YOUVE BEEN WARNED!!! WARNING ABOUT Grady's Pool Service, Inc. - Pool Contractor in Bakersfield & Central Coast, CA Swimming pool contractor I feel compelled to share my experience with Grady's Pool Service & Construction (operating online at gradyspools.com) -- a company that is led by Mark Grady, a pool builder and general contractor. Their website touts "20+ years in the pool business" and custom pool design, build, remodel, and repair services in Paso Robles, Templeton, Atascadero, and the Central Coast. However, my experience was extremely negative and serves as a serious warning to other homeowners considering hiring this contractor. What Happened in My Case Before hiring him, my loan company refused financing because he was on a contractor blacklist due to active lawsuits -- a red flag I later confirmed after issues began. I was given an alternative financing method and, trusting his explanation, entered a contract for a full pool build. Payments were tied to construction milestones because I had no traditional pool loan oversight. During the build, many construction errors occurred, clearly due to poor supervision and bad direction from Mark. Multiple portions of the build are out of building code, which means they must be demolished and redone before final inspection can pass. He was absent during most of the build, showing up mainly when money was due. He promised to install a saltwater system but claimed it should wait until water chemistry was balanced -- then changed his number and disappeared. Subcontractors were not paid by him and attempted to place liens against my property because of unpaid bills, forcing me into months of conflict. This is particularly troubling given other reports showing mixed review experiences for this business. Important Facts Other Homeowners Should Know Despite claiming certifications and years of experience on gradyspools.com, project execution was severely lacking. The still never passed a final building inspection. The promised saltwater pool system was never installed. Costly code violations must be corrected. Subcontractors attempted to place liens on my property due to Mark not paying them. After repeated attempts to communicate about job defects, Mark effectively abandoned the project and changed contact information. read more

At Grady Pools, they are based on honesty and expertise. With Mark leading the way, you can trust that your pool is in the best hands. Whether it's maintenance, repairs, or renovations, we're committed to providing you with quality service tailored to your needs. Join the Grady Pools family and dive into a worry-free pool experience! read more

Grady's Pool Service & Construction - our pool before the black bottom epoxy - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me

See all

Would not recommend, took longer than expected, had a few disagreements about demo, hauling off turf and dirt, gas line was put in smaller than contract stated, had inspector out 3 times along with the gas company. Found out he didn't pay his subs and our salt cell isn't installed yet, which took 4 months to get from him. Which will take extra electrical work so we will probably be out of pocket for that work. read more

I requested an estimate to build a pool. I text him some pictures the location of the pool. He text me an estimate within a couple of hours. The value of the install was fantastic due to our water. We decided not to build a pool at this time. read more

This review is long over due. When my family and I decided to have a pool built in our backyard, we had a lot of questions and concerns. It was very intimidating. How long would it take, the cost involved, permits and if they offered financial support. While consulting with different builders and trying to gather quotes, Grady's was the friendliest, most confident, assertive and more straight forward builder than any of the 5 contractors I had a meeting with. They answered every question and guided us to the right places for financially assistance when needed. Gradys passion alone on his design and explanation of the build gave me total confidence with him and his team. While others tried to give me the run around and tell me what I wanted, Grady made what I wanted a reality. A beautiful layout that went beyond the scope of what I imaged. I am not kidding look at the pictures for yourself. I highly recommend Gradys pool for anyone looking to build. If you don't believe me, just call them and schedule an appointment. Your first meeting with Mark Grady will be the only one you need. They are so great at making sure you are satisfied and happy every step of the way. Even after design work is complete and you want to upgrade a few items, they will make it happen. Call Gradys Pool. You will not be disappointed. read more

Grady's Pool Service & Construction - Closer view - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me

See all

Had my jacuzzi built by Grady's pool service. It was an excellent experience. The blower on the jacuzzi was defective and Mark took care of it promptly and efficiently. Thanks again for great service. read more

Grady's Pool Service & Construction - My backyard oasis - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me

See all

Mark Grady just rebuilt my pool and added a hot tub and it turned out wonderful. Upgraded all equipment and automation controls. read more

See all

This was the first time we built a pool. I was sold by Grady immediately when he came over and gave us a quote. I told him about different styles we wanted and other pool quotes. He told us it would be more beneficial for our yard to do a geometric style and we would get way more water out of it. He came with a spray can and visually showed us what to expect. During the building process Grady was always available via text or phone and was on top of everything. If I had a question he would answer it quickly. He kept us in the loop the entire time and moved quickly. Our entire pool from start to swim time took 4 weeks. That's 4 weeks during the summer! You can't beat that. Overall, I'd highly recommend him to anyone looking for a pool. He's honest and keeps it simple for everyone when you have questions. Edit : I previously gave Grady a solid review and appreciated his prompt service. However, after a month, I had an issue with my pool light being warped and my eyejets continuing to pop out when pump was on. I called and text Grady several times for the past month to get the issues fixed and kept getting brushed off or no response despite him promising to get the issue fixed. I finally (through a friend) found out who his maintenance guy was and had to go through him directly to get the issue resolved. Overall, the pool BUILDING experience was great, but when came time to fix any issues after, even minor 15 minute fixes, Grady failed to respond or address the issue in a timely manner. I feel if I spend $30k on a pool, a simple fix should be completed in less than a month, apparently not tho. Second edit : Been a few months and Grady has been accommodating and attempting to fix the pool light issue. Unfortunately due to the weather and being winter, the pool is far too cold to do any work. However, Grady is making every attempt to fix the issue and has assured me the light will be fixed as it gets warmer. The issue itself was also not his fault I was informed. The fault was due to one of the workers failing to properly place the light and then also failing to inform Grady. Minus a minor hiccup initially, the repair process and communication is going smoothly with Grady and I'm satisfied as a customer once more. read more

See all

Mark came over the same day I called for an estimate. He also wrote out the quote the same day! We were still waiting for a quote from other companies. We are so glad we went with Grady's pools. Our pool, patio, and cement work look fabulous. We are so happy with all the workers. Everyone was professional and very clean. I would definitely recommend them to everyone I know. read more

See all

I cannot say enough about Mark Grady. We had a crack down the center of our pool and needed to finally get it repaired. Mark was so professional and knowledgeable. Extremely prompt if he says he will be there at 8:30... he'll be there at 8:29 we totally appreciate that. I had multiple samples to select from and was informed of the process so that I knew what to expect and when to expect it. As it turned out our job could start right awaY as other clients didn't want construction over Christmas, lucky me we went from and crack in the pool to a gorgeous nEw Bermuda Blue Plaster in 6 days! We highly recommend Mark to anyone looking to install a new pool or remodel your existing pool! Can't wait for Summer! Thanks Mark! read more

See all

This is a follow-up on our original post which when the pool was just finished was very good. However, in a very short time, we noticed when we touched the coving which was color stamped concrete, we would get large amounts of sand rubbed off in our hand of the coving. It was quite extreme, so we assumed if we sealed it, it would stop. By sealing it, it made it worse. At first Mark said it could be because the indoor pool area is too humid, etc. Then Mark said it was our fault because we sealed it and would take no responsibility. It is so bad now, we will have to have the entire coving redone as the entire stamped design and color has rubbed off in just a few years. In addition, now we have very large molting spotting discoloration issues in our quartz finish. They range from a few inches to eight inches. The discoloration is extremely noticeable and we should not have large gray patches of discoloration in our blue quartz pool. The other issue is we have a very large moon shape at the bottom drain and extreme discoloration. The moon is probably at least a couple feet in diameter. Obviously, something is very wrong with possibly the finish on the pool. This is an indoor, salt pool with never any chemicals added directly into water, always into a diluted bucket prior to. We have sent Mark, who we thought we had a good working relationship with two letters with photos, one registered and he has never responded. Mark is a nice guy but has not responded to us to address these issues. read more

My pool was a wreck it had been years since it was re-plastered. Other contractors came over and priced out re-surfacing the pool and spa. Mark took the time to look at the pool and noticed some issues that others did not see. He said "if we are going to re-finish the pool might as well pull up the cracked decking. Replace the old tiles" He will replace both lights with LED. We also changed out the 23 year old heater and upgraded it to a newer more efficient heater. He is going at add a hand rail to the pool. We went with a Tahoe Blue quartz finish with albacore flakes. And it is going to look awesome! The work he and his men did was outstanding. Mark's pricing was competitive and was well worth every penny I spent on updating and upgrading our pool and spa. I highly recommend Mark Grady for your pool construction needs and monthly service. He is also getting my monthly pool service because he did such a great job on our pool re-surfacing project. Who better to take care of my pool than the one who resurfaced it We both had an investment in this project. read more

See all

I really wonder whether we just had terrible luck or if Mark has friends and family giving him reviews on here. Our experience was far from his 5-star reputation. I found Grady's Pool Service after searching Yelp because we wanted our in-ground spa to work again. The spa had not worked for quite some time and we decided it was time to start using it. Mark was prompt enough in responding to my message, but was busy and not able to come out for awhile to look at the spa. This was not too much of an issue as we weren't in a huge rush to get someone out. After looking at our system for five minutes, he told me the motherboard in the heater was toast and we'd need a new one which would cost a few hundred dollars. Great. We also wanted a quote to upgrade the electronic system. Our system was dated and going back behind the citrus trees to turn on and off the system was confusing and a pain in the ass. He called us back later and gave us a quote for that which was going to be a few grand. We decided to proceed with both fixing the heater and upgrading the system. He did not have the parts on-hand. So, we waited a few days for them to come in and then he told us it would all be installed same-day. We were stoked! To his credit, his workers did show up on time that day and went to work. However, they told me, it would not be finished that day as the electronics needed some other component and they didn't have time, but they'd be back another day. So, we waited. A few days later, they returned and finished hooking up the system, assured us we were good to go and went on their merry way. Except nothing worked.The spa wouldn't heat and we couldn't get the fancy new electronics to work. It took numerous calls and nagging to get Mark and his staff back out to look at it since they assumed we were just too dumb to work the app. As it turned out, it wasn't the motherboard that was broken, but the whole heater that was out. Additionally, the electronics weren't set up correctly so the app wouldn't actually function even if the heater was working. So much for the few hundred dollars. We were now looking at another $2400 to fix it. This is after we had already paid him for the job being "done". I don't think it was his fault the heater was broken, but I do think he should have been able to say "I think the motherboard is out, but it is possible the heater will need to be replaced". Giving these scenarios and possible costs is part of the job and it was never done for us. After this diagnosis, we should have just told him good riddance and found another company, but we still weren't even sure the electronics worked and had already invested almost $4000 into the job. So, we asked him to do the heater. No word though from Mark. A week later, we continue nagging. Could we at least get an ETA? Was he going to do the work? Did we need to find someone else? In the end, we got the spa working. It took a ridiculous amount of work on our part to stay on top of Mark to get the job done and his lack of attention to making sure the job got done right was unacceptable. From start to finish, it took just shy of a month to get our spa working. It was only that fast due to both my boyfriend and I continually calling, texting, and working from home whenever possible to meet his scheduling needs to try and get the job done. Once it was working and I gave him the final payment, he offered no invoice and found it strange when I later asked for it even though the warranty for the Pentair system requires it. It took almost two weeks for his secretary to send it via email and we had to ask for revisions to meet the requirements of Pentair's warranty documentation (i.e. installation date, etc). For someone who claims such experience and professionalism, you'd think that would be standard practice and they'd know exactly what their clients need to submit documentation for the warranty. I even had to go unscrew part of the system to get the serial number since they never thought to get it to us. Since this experience, we've had both our pool guy and now another pool company who is replacing our pump tell us that the Pentair system was set up incorrectly. The company who serves as the warranty company for Pentair is now correcting this issue for us as I refuse to work with this company again. I advise you to be cautious if using Mark for pool/spa repair or upgrades. It is possible we caught him at a bad time or maybe he just didn't like us, but regardless there are better companies in town where you don't have to hope to be on a company's good side to get the professional, skilled service you deserve. TL/dr: Misdiagnosed our issue, costing us over $2000 more than originally estimated. Required frequent nagging to get updates or get the problem actually repaired. Was unprofessional and did not set up equipment correctly which has meant hiring other companies to fix it. Choose someone else. read more

Mark and his crew were awesome for us. I was on a budget, and didn't really think I'd be able to make a pool happen, but his price was super fair and he even found creative solutions to little obstacles like a small yard space and narrow access. We've had it for 3 years now and everything has been totally smooth, no issues. Thanks! read more

Called today and got Mark the owner. Asked what he would charge to acid wash my pool. Instead of just giving me a quote he asked why I wanted to do that. I explained the discoloration issues we were having the the quartz plaster. He told me what I should be doing instead and how to do it myself. Extremely helpful and if I ever need anything in the future I know who I'm calling. Thanks Mark! read more

I can't say enough good things about Mark, his crew, and his subcontractors. We had a 30 year old pool that had cracked plaster and a deck that was badly cracked and lifting. Mark worked with my budget to give us a complete face lift including quartz plaster, new tile, and all new decking. Mark gave me an estimate of 2 1/2 to 3 weeks for completion and we were beginning to fill with water on day 12! Mark kept me informed about what to expect on a daily basis and all commitments were met. When he said the guys would be here at 7:30 am, they were on the job at 7:30 am. There were no surprises. We would definitely recommend Mark and his team for your pool project! Thank you for exceeding our expectations. You over-delivered!! read more

Never showed up for the appointment set up for an estimate. Very disappointed. Would not recommend if looking to start a new build if they can't show up on time save your time. read more

We were having issues with our pump, Mark came to check it out just minutes after I called. He assessed the problem and gave me a quote. He said he had the parts in stock and would have us up and running in two days. True to his word he came, got it done and we couldn't be happier. I would definitely recommend Grady's. read more

Our pool and deck were in desperate need of a "face lift." We live in Rosedale and have very hard water and after many years of use our pool tile and waterfall were covered with calcium deposits. Also, our stained/colored stamped concrete deck looked weathered and flat. After Grady's was finished our tile looked brand new and the deck looked amazing. I highly recommend this company. read more

I cannot say enough great things about this company! I first contacted Grady in desperation on a Friday evening with the pressure of my home escrow closing in a few short days and needing a major repair. He was on vacation but still managed to schedule my repairs to begin that Monday. His quote was $80 less than another guy and I was so relieved to find him. His crew was kind and clean. Though I initially arranged for my pool to also be cleaned after repairs, I changed the plans and canceled the cleaning. I then found out that the crew had already spent over an hour cleaning and adding chemicals to my pool which Mark Grady wouldn't let me pay him for. Mark Grady is a super stellar guy and I highly recommend his company! Hands down, bet pool service in town! read more

Grady's Pool Service is AWESOME!! Friendly and professional!! We had a system problem and he diagnosed and fixed it right away. Very dependable! They come when they say they are coming and prices are reasonable! Going to hire them for monthly pool service. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! read more

CSU Bakersfield / Dept of Student Housing now uses Grady's for its pool service needs. They are dependable and do an excellent job. Mark is to be commended for his great work and professionalism! RC read more

Mark Grady seemed very competent at first but after the work was started he became non-communicative and wouldn't answer our calls or return calls after leaving voice and text messages. When we finally managed to get him to answer his phone he was rude and obnoxious. The work completed was adequate but the customer service and attitude was awful. read more