Custom Home Solutions, CHS, Pool Install Gone WRONG

Custom Home Solutions, CHS, Pool Install Gone WRONG

Update Dec 15, 2030

The pool is leaking a lot. See my pics at the bottom.

Update Dec 14, 2023.

Rachelle Miller has pulled off of my job based on this post and some other things I have initiated. My pool is still leaking as I have done a bucket test on the advice of a leak detector. Found out yesterday that 2 of the pool returns are actually suction when the waterfall is on, and that is dangerous for swimmers and will take your hair off. I will have another pool company verify if that is how this should work and if there is any thing that can be changed or you just do not swim in that area when the waterfall is on. CHS knew that they did not pull out the right pavers as was pointed out by the leak company, so of course the leak is still present, unfortunately. In my opinion this is either mismanagement, negligent, or not knowing what they are doing, or a combination of all.

I hired Custom Home Solutions, CHS, 179 Gladstone Rd, Lenoir City, TN 37771, to install a backyard oasis that I have wanted for my entire adult life. FINALLY I was able to afford my dream with my mom's inheritance and thought I had picked a reputable company, a husband and wife team, Ben Miller and Rachelle Miller. Boy-o-boy do I regret my decision to work with this company. The construction started in April 2023 and was told would be done around June timeframe give or take a bit for rain. It did rain in May/June, but we have been in a drought since July.

As of December 8, 2023, the blower is not working as it should be, the pool is not cleaned, gutter not reattached to house, pavers dirty and not cleaned (after I had cleaned), the concrete around splash pad not finished and needs concrete smoothed and covers over blower holes, dent in house not fixed, they caulked over the cracked grout work in pool and hot tub versus fixing the grout, and flaps on sides of hot tub spillover, the blower should have a valve, and the waterfall should have a filter. NOTE: The suction devices for the waterfall are not properly installed and are very dangerous and will have to be replaced. As they are now, they could scalp a person swimming by if caught your hair! The workmanship is so below what I would have expected with the price that I paid.

NOTE: They are licensed as a Home Improvement Contractor and that limits their bids to $25k. They have been fined by the state at least twice. They also have "sister" companies and would give me pause to do business with them. Innovative Power Solutions and CHS Landworx pool design

Ben Miller did not respond to my texts after I gave them my final check. I reached out many times in hopes to get help. I paid them upfront, a requirement, and then the work was only done in small increments.

Listed below are additional $ and other problems. I think the pictures speak for themselves. I will update if and when this ends.

Lessons learned

Do not trust google reviews alone. If they are all 5 stars, might indicate a problem.
Check with the state of TN if a company is properly licensed.
Check with the TN Office of the Attorney General to check if complaints have been filed and if the company is responsive.
Post to your Facebook page to see if any other friends have information on the business. Had I done that I would have gotten the information I needed to make an informed decision.
Most important, do not give the money up front. That was probably the sign that should have made me keep looking for a company.

If you want more information or are another unfortunate customer my email is koehler1200@gmail.com.

Additional ~$15500 on top of a very very hefty price tag

Was told that gas was my responsibility, and it should be about $200. It was $1000 for utility company and another $3800 for gas line installation.
$9600+ additional equipment for what I now know was a $200 blower for hot tub. The blower worked at one point, then plumbing was rerouted and it's not working as it was before. They told me the one that shows it working is due to chemicals added and caused white bubbles and different water levels. I sat in the tub when it worked, so I know the difference.🙄
Under measured by HALF for pavers and wanted another $11700 for pavers and installation. I bought my own pavers and had them installed for $7000 total. That was a hefty price tag on top of what I had already paid.
I was told I had to pay for more tile as they claimed the ceramic ones I originally picked needed to be porcelain. The original were $1.00/sqft and the replacements were LARGER at $3.00/sqft yet cost same per sqft! This cost me another $200.
I was told I had to buy $60 for tools to do concrete work around splash area. Then the tools ended up not being what was needed, but can not return as they were used.
Someone broke the Jandy adjust handles, and I had to pay $100 for them to replace as they were not going to replace.
I have had to pay for shock treatments, $60, as it was a green cesspool and got tired of looking at it.
$200 for chemicals to clean pavers.

Problems (pictures of project below)

I have many texts from Rachelle Miller and in my opinion they were derogatory, hateful, and full of blaming anything including me for why my project is not done. The reasons are rain, complicated project, I changed my mind, I was out drinking and eating with their worker. Other than the rain, rest not true and I was so very upset that I was accused of so many things.

Not addressed

Grout around hot tub and other areas cracking and it was caulked over as a solution.
I had to clean the pavers myself and pay for the chemicals.
Had a leak since install, and it leaked for 2 months before someone came to address. They kept saying water was just in the lines, but of course they kept filling it up.
Cement around the splash area was just a slather of rough concrete that started to crack and peel immediately.
Person that was originally working my project quit due to moral conflicts with the owners and how they treat their customers and mentioned to me that they are more interested in collecting $ over doing the job.
Paver/tiler went bankrupt and was taking money to fund his lifestyle so not sure who will warranty that work.
There are very few workers left to address issues.
The polysand is not in all the cracks and as far as I know, it is done as they did a second pass.
The tile around the splash area was a hot mess. It was fixed, but not done the way I wanted, as they were not able to work with the pebble tiles.
Blower not working as it was (last I was told on 12/8/23 it was working and will not be address). I found out that the blower should have been installed with a valve and it does not have one.
Waterfall should have a filter, and it does not, or it will become inoperable.
There is standing water in some areas of the pavers and does not drain.
I noticed that there is water coming out of one of the returns in the splash area (one is higher than the other too). This had been winterized, so concerned about freezing with trickle of water with the end open and not closed up. The return caps do not fit, as the tiling added around them is too deep to reach the return screws.
There are pavers that are chipped and I was told will crack eventually.
The suction valves for the waterfall are not the right ones and are very dangerous to swimmers.

Addressed

Wrong color of coping brought and of course blamed me for miscommunication (fixed).
Multiple grout colors used around coping (fixed).
Left trash everywhere. Picked up water bottles and cans and lunch wrappings all around the house, and neighbors yards (trash has been removed).