The conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed certain industry eventualities to the forefront. The traditional building schedule in the cold-weather states may count as one of those shifts that changed from gradual to immediate.
Since the industry’s beginnings, most pool/spa contractors working in regions that drop below freezing would close during the coldest months. Over the past several years, some of these builders had been gravitating toward erecting tents and heaters to enable almost-year-round construction.
With the unprecedented demand seen since 2020, many cold-weather contractors simply haven’t had the luxury of shutting down for more than a couple days at a time, when building simply isn’t practical no matter the accommodations.
“There’s no more going to sleep in the winter and waking up when the ground thaws,” said Dominick Mondi, executive director of the Northeast Spa & Pool Association. “Between more and more temperate winters over the last decade, coupled with the demand and the supply-chain issues that are forcing people to stretch their timelines ... there’s definitely a shift in how business is being done. ”
Attendees of certain industry trade shows saw evidence of this trend, with several companies exhibiting their structures at events such as The Pool & Spa Show Powered by NESPA.
Those who have offered winter construction services in years past saw an increase over the last two seasons and report the practice being used by other contractors who hadn’t done it before.
“We have built through the winter for 15 to 20 years, although this year it’s been significantly more than ever,” said Dan Lenz, vice president of All Seasons Pools & Spas in Orland Park, Ill.
“We usually have a handful of projects that we do through winter and we keep a couple crews running. But this year we’ve kept all our crews running.”
For high-end builder Drakeley Pool Company, the need to build through winter has become especially important on new-home construction sites, where getting the shell in place affects all trades on the property.
“Our goal is to get to a point of [having] structural concrete in the ground, removing the forms and backfilling, so everyone can continue on around the pool and not lose time because of winter,” said Bill Drakeley, president of the Bethlehem, Conn.-based contractor.
Many builders are charging a premium for this service. “[Clients] are willing to pay for that, if it means they’re in front of the line and can get their pool for the spring,” Mondi said.
Because of the sloping and tricky soil conditions more common among his sites, Drakeley’s structures can add tens of thousands of dollars to construction costs.
“We’re on uneven ground, so we prefer to build [the structures] ourselves,” Drakeley said. “With the slopes and angles, you have to almost fabricate them individually for each job.”
Because of this, Drakeley treats winter construction like a premium service. He passes the charge on to customers who think it’s worth avoiding delays. Those who’d rather not pay resume construction when the weather becomes warm enough to build unsheltered.
Lenz also chooses to erect his own shelters, which he finds more economical than the ready-made tents. His team uses a system of 2-by-4s and plywood and a combination of heaters and fans to keep the air moving.
To date, he hasn’t charged for this service. He considers it part of his company’s annual budget, rather than on a per-project basis. And he believes the scheduling continuity makes it worth it for his company.
“We’ve looked at it as an advantage to keep our crews going ... so we weren’t missing on anything,” he said.
That may change, as costs and demand continue to increase.
As for whether or not this spells the end of winter downtime, the industry will find out in the upcoming years.
