired another company to close down the pool and they will re-open and finish the pool in the spring. Our new pool company said they have received many calls from Creative Edge clients this year and "have heard nothing but bad things". I wish I could get these past 10 months of my life back and at this point, if given the choice right now, I would rather not have a pool than to go through this again. Wayyyy over budget, an incomplete pool, and what was once a beautiful yard, now looks like a junk yard. Do not, do not, do not. read more

We also had a terrible experience with Creative Edge Pools and Spa. Very similar issues as previous reviewers including no-shows, shoddy work, broken promises, lack of communication, unfinished work, rude treatment from the owner's wife in the office. We signed a contract with Creative Edge to install an in-ground gunite pool in October 2015, but here we are in September of 2016 and there are still issues that the company has not addressed. After we recently filed a complaint with the BBB, the company claims they want to "rectify the situation" but given the track record with them over the last ten months we don't believe that they are even capable of making things right for us. Perhaps because one of the issues involves verbal agreements from the owner to reimburse us for avoidable damages he caused. Now they have reneged on those promises, so all trust is broken. We have finally given up, and will be hiring another company to fix the mistakes made by Creative Edge. I have never had more upsetting interactions with a business, and recommend that you hire someone else. read more