"We had some general ideas of what we wanted, and Jim was able to craft those ideas into our dream pool. He designed a beautiful, eye-catching pool that looks perfect in our backyard. After asking for a sun deck for our toddler to play on, he even set up the steps and seats up so that in conjunction with the sun deck, there was a very large play area for little ones. We ended up going with the PCC 2000 cleaning system, salt system, rock waterfall, Intellitouch and Pebble Tec. Maintenance is super easy. The salt system makes for very comfortable and crystal clear water. We've had our pool for over a year now, and we love it. If you want to have fantastic pool that you, your family, and friends will love, you should talk to CastleRock."
-Kyle and Brandi Gibson, Katy
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"Congratulations to you and James on a job well done! We are thoroughly enjoying the pool and so delighted that we took the plunge and went ahead with this project. Here are a few specifics that make us feel good about our choice of CastleRock; Great design; the finished article looks as good or better than we imagined when we first sat down to discuss the project. The cleaning system is fantastic; looks good and works very well. Quality; the pumps, control system, cleaning system, filtration system are all of the highest quality, the good advice we were given at the design stage has given us piece of mind that we have a quality pool that will give us high performance for many years. Thanks again and best wishes for the continued success of Castle Rock in the future."
-Graham and Angela Dey, Katy
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"I wanted to thank you and James for the job CastleRock did in my yard. Notice that I didn’t just thank you for the great looking, low maintenance pool. I thanked you for the yard transformation. The pool is gorgeous as well as functional. We are very pleased that we selected your company to build our backyard retreat. We interviewed many pool builders, but could not get the comfort level that we were looking for. You asked us questions about what features were important to us. That was refreshing. Most of the “other guys” would come and tell us about how great they were, and in some cases, how bad everyone else was. You guys had an elevated level of professionalism that won us over, yet were real world and down to earth. The quality of our pool is exceptional. We have had several comments about our pool and yard looking like a “resort”. Congratulations on a job well done. That was our goal when we decided to move forward with adding a pool. If somebody is looking for a cheap pool, I would not recommend Castlerock. If somebody is looking for quality and value, you are the guys. You explained the process and reviewed the quote on paper before starting. There was no smoke and mirrors, or bait and switch tactics. I was impressed with your hands on approach at every step of the process. James was visible every day that workers were present. I was briefed with updates and made aware of any challenges along the way. The laborers were respectful and fairly neat (after all, they are construction workers). I was thrilled that you completed the job on time, even in light of a minor setback, like hurricane Rita. We are looking forward to season after season of enjoyment with this pool. The PCC 2000 has made our pool relatively maintenance free. This is an important feature to me having 4 kids. I would rather be in the pool than cleaning and maintaining the pool. The landscaping and lighting package has added a tropical element to our yard that was missing. Our yard went from a 2 (on a scale of 1 to 10) to a 9 in the span of 3 months. You have made our pool look like a swimming pond that we decided to build our house in front of. I will gladly welcome any prospective buyers to view our pool and yard on your behalf. I am a tough customer when it comes to customer service. My company has extremely high service standards. I am more often than not disappointed with the level of service I experience wherever I go. You guys impressed me to the highest degree. Any time I called with a concern or issue, James or you would respond promptly. I did not have to deal with a warranty division that refused to honor what the salesperson said. I have seen and heard the horror stories. My wife and I purchased pool building magazines to get ideas on what we liked and disliked. I researched pool companies through the BBB before making our final selection on a builder. I must say that you guys are awesome at what you do. Please do not get too big too fast, because I would hate to see you lose your edge. I wish my home builder was half as good as you guys were at responding to concerns and building a quality product. I wish you guys built cars and computer equipment. I wish your company much success moving forward, you certainly deserve it. Thank you again for making us feel great about our decision to hire CastleRock to build our pool."
-Jim and Lisa Capurso, Fall Creek
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"We met Jim for the first time when we were shopping for a pool for our new house. By that time we had already checked half a dozen different pool companies. He showed up at our house and gave an absolutely outstanding presentation about his pool design for our house that included the PCC 2000 in-floor cleaning system. The fate of our pool was decided. The following day we came made the commitment and that was the beginning of a very enjoyable time of being a pool owner. Since this was our first pool, we were really concerned with amount of time and efforts required to maintain our pool. The PCC 2000 cleaning system completely solved our problems. After 3.5 years of having our pool I can say that it takes me only minutes a week to clean out the baskets and check the chemicals. My pool is always clean and is a subject of envy of my friends and neighbors. Jim, thank you very much for building us beautiful and low-maintenance pool!"
-Michael and Elena Rabinovich, Houston
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"When starting the pool process we had no idea what we were in for. I tend to go a little overboard so called numerous companies. CastleRock impressed us from the start with the professionalism from the initial phone call. During the building phase, I was probably the most critical customer, eying every aspect of the construction. Like any major purchase or construction project, there were some issues. CastleRock finished the pool in a very timely manner. They saw to it they addressed every item, and I must say, went out of their way to make me a happy customer. We absolutely love our pool! The Pebble Tec is a must. We have had many compliments on the design, layout and quality of our pool. Many friends who have had pools installed by others are in AWE also."
-Duesing Family, Spring
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"Everyday when I come home, I can't believe what a beautiful pool and spa CastleRock Pools built for me. From the first day I met Jim Burkhart (Co-Owner), I was impressed with his knowledge and experience. He did a wonderful job explaining the pool building process, providing me a pool design, and discussing the type and quality of equipment CastleRock Pools would use. Furthermore, Jim came across as sincere, honest, and believable in regards to the quality of work he would provide in a reasonable time. However, I still compared CastleRock Pools to several other pool builders in the area. It soon became clear to me that CastleRock Pools provided the best value for my money and the confidence that I was dealing with a reputable pool builder. The design provided a method for dealing with the slope of my yard and still providing for adequate drainage to the rear of my yard. His design encompassed a two level deck, which included a raised "accent wall" which looks terrific. No other pool builder came up with this aesthetic solution. When I met James Henisey (Construction Manager/Co-Owner), I was once again impressed by James' extensive knowledge of pool construction and plumbing. The coping, stone, and tile subcontractors under his direction did high quality and beautiful work. Any problems experienced during the pool construction phase, James resolved in a professional manner and now, almost six months later, James continues to make himself available to resolve any issues and/or questions I have regarding the pools functioning. Finally, I just can't say enough about the PCC 2000 cleaning system. Although I was hesitant to have it installed, it has definitely been worth the extra cost. The PCC 2000, along with the ozone and chlorination system that CastleRock Pools installs, leaves very little cleaning and maintenance work to be done. I never would have believed that caring for a swimming pool would be so easy. For example, after Hurricane Rita, my home was left without electricity for several days and the swimming pool contained large amounts of plant and tree debris. Within a few hours of the electricity coming on and the system becoming operational again, the PCC 2000 had cleared the pool of the debris and aided the pool water back to sparkling clear condition. As you can probably tell, I'm extremely pleased with my swimming pool and spa, and my experience with James Burkhart and James Henisey of CastleRock Pools."
-C. Clayton, Phd, Conroe
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"We first came into contact with Jim Burkhart and CastleRock Pools in February 2005. We were in the process of building our home in Seven Meadows and we wanted to be very proactive on our pool construction. In this time frame we were "kicking the tires" on several pool companies operating in the Katy area and we quickly became very impressed with CastleRock. Jim significantly differentiated his company from the others through a combination of state-of-the-art technology and pool construction know-how. Jim was able to coordinate our pool building exactly with the closing on our house. We closed on April 22, and that same afternoon, Jim's team marked out the pool and began digging the very next day, a Saturday. Jim put us on a fast track that included lots of his own time from a quality control standpoint. There were unexpected turns in the road, but his active involvement ensured that we remained on track. When points came up that got us off plan, Jim made sure we knew about them and he helped us understand the benefits of making minor modifications. An example of this was adding more rock to the waterfall and rear of the pool area than anticipated. Jim ate the cost on this and insisted we do it since it was the right thing to do. Over the last couple of months, we have had some challenges, but Jim and team's responsiveness made these slight wrinkles instead of major problems. Everything is solved in real time and we, as the customers, stayed very satisfied. Jim's trusted advisor approach is what other businesses and trades in the Katy area do not have. That's a key strength for Jim and one of the key reasons why we recommend CastleRock. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the overall quality of the pool and spa. Great stuff! We are VERY happy! Looks way better than we ever envisioned and we have a pretty good imagination! Check out the photos on the CastleRock website.
PS. Come by to see our pool!"
-Daniel and Jacqueline Ranta, Katy
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"Initially, the whole pool experience really scared me. It seemed like such a major undertaking and I personally did not want to do it. My wife and children pushed so long and hard that eventually I gave in. I’m the type of person who will completely evaluate all the options, thoroughly understand the bids, including the minor differences, and foresee the entire construction process. My wife will tell you; I am overly methodical on the details. My only initial reservation with CastleRock was the rather limited amount of experience in Houston, in comparison to the “many years” of some of the other bidders. However, I feel that the real warranties are from the subcontractors, who I am unfamiliar with no matter who we contracted with. Further, Jim Burkhart had a great deal of out-of-state experience, which I view as a benefit. Jim provided clear input on the advantages and disadvantage of many options. Honest and objective explanations were provided, based on extensive prior experience. Jim provided several pool “redraws” as we changed our minds during the planning stages. As we struck the deal, the entire scope of CastleRock’s work is clarified in the “Construction Contract Itemized Breakdown” and in the final plan drawing, which we approved. Installation of the pool went extremely fast. The contractors were sequenced one right after the other. If not for a week of rain, the whole thing might have been completed in approximately one month! James Henisey of CastleRock provided full-time supervision of the subcontractors. This was a relief to me, since I could not always be there. CastleRock stayed exactly within budget – the agreed upon pricing in the itemized breakdown. Before the pool went in, we had 2 problem spots on our property with inadequate drainage. The new drainage system that was installed with the pool fixed both of these problem areas. We have no more standing water on the property. CastleRock even took care of our pool, after it was complete, for 2 weeks while we were out of town during the peak of the leaf-falling season. The entire family loves the final outcome. The pebbletec finish looks great both during the day and at night with the pool lights on. It is better than expected. Even my wife loves it, and believe me, she is a tough one to please since she has such an eye for detail! I expected several months of agonizing mess and headaches from the moment we signed on the bottom line. However, the overall experience was very positive and painless. Your “pool school” and follow-on support has given us full confidence in operating and maintaining the pool. Please include our names on your reference list and we will gladly show our pool to any of your new or potential customers. Thank you for all of your professional courtesy and cooperation."
-Jeff Austin, Houston
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"Thank you for coming to our rescue and completing our pool construction project. The new pool looks and works GREAT! As you are aware, we contracted for the construction of a pool at our new home in Katy, with what was supposedly a “prominent” pool contractor in the Katy area. After six weeks of delays and excuses, the contractor walked off the job and forced us to terminate our contract with them. On Monday, March 27, we signed a contract with Castlerock Pools. Much to our delight and amazement, three crews; Tile and Coping, Electric, and Plumbing, showed up for work the following day. All three crews reviewed the state of construction and devised strategies to complete our pool project in a timely fashion. Tile and Coping jumped right in on the spot and proceeded to rip out and replace the portion of coping that was installed by the previous coping/tile company but not up to standard. The crew sat down with us, discussed flaws noted and suggestions on how we could enhance our pool design with the proper positioning of accent tiles and re-installation of coping to ensure an even, level appearance. The Tile and Coping personnel were totally professional, proficient, informative, and polite. They are true craftsmen and we were pleased to have them help us achieve our goal. Likewise, the electrician and plumbing contractors were also able to evaluate our dire situation and discuss with us what it would take to complete the electrical and plumbing end of our construction. They offered suggestions and discussed ways to enhance our design that had not previously been introduced to us by the original pool contractor. Again, both the electrical contractor and the plumbing contractor showed professionalism, integrity, proficiency, and a positive mindset that put us at ease and instilled in us a confidence that this project would indeed be completed within 2 weeks. Then the project took on a new level of fast-forward activity. While the plumbing contractors were finishing their end of construction, The concrete contractor appeared on the job site and started to level out the deck area, lay the rebar and make plans to pour concrete the following day. Additionally, the plaster company arrived to measure the perimeter of the pool for the upcoming installation of the Pebble-Sheen White Diamonds on the pool’s interior. By Friday, March 31, concrete had been poured for the deck area, plumbing was complete and we breathed a sigh of relief that we had several days of “down time” before crews arrived to start the interior finish. On Thursday, April 7 the pool was being plastered with the Pebble-Sheen finish chosen and on Friday, April 8, the interior of the pool was complete. Our children were playing in ankle deep water by 11:30 AM as we were now filling our pool. By Saturday, April 9, everyone was swimming and exhilarated that we really did have a pool! On Monday, April 11, and Tuesday, April 12, our deck was complete as the finished coating was applied. Our children had their first “pool party” the day after Tax Day, Saturday, April 16 – all the parents enjoyed the festivities along with their children. Now our pool is complete and you have clearly demonstrated your knowledge of pool construction and your ability to jump in and organize sub-contractors, suppliers and business associates to rally around your direction to complete a project on schedule and at a competitive price. In addition, you showed us where the original design was inferior, dysfunctional and did not meet industry standards for quality. With minor alterations, the finished pool looks and functions as it should have been originally designed and constructed. Castlerock Pool’s attention to detail, excellent customer service, professionalism and integrity have created a sense of satisfaction and peace of mind that 3 weeks ago we never believed we would feel. Please accept our sincere thanks for a great job and for being such a pleasure to work with. You should take great pride in your ability and for the standard of conduct and integrity with which you approach business. Please feel free to use our name, as a reference should you need one in the future. Again Jim – Thank You!"
-Dave and Maureen Lake, Katy
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"Would we recommend Castlerock? – Yes. I’d recommend Castlerock. I’d caution people to carefully read and compare all bids. I think some of what Castlerock offers is clearly better (from the sales process to the Paramount equipment and construction details, more spa jets, PCC2000), but some companies will offer to put the yard fully back to pre-construction status and provide assistance comforting the neighbors concerns about potential damage to adjoining property. People should be sure they know exactly what they are getting and exactly what they are not getting. Unless they simply want the cheapest price, quality and value will win. You won’t win the pure price decision, but then you aren’t trying to win it either. Its just like the software business, you get what you pay for. My staff is priced significantly higher than some off-shore competition, but we have a much higher quality of person, more experience and a better final product."
-Mark Eastwood, Katy
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"When we moved to Houston, we knew that a pool was essential for making summer a time of joy and not dread. We talked to a lot of pool companies. They all focused on the appearance of the pool. You, on the other hand, spent the time to teach us about how pools work and what was makes a quality pool. With that knowledge, we quickly saw that the other companies had been trying to sell us pools with the looks of a Lexus and the mechanicals of Kia. With Castlerock, we could see that we were getting quality throughout. Thanks for the education! Having heard horror stories about pool companies, it was important to us to find a company that we could trust. We didn’t want a fly-by-night operation and we didn’t want an unresponsive mega-corporation. To paraphrase Goldilocks, Castlerock was just right. You were the only ones that mentioned your affiliation with the BBB and after checking with them I can see why! You kept us informed, you stuck to your schedule, and you were honest with us every step of the way. Thanks for living up to your word! While everyone loves our pool, they don’t realize how great it really is. When our neighbors rave about our pool, it’s the luscious waterfall and beautiful PebbleTec surface that excites, not the built-in cleaning that wakes up and cleans our pool every night. When our kids beg to stay in the pool a little longer, they’re thinking about how much fun it is to jump off the rocks and play in the cave, not how hassle free the ozone and chlorination systems are. When our friends relax with us in the spa, they aren’t thinking about how few pools allow you to run the water features and spa jets at the same time. While everyone enjoys our refreshingly cool pool even on the hottest days, they don’t know that you designed it to cool itself off every night. Thanks for creating a pool that is beautiful, hassle free, and lots of fun! Your depth of knowledge and your passion for excellence show in all aspects of your work. Because of you, we have the best looking pool in the neighborhood and the best working pool as well. You built the perfect pool for my family and we enjoy it every single day. Thanks for everything!"
-Mark and Kathy Barbieri, The Woodlands
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"CastleRock Pools is an honest and hardworking company. The quality of their work is impeccable."
-Daniel and Virginia Holden, Deer Park
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"The folks at CastleRock really know their stuff. When we finally decided to build a pool, we had no idea what all we were in for. Jim took the time to explain our options fully and recommended the PCC cleaning system and PebbleTec surface. We couldn't be happier with both. The cleaning system has made pool maintenance a non-issue, and the PebbleTec surface gives our pool a beautiful finish. We cannot recommend CastleRock highly enough!"
-Brian V., Katy
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"CastleRock Pools is undoubtedly one of Houston’s premier pool builders. They deal with some very demanding clientele (my wife and I included) that are interested in building a safe, low maintenance, high quality "dream pool".
We met extensively with several other pool builders and were not impressed by their high pressure sales tactics, boring "pre-canned" pool designs, shady quotations, and BBB history. We were about to pull the plug and delay our pool plans indefinitely until we discovered CastleRock. Jim Burkhart came out to our house and his presentation was thorough and impressive. He was the first pool designer we spoke with that actually listened, understood, and fully embraced the vision my wife and I had for building a pool in our back yard.
Building a pool is a serious construction project that will temporarily tear your yard to shreds! We should have taken Jim’s advice up front and put newspaper over the windows until the process was complete. However, with Castlerock there’s nothing to fear as Jim & James have the experience and know the pool business inside & out. The materials and pool equipment they use are high quality, technologically advanced and reliable. Their attention to detail and follow-ups on issues that may arise during and after construction are absolutely outstanding. CastleRock's work crews are extremely skilled craftsman and we actually consider the waterfall designer who worked on our pool to be a truly gifted natural artist.
The statement "you get what you pay for" definitely applies to pool building and CastleRock delivers a superior product and in doing so will transform your vision of a backyard dream pool into a reality that can be enjoyed by family and friends for many years."
-Stephen and Maria Gray, Pearland
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"CastleRock Pools was crucial in constructing a great pool for our home. We appreciate the great customer service, from the beginning of the entire process. The expert advice during the design phase assisted us, in planning many specific details, that we were previously unaware of. During the building process, the CastleRock Pools was willing to spend time at every step to explain all the aspects of the pool construction. After the pool was finished, CastleRock Pools went above and beyond the necessary steps to cleaning up our landscape. Finally, we have experienced first hand the quality of products used and excellent workmanship of the finishes. Thanks again CastleRock."
-Van Ly, Katy
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"We wanted a long pool because our daughter swims. Both of our children wanted a diving board,so we wanted a diving board that you would not actually see. We wanted a spa for the adults. Jim measured us for our shoulder height. (To customize spa seat depths). My biggest thing was the water feature. I wanted something beautiful when we looked out the window, so Jim designed a fountain. We ended up with a beautiful fountain and Jim suggested we add stacked flagstone to the front of it. We wanted a tanning ledge for our youngest son to play in. We wanted large steps for him too. It was a positive experience."
-Sally Douglas, Missouri City
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"Being an engineer I was really interested in how this pool was going to come together. So during the whole process, Jim told us what was going to go on and I ended up taking photos and watched just about every stage of construction. During that period of time I realized the contractors and all the folks that CastleRock had working on the pool really did a fine job. They kept the area reasonably clean and the workers were courteous and they seemed to know what they were doing the whole way. When it was not raining they were always out there working. Even in the rain many a time! It came together really well. I thought the people that were working on it really did a fine job. Jim, James and everybody whenever there was an issue that came up, they addressed it and worked it out in a timely manner. So the whole process was very pleasant and we really appreciated it."
-B. Douglas, Missouri City
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"August 25, 2008
To the CastleRock team,
I wanted to take the time to thank all of you for your help over the past couple of years.
We have been extremely pleased with our pool and the way everything turned out. More importantly though we have been very pleased with the ongoing service and warranty issues you have helped us with. Anyone can put in a pool but it is great to have an organization that stands behind their work. Please do not hesitate to use us as a reference when in our area.
Thank you again.
Rodney Kuntz
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-Rodney & Kate Kuntz, Cypress
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