CMC Backyards vs other pool companies at a glance
| Many pool companies | CMC Backyards | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you deal with | The pool company for the pool, then subcontractors for the rest | One point of contact from design to final walkthrough. We don't hand you off to subcontractors. |
| Excavation | Often subcontracted | Our own excavation equipment: digging, grading, backfill and hauling in the same job |
| Masonry and patios | Often subcontracted | Built by our own team, the same team as the pool |
| Retaining walls | Often subcontracted | Built by our own team |
| Outdoor kitchens and pavilions | Often subcontracted | Built by our own team |
| Lighting | Often subcontracted or added later | Planned and built in by our own team during the build |
| Pools | Varies by company | Above-ground, inground vinyl and gunite, and semi-inground with stone veneer walls |
| Design | Varies by company | Free in-home quote with a 3D design of the whole yard |
Why homeowners choose CMC Backyards
- One point of contact. You deal with CMC from the first visit to the final walkthrough. We don't hand you off to subcontractors.
- One team for the whole backyard. The same team builds the pool, patio, walls, outdoor kitchen, lighting and landscaping, so everything is planned and built to fit together.
- Our own excavation equipment. Digging, grading, backfill and hauling happen on our schedule, not a subcontractor's.
- Every kind of pool. Above-ground, vinyl and gunite inground, and semi-inground pools wrapped in stone veneer.
- Fast vinyl builds. Our vinyl pools usually go from dig to water in about 2–4 weeks, weather permitting.
- See it first. Every free quote comes with a 3D design of the pool and the yard around it.
What happens when a pool company uses subcontractors
A pool project touches excavation, the pool itself, electrical, the patio, walls, the fence, lighting and the landscaping. When the pool company hands parts of that to subcontractors, one backyard can mean several companies, each with its own schedule.
- Waiting between trades. The pool is done, but the patio crew can't start for weeks.
- Things that don't line up. Grades, drains, coping and the patio are built by different people working from different plans.
- More than one contract and phone number. You become the project manager.
- No clear owner when something's wrong. If the patio settles against the coping, who fixes it: the pool company or the mason?
At CMC that's simple: you call us. The same company plans it, builds it and stands behind it.
Questions to ask any pool company
- Who is my point of contact from design to the final walkthrough?
- Who will be on site each day, and are they your employees?
- Who does the excavation, the pool, the patio, the walls and the lighting?
- If something goes wrong where the pool meets the patio, who fixes it?
- How long from the first day of digging to swimming?
- What exactly is included: fence, alarm, electrical, permits, restoring the lawn?
Compare the answers, and the quotes, line by line. At CMC the answer to the first four is the same: us. Our guide to choosing a pool builder has more questions and red flags.
Get a CMC quote to compare
We come to you, measure, and send a written quote with a 3D design of your pool and backyard, free and with no pressure. Put it side by side with any other pool company's quote and see the difference.
Updated November 2026.
