A follow-up to my review.... I received a quote to repair my pool caused by the sun deck they designed. $20 thousand. I let chip know. He made it known he is not going to pay it. I told him I'm just letting him know what his 5 year old pool is going to cost me. Paid him around 17 grand 5 years ago. First he said I was over paying. Then he said he didn't design my pool, just remodeled. I let him know he did design the sun deck that's causing all the issues. Crickets. read more

Doesn't get any worse than this place. Messed up our pool 1.5 years ago while resurfacing and they supposedly fired the employee who damaged our pool. Need spotsnow to sell our house but was told their truck won't start. Avoid at all costs. Update: Response was also a lie. The technician said his truck was broken and my husband offered to pick him up but he rejected our offer. Lies and horrible from start to bitter end. We found another service who was honest and quick to respond. read more

You know that feeling when you are going to be taken care of. That things will be handled because you paid for a service and will receive said service from professionals. Nope, you will not get that with this company! Of all of unprofessionally handled things with this pool, July 28, 2022 takes a cake! Owner, Chip finally after months and months shows up to fix a bad StoneScape mini pebble finish. He drained my pool without pulling a plug, fixed some small percentage of the issue at best, then proceeded to tell me that draining the pool for 24 hours is fine without pulling the ground water plug, the day before he said 1-2 hours is fine. I guess the overnight does not count and having 1.5 feet of water on deep end counts as "half a pool"! (Sarcasm. 1.5 feet in deep end had to be less then 20% of overall pool water.) The assistant and him worked for an hour sharing a single little handheld 3/ 3.5 inch disk polisher and called me to inspect and then got upset when I said that they hardly anything is fixed, proceeded to tell me how I am unreasonable, how they will not do anything else and pool is beautiful and I quote "not that bad" in rough parts. My kids have cuts from the finish bc the shells and stones stick out so much and if you hit a sharp corner with wet, water saturated skin CUTS & SCRAPES HAPPEN. ALL THE TIME. Not once or twice. EVERY TIME THEY ARE IN THE POOL at least one kid is bleeding. Not a lot, they are small cuts and scrapes but there is BLOOD!! THIS is after we tried to fix it underwater and sanded each area they tell me cuts have happened. Mostly on their feet, but fingers as well and my niece got a cut on her wrist. She did a upside down stand, then turn in shallow end and coming up her wrist grazed the bottom and she was bleeding. He tried to tell me that THIS IS NORMAL! ITS what you expect of mini pebble finish & kids he said, it's a rough finish he said. They basically drained my pool without real plan to fix it nor intent. And the skimmer finish with 1/2 inch gaping hole of course could not be fixed by him either. His answer was simple he cant fix it, he does not have the material for it. End of story. The owner operates the same way the crews do, which from our experience was what others have already posted. You never know who is coming or going and when. There were broken promises on top of broken promises for months. Unless you stay on top of crews, things don't get installed properly and I really can only hope we don't have any long term structural issues given what finishing crews did that I know is a problem & identified the problem right away. Pavers were not installed in the recommended fashion of layer/gravel/sand/lay pavers/ then sand on top/ then level out with the tool. Sand under layer and tool leveling was skipped which resulted the crews coming back 2 times to level things out to the point of acceptable. Many crews left trash for us to clean, we ended up installing the fence back at least 2x & it was damaged in the beginning bc first crew had no correct screw head bit so they decided to pry it open with shear force and a crow bar. Grass was destroyed by pallets of pavers delivered/deposited on glass instead inside the fence on the much. This is to just list a few issues. I could write pages of what happened while the pool was getting build. In any case, all of that is water under the bridge, the problem is, our pool finish was not done right, it was identified as a problem right away and company refuses to fix it. The pool took double the promised time to build which OK I was understand that, COVID supply chain issues and all of that but the problem is that the end result is poor workmanship on so many levels. This is a small company that had to many issues during building, John left, then Morgan left as he was finishing up our pool startup and things we not handled properly. We had to pester for final inspection and I, the owner was identifying things like missing screws on filter can and pump that would fail the inspection. read more

Emailed John that we had pavers that were sinking around our pool. No response! Remind you all that this is not the first time this has happened. Not sure why John will it respond. I know you read this so maybe this will get you to response now????? read more

Terrible company. A bunch of lying clowns. They sub contract out everything the crew doesn't exist. The owner tells a good story. He never knows what's going on. No call backs. Excuses Stay away. read more

we are thrilled with our refinished pool, new pavers and new screen enclosure! It looks wonderful. We can't believe the difference. On schedule, on budget and very professional workmanship. The owner, Chip communicated with us every step of the way and made sure everything was done perfectly. A shout out also to Lifetime Aluminum crew - installation of the pool cage was amazing! Thank you! read more

We had a great experience using this company to get our pool looking as good as new. They were on time and delivered a great product as promised. We would highly recommend using them. read more

Horrible. Left the build in horrible condition. No fencing around the pool. Dangerous and against code

Still waiting for final inspection to be passed two months after final payment. No one answers my calls or texts anymore. I'm given dates when it will be done and they're no shows. It's very frustrating. read more

I recently had a complete remodel done to my swimming pool and spa by Lightning Pools. I dealt with the owner for the quote and throughout the process and found him very responsive, straightforward and honest. The team he sent was professional and skilled. He actually got the job started earlier than he promised. The pool is beautiful and looks brand new. I can recommend this company without hesitation. read more

I had my pool resurfaced and tile replaced. I wanted to wait a couple months before putting a review in. I'm glad I did. Surface and tile are holding up nicely, however my pool light now has rust all around it. They took it out, they replaced the bulb and gasket, and they reinstalled the light. I'm not a pool expert or a rust expert I don't know why this happened but there was absolutely no rust at all on the pool light when I bought the house. After several text conversations with the project manager (at least 20), they gave me every excuse in the book why they can't get here to replace the metal ring. "I'll try to fit you in to the schedule. We are extremely busy." Instead of taking 30 minutes to just come fix the problem and make their customer happy, they just forget about it. Now every day I have to look in to the deep end to see rust around my light. Lately there are zero replies. I don't even want them back here to fix it now. But you can bet I will never refer Lightning Pools to anyone. In fact, I will tell them who not to call. Thanks. read more

IMO, lightning Pools will get all my business and referrals, bar none. From beginning to end, the project was handled professionally and to my expectations. The pool came out great. Even more importantly is the great service. On multiple occasions over the months since completion, I've texted with questions and John has texted or called me back so quickly, and come out to help me with even the smallest thing. 100% A++. Lightning pools is the one to go with for sure. read more

We researched many pool companies and are so thankful we chose Lightning Pools. We were a little concerned with some reviews but moved forward after meeting with Morgan. He was so professional and really listened to what we wanted and to what we could afford. Our pool was completely in 6 weeks, even with the bad summer weather. John, the project manager, was amazing! He was with us every step of the way and always at the house making sure everything was going right. He would quickly answer any questions we had and was in constant communication with each step. Chip, the owner, was on site a few times and also a pleasure to work with. All the crew... the guys digging, laying pavers, the electrician, plastering... everyone was great and very professional. After meeting with several places and feeling like we may never have a pool.. Lightning Pools made our dream come true... we would highly recommend them without hesitation to anyone! Thank you guys!!! read more

Lightning Pools & Pavers - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

Lightning Pools offers a quality product at a reasonable price with superior customer service. Morgan and John, who manage the project from day one to final inspection, inspire confidence from the get-go, and are super knowledgeable and responsive throughout. No matter how busy, they were always there for us and months later we can still count on them to respond to our silly pool maintenance questions within minutes. As we say in NYC, Fuggheddaboudit!! They are the best. Morgan and John are a dream team. They are SO good at what they do, so responsive, providing such outstanding customer service. Never in a million years could we have imagined building a pool could be such an enjoyable project. Their crews were here on time every day at every phase of construction. They competently addressed, to our complete satisfaction, any and all issues or questions we raised as the project progressed. Everyone was super hardworking and always pleasant. We told Chip (George) the owner, he can retire now confident in the knowledge that his people are ready to take over for him and take the company to new heights. We will always recommend them to anyone interested in building a pool. Chiqui & Marisa, Dunedin, FL read more

We contracted with Lightening Pools in October 2020. They just finished our pool yesterday, TEN months later. It took dozens of calls and emails to get it done. Horrible experience and delays. Lightening Pools forgot to install the pool steps on the wall in the deep end of our pool. It took ten months to get them to install the missing steps. They tried to talk us into a metal railing step ladder hanging on the pool edge. We declined. We had paid for the mini pebble tech steps to match the pool finish. After many months, and the company supervisor/ owner finally returning from two months out of the country at a Scientology Retreat, they agreed to correct the pool. They had to completely drain the pool - and refused to pay the $400 water bill to refill the pool. They emailed us the water charge would be our expense - yet, they forgot to install the side steps. Lightening Pools did shoddy work and left a mess. They even grouted the top of the new skimmer top shut so you couldn't clean out the skimmer unit. The new pipes they installed were like a zig zag and with all the angles it wouldn't function properly. We had to hire another pool company to come out and fix the Lightening Pool piping mess. We would never recommend this company. It was the worst part of our home remodel! read more

I just wanted to let you know how happy my wife & I are with the excellent experience we had with your business. Starting with the quote for our project (pool resurfacing and new paver deck) to the projects completion all went very smoothly. Jason & Chip were both very personable and informative. Our phone calls were returned promptly and the project completed quickly. Your pricing was very competitive and the quality of work second to none. Thanks again for a fantastic experience. read more

This company isn't even worth 1 star. We signed our contract in September 2020 and after being lied to about the start date I called Morgan the designer and he screamed at me. I was so shaken up and had never screamed at by a grown man (one who was taking a lot of my money) before. We banned him from our property and thought we had some glimmer of hope in John. He started off with the ball rolling, communication was good and we were happy with how the project was moving. Then in the beginning of April the project got way off. It's a very small pool, and we were told it would move quickly but we stopped hearing from this company, workers would show up every 2 weeks, be there for a few hours and leave and we wouldn't see anyone for another 2 weeks. When it came time to install the pavers I was optimistic that this was the sign the project was rounding the corner, that quickly became a nightmare. They rushed the pavers and made obvious mistakes that they were trying to get away with, the sad thing is for John being the project manager he is only on the project when it comes to collecting a check, which means we had to be on top of everything, they had to come back 3 times to fix these mistakes and I still have drains sticking up which is a huge safety hazard with a 6 and 4 year old. We were told we would be spraying and filling the week of May 10th. We are now in June and we are not having any text responded to, there is no end in sight, I am beyond disappointed and frustrated with this company, I want nothing more to be done with this project just so we can be done with this company. We went with a small business because we are both small business owners and wanted to help our local community, it was a huge mistake. read more

Lightning Pools and "Chip" should have all licenses and ability to work taken from him for false representation of a pool builder. I have spent the last 10+ months waiting for a pool to be complete with every excuse possible and it's still not done today. Every single piece of my new pool equipment has had a problem that needed to be replaced or repaired by a 3rd party vendor, the heater twice. The superintendent assigned in the beginning of the job had never been involved in building a pool before he started mine. This has shown through the quality and function of ever part of the installation. The water was never balanced causing major scale issues (they couldn't figure this out, I did), coping and pavers aren't straight or even, the tile joints are missing grout and vary drastically in size, my spa jets do not work, improperly installed knobs protruding from the deck have cause 2 injuries, the lights do not function properly and are set wrong, etc. etc. etc.. I also am being harassed during hurricane Irma for monies I do not owe for falsified change orders that were not approved. I strongly suggest that no one ever used Lightning Pools or get into any interaction with the owner. If you have them on a list of companies you are considering, please do your research. Every negative review is the same type of experience I had. There are plenty of other installers, don't take your chance with this one. Learn a lesson from my mistake and hire a large experienced pool contractor. read more

Finally got around to reviewing this company. 3 months ago, I had Lightning Pools remodel my pool. It looks great! They did a wonderful job and kept to their quote (which was reasonable). The work was performed on time and their staff was very professional. I would recommend their service. read more

BUYER BEWARE! We could NEVER in good conscience ever recommend Lightning Pools to touch anything pool related, EVER! Our experience with Lightning was riddled with unmet promises from Jason the sales rep, Kimbo the "(lack of) production manager", and Chip the owner. The 15 month process continued through 4 project managers & ended in a new pool/weird egg-shaped hot tub that does not function at 100%. If you have Lightning perform work, make sure you have a highly-detailed, itemized invoice of promises, time lines, equipment, & any extras you think are industry no-brainers because once construction starts, the amnesia & denials start! Our new pool construction was promised in 4-6 weeks. When we questioned Jason about the quoted timeline, he reconfirmed a 2nd & 3rd time. We laid out a clear plan of desired features & performance (so we could use our hot tub while enjoying our water features simultaneously) & gave him a fully completed design. He promised us the world in 6 weeks max. All-inclusive price were Jason's words, none of that info was on the signed invoice, so no promises were delivered. When actual construction started, activity was ridiculously slow (2 guys for 3 hours max/1 day a week). 4 weeks after permit, i barely had a rough hole in the ground, no shotcrete & no materials. I again questioned the 4-6 week time frame promise by Jason, at which point Chip explained it was 4-6 weeks from "scratching the ground" meaning the preliminary stakeout of the ground that had taken 2 weeks didn't count. It took another month before the shell was shot. Even the morning of the shell shoot, there were plumbing issues in the hot tub resulting in concrete guys cutting out rebar to make plumbing adjustments just to get plumbing lines inside the concrete shell. A month later, the footing walls were laid out incorrectly resulting in a continuous 4-6" bust along the east side. A majority of plywood form boards & 2x4 form stakes were left in place & buried (termite buffet). A 2nd concrete guy was called in a year later to perform corrective work - scabbing on rebar & concrete to the footing wall so it was in the right location. The Lightning tile crew then showed up to set the waterline tile using our selection of a porous travertine 6x6 tile & stacked stone walls. The installation of tile/ stone was done without waterproofing between the tile/stone & pool shell. The practice used to install the tile/stone was a half-dollar sized glob of mortar placed on the back of tile and then pressed directly onto the pool shell - standard practice is to fully butter the back of tile/stone & press it into a floated bed of flexible mortar...this allows movement without tiles popping off & also helps prevent water escaping the pool through the porous travertine. When we noticed poor practices being done, we issued a 2 month stop-work order to discuss. We had the grout manufacturer perform a technical inspection of the installation. A formal report was issued explaining that it was not the proper installation for their product & future failure (popping tiles/stone & loss of water through the porous tile) was imminent. I gave the technical report to Chip & requested all tile/stone be removed/re-installed at their cost. He informed me nothing done was building code violation, so if i wanted it done right, it would be at my cost plus his markup. I chose to reinstall myself correctly. Lightning resumed work but only after trying to make me sign a promissory note stating that if I spread any negative truths about their practices, whether verbally, on social media, or to the BBB, I would owe them $1,000 per occurrence (of course we did not sign it...but this shows the true character of Lightning Pools). There was not a single phase of construction without major defects. Soil was never properly compacted with a ground compactor prior to paver set. Lightning said wetting it with a water hose for 30 min would do...the pavers have been uneven from day 1. Lightning installed all Hayward equipment/products except the 2 sun shelf bubblers which were Pentair...unfortunately they were wired to the rest of the Hayward electrical and to date, we have no control over their constant color-changing because they communicate independently from the rest of the Hayward automation - Lightning refuses to make this right. Our new hot tub has 4 of 5 jets working properly - Lightning trouble shot this for months with no correction & still refuses to make this right. We have not given Chip his final payment until all items are fixed as promised. He claims they are done - Its been 8 months, Lightning has abandoned the job so we will make no further payments. Crooked Chip threatened to withhold warranty on us too. DO NOT TRUST THIS COMPANY!!!! read more