That's a good question. I think I saved about 20%. We had some wild estimates from other pool companies before we went this route. We had one company quote us $600K for the pool and pool house. We added a second structure (guest house) and I was able to do it for less than half that amount.
It was a unique circumstance where I had access to experienced pool guys for layout, excavation and stonework through a friend of mine. I basically used his guys on loaner for a few months and paid them hourly. He had a big slowdown in work, so it kept them busy and saved me some money.
Margins are surely higher in the pool business, but I know I probably paid a premium because I was a one-off client for the work that I subbed out. Pool rebar, pool plumbing, gunite and plaster were all trades that I don't use and didn't have relationships with. That stone work was very detailed and drove the cost up as well. If I had to build the same pool over again, I think I could do it for $20K less.
Like I said in the previous post, the start-up and verification that systems were installed correctly was (and still are) probably my biggest hurdle. I'm still not 100% sure on that front. It would be nice to be able to call someone to get it all set up. The biggest thing that my specific background helped with were the schedule / logistics (we did the whole thing in under 90 days... even with the Rona and the rain). We also had some tricky details with the stonework, and I spent a lot of time getting the foundation right, ensuring all of the elevations tied in correctly to the flatwork and adjacent structures (both new) and making sure that everything was cohesive. We also had a ton of drainage to re-route. Building a standalone pool on flat ground in an open area is pretty straightforward with good subs. It's all the other bullshit that makes it challenging.