In 1990 when we built our house, I never imagined that we could have a fabulous in-ground pool and a beautifully landscaped setting in our back yard. Our original back yard consisted of a relatively steep hill complete with large oaks, rocks, under-brush, etc. Terry Francisco of Dominion Pool and Spa said, “Not an ideal pool location, but we’ll see what we can do.” The result was a 16 x 40 Viking Gulf Coast pool complete with two beautiful rock retaining walls and a smartly landscaped back yard. Other than a rainy weather delay, the Dominion Pool and Spa team stayed on task and completed the pool in time for a summer of fun and relaxation. When we began discussions with Terry, he did a great job of laying out various options without trying to push us into buying things we didn’t need. In the end, we decided on the Gulf Coast pool with an in-floor cleaning system, an Aqua Cal heater, and a Pool Pilot. The combination of the Pool Pilot and in-floor cleaning system has made our pool basically maintenance free for the first season. The only “maintenance” we perform is cleaning the skimmer basket on a daily basis. The Pool Pilot and cleaning system keeps the pool clean and perfectly balanced. When we were considering the pool installation, many of our friends warned us of the time required to maintain the pool. This has not been the case. No matter what size pool you are considering, make sure you spend the extra money to get a “maintenance free” pool. The actual installation was nothing short of miraculous. First, we had our back yard cleared and graded. This was a major task since, as I said before, our yard was full of large oaks, rocks, and was on a steep incline. The yard was then graded and the rock retaining walls were completed. The walls perfectly matched an existing wall and looked like they always belonged there. The Dominion Pool and Spa team began the digging for the pool. This was a meticulous process and they had to deal with a large rock we had encountered when we first built our house. They were prepared and had a huge jack hammer device to quickly dispatch the rock. (It later turned out that the rubble from this rock formed a key to the final landscaping.) During this time, the pool was delivered in our front yard. It was odd seeing a 16 x 40 in-ground pool sitting in our front yard. When the actual installation day came, a large crane lifted the pool over our house and gently dropped it in the excavated hole. A perfect fit! The next several days were busy with plumbing, wiring, laying the concrete, etc. The pool was finally filled with water and the team spent the next several days cleaning the water and doing some final tweaking. The final step was landscaping and fencing. Overall, we could not be more pleased with the pool. Terry’s team did a fantastic job and took care of all the little headaches that can sometimes make construction projects a real challenge. And, to complete the job, Terry came out later and installed the pool cover and went through the entire pool closing process with me. Again, I was delighted with the effort of Dominion Pool and Spa. Thanks, Terry! I’m sure we’ll enjoy the pool for many years to come. The Parris’