Scheduling 

When scheduling a gunite job with us, we do the best we can to accommodate all the pool builders and contractors we work with (which is at any given time more than 45), and sometimes due to the high demand of the season and weather and other variables, we as well as the other couple of Gunite companies in Central Texas fall behind due to the amount of work ratio to the amount of available groups to do it. We currently have 1 crew in operation due to the skilled labor and CDL driver shortage. Many of our contractors have asked us how to better improve the flow of scheduling and what it takes, and so we are writing this for our contractors and for the homeowners and or others you are working with.

Weather:

RAIN: We know that when in a drought or not, it still rains and is sometimes locally hard. We also know that sometimes it rains in parts of Austin/ Central Texas and not in other parts. The amount of risk is very great when it rains, some companies might still work and others may not. When we are rained out, please consider that we didn’t work for the amount of day(s) it rained so then we are that many days behind in which all pools will be pushed backed (that many days it rained) in the same order they are scheduled. We usually need for the ground around the pool and the pool itself to dry out which usually can take up to about a half day or more depending on where the pool is located and how much rain the area received. Pools need to be drained of water and cleaned out and or mucked out of any mud and or anything else before we arrive to shoot the pool.  We are not responsible for that kind of work.

COLD: This year we experienced more cold weather than what we can remember in years past. When it is cold (at, below or around 32 degrees, freezing rain, wind chill factor, etc) we try not to shoot a pool but will at the discretion of the pool builder with limited to no warranty. The same scenario goes for this situation as stated above when it rains when it comes to delays and setbacks due to this type of weather.

HEAT: We know it can get HOT here in Central Texas (hence why people are getting swimming pools) but we also have to consider our valued partners who do the labor in making your Gunite pool. Our guys are human and not machines and the heat does get to them as well. It is usually 20-30 degrees hotter and about 100% humidity in the Gunite shell hole than it is outside. We have to take care of these valuable people. Sometimes it does occur that it is so hot and they are so exhausted that even though we have something scheduled it may not be able to be done due to the elements. We will work with you to reschedule and move what needs to be moved to accommodate properly.

Machinery:

Our equipment goes through a lot of wear and tear, and especially during the summer months when we are doing such a high volume of work and the heat becomes a factor (cold is also a factor). We do what we can to keep up and maintain our equipment. We currently have 7 mixer trucks and 5 air compressor rigs and 8 gunite guns in the field not including our yard machinery of 4 front wheel loaders and 4 cement silo. Sometimes our equipment breaks down and is out of commission for whatever time it takes to properly repair it. We do what we can to rent or purchase what is needed to get the job done, but sometimes this does cause a snag in the scheduling. We will work with you to reschedule and move what needs to be moved to accommodate properly.

Financial Payment:

For the most part, most of our contractors pay within the allotted time we ask our contractors to pay within, but some do have difficulties doing this for whatever the reason may be. If the pool builder or contractor is not in good financial standing with us this will cause a delay in scheduling and having work performed by us. We do a NET15 payment cycle. We are not a bank and not in the business of being one nor can we afford to be one.     

DOT Regulations for Drivers and Trucks:

Texas DOT/ Motor Carriers Division and the US DOT have enforced strict rules on commercial vehicles and we must follow these or be liable of very expensive penalties. We have a certain number of hours our CDL drivers are eligible to work in a day and week and working over this can cost us several hundred and thousands of dollars in fees and penalties. We do what we can to maximize the hours allotted to us and schedule our jobs to be able to do so, whether in town or out of town. Sometimes jobs will have to be moved to adjust to the hours if needed. 

DOT officers have been cracking down on commercial vehicles and this can also cause huge delays of several hours on any given day to do the safety inspections they conduct roadside. Please know that we do our best to make sure our trucks are safe to drive on the road and are constantly maintaining them and currently have 2 full-time mechanics to make sure our trucks are in good working order.

HOA Rules and Regulations/ Neighbors:

Please inform us of any noise and or time restrictions an area or subdivision has that we will be doing work in. We will usually start at 7 am or as time is permitted by the HOA or local city ordinances. If you are scheduled for a spot as a second job for the day and these restrictions are not known to us but we are penalized we will bill you accordingly. Please also make sure that your client informs their neighbors that we will be going to do their job that day so that they know what they are in for. We understand that some neighbors have and will continue to be difficult at any time of day but we feel that the more communication the better. 

Materials:

During the busy season there always tend to be a shortage of sand and cement. We purchase all the concrete sand locally from Collier Materials in Llano and Cement locally from Texas Lehigh Cement in Buda. All materials are not produced by Texan Gunite and are delivered via a third-party transport carrier. 

When Scheduling (Things to Know and Consider)

• We will no longer schedule a pool without a current and fully filled out purchase order and pool plan which will need to be faxed or emailed no sooner than at least two weeks prior to the estimated date of Gunite application. All Disclaimers are listed in a separate page of this website and all apply to all jobs no matter which builder or job it is. 
• We are usually 2 +/- weeks out with work during the busy season (March-November). Please contact us for a better up to date time frame understanding. Please remember that we currently are running one crew.
• Please do not call when the pool has passed inspection and expect us to be able to do it the next day or within the next week if this is the first time we are hearing about it or without any unknown previous knowledge of it, you will be disappointed.
• If the job is an area that we cannot locate with our Mapsco Map books, Google Maps, Bing Maps or Mapquest, please provide a map and or directions to get to the job site in time for us to map out our routes, please remember that we have heavy trucks and some roads that lead to your project do have weight limits and we may not be able to use them.
• If a pool is ready to go and passed inspection and suddenly cannot be shot if scheduled for the next day for whatever reason, it will be moved to the end of the line. We will work with you and other contractors who will be ahead of you to try to find a spot to reschedule.
• If you tell us you are “good to go” and will take anything earlier and we call you because we had a cancelation and are able to move you up to an earlier date and time and you are still waiting for an inspection or something else and not good to go, you will be moved to the end of the line.
• Please know that the current scheduler is not only in the “office” scheduling, this person is also in the field driving a mixer truck, doing mechanical work on the equipment, doing all the ordering and purchasing, picking up payments, and attending meetings on behalf of the company and travels to purchase and bring back equipment. We do our very best to answer all communication in a timely and professional matter though sometimes it is difficult to do so.

Please Note that these are the Holidays we are closed: 

New Year's Day (January 1st) 

Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday (Easter Weekend)

Memorial Day (will vary due to weather)

Independence Day (July 4th)

Labor Day (will vary due to weather)

Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving Weekend 

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (December 24th & 25th)