uilding a new showroom and warehouse taught retailer Debbi Leclerc a few important lessons. Here are the top five:

• “Set aside money for contingencies. You’ve got to plan on overruns,” says the co-owner of The Pool Doctor of Rhode Island in Coventry, R.I. For Debbi and husband Ron Leclerc, it was a state-of-the-art septic system, extra paint and upgraded landscaping demanded by the city. Leclerc says their banker recommended increasing their financing slightly over the construction estimate in anticipation of overruns, which is exactly what they experienced. “We did not go over-budget. It was like, ‘Whew!’" she says.

• “If you’re not someone who’s super-comfortable with designs and colors, then you need to hire someone,” Leclerc advises. While she enjoys that comfort, she still consulted with Elaine Hockstra, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retail designer who specializes in working with pool stores. Leclerc says Hockstra was instrumental in selecting the store’s fixtures.

• Shop as many stores as you can to see what other people have done. The idea for the neon waves that figure prominently in both the interior and exterior of the new structure came from a sushi restaurant that the Leclercs frequent.

• Be sure of what you want. “It’s a very expensive mistake to do things wrong,” says Leclerc. “The design is crucial. We’re in this building for a lot of years.”

• A new building isn’t a cure-all. “Choosing your product line carefully and knowing your product lines is crucial. You can have tremendous sales without tremendous space,” she says.