Contract Clauses That Apply if You Change Your Pool Design in Sarasota

It’s always good to lock in your design for any home improvement project. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t allow for some flexibility to adjust or perfect your vision, even after the ink dries on your contract.

You might assume that your hands are tied once you’ve signed your contract, but they aren’t; there’s always something called a “change order,” which is a clause added to your contract that modifies the existing agreement.

You can employ these when the scope of work, materials, or cost changes after the contract has already been signed. It doesn’t matter how big or small these adjustments are. They can often cause a ripple effect that changes the entire timeline and budget of your project.

Here’s what to expect if you make adjustments to your pool design in Sarasota and how it can impact other aspects of your project.

What a Clause Looks Like

A solid contract should have a dedicated section outlining the process of adding a change order. These clauses protect your best interests and give you more design flexibility throughout the project, but they’re equally as beneficial for the contractors, so they’re important to include for everyone.

Adding this clause ensures that any changes are well-documented and that both parties agree on the terms before moving forward.

The Written Changes

The clause should initially state that all changes to the original pool design need to be in writing. This makes it clear that verbal agreements or discussions don’t cut it; only written agreements are enough to ensure the contract is legally binding and doesn’t lead to major misunderstandings.

This leads to the included change order, which should be written in a similar style to the actual contract. It needs to be a formal document signed by both the homeowner and the contractor.

The Impact on Cost and Pricing

The details are all well and good, but what does it mean for your project’s bottom line? This section is where you’ll find that information. All clauses should highlight new costs and an explanation of any adjustments from the initial agreed-upon budget.

A good example would be you deciding you’d prefer a high-end pebble finish. How the contractor will accomplish this will end up in the written changes, but the additional cost of the materials (or even potential labor) will have its own section.

This is one of the biggest areas of contention, so it’s important that both you and your contractor are open and honest with each other here. Good contractors are always up front about pricing changes, especially if they’re the ones to recommend the change or upgrade.

They should also provide you with an updated amount and an estimate before the clause is added. You should have plenty of time to consider the costs and approve them before the work on this section of your pool design begins.

The Effect on the Project’s Timeline

Many design adjustments cause delays, and a contract clause should address this directly. Even the smallest adjustments can push every other milestone back or impact the construction schedule in some way.

Let’s go back to the example with the new high-end pebble finish. Your decision to upgrade might mean the materials take longer to procure. This inevitably pushes the timeline back if the new materials can’t get there in time.

Contract clauses should specify that change orders will likely result in a new project completion date. Homeowners who want to make these adjustments to their pool design should expect there to be some delays. Yet it’s still vital to include these delays in the clause so both parties can sign off on the new timeline to reset expectations.

Why Does a Small Change Have Such a Big Impact?

Never underestimate just how big a domino effect even the smallest change orders can have on your project. Upgrading materials is a common change that doesn’t always have major implications on a project’s budget and timeline, but might significantly alter the labor required, especially if it takes more specialized skills to install.

Adding features, however, usually requires lots of different changes. They can often require additional plumbing or electrical work, meaning your contractors will have to get new permits for the project. They’ll likely need new inspections, too, even if you were previously approved for similar features.

One of the largest changes is redrawing the shape or size of your pool. Again, this is often doable if you decide to make changes early enough in the build. Yet it also means the contractors will have to redraw plans and recalculate the project from the ground up.

There’s no way around these kinds of changes, which are both expensive and time-consuming. But even if it means this, this shouldn’t discourage you from making changes to your design if you want them. You want to be happy with your new pool, and there’s no real point in going with custom luxury designs if you aren’t allowed to change your mind.

But it’s still important to adjust your expectations of the outcome; while getting things done your way is usually possible, making last-minute changes almost always comes at a cost.

You can help prevent these expensive surprises by working with a custom design team that works with you to finalize your design before construction begins. The contractors should provide a clear picture (often literally) of how your pool will look to lower the chances of you feeling uncertain about where the design is headed.

They should also let you know just how flexible each design element really is, being clear about how changing certain things can impact the cost or timeline of your build.

Sarasota Pool Design Done Your Way

Our Sarasota pool design team is here to help bring your vision to life, even if that vision changes throughout the project. Reach out to the Tampa Bay Pools team today to learn more about our approach to custom pool builds and schedule an appointment with one of our contractors.