Lido Pools & Aquatic Services

11 years ago I moved to a house with a pool that needed major updating, After I consulting with several local pool companies, I decided on Lido Pools to do my renovation. We did new stairs, lights & liner and a 1200 sq. ft concrete deck. 11 years later the deck is still in great shape. This past year was time to re-do the liner. After contacting several local companies again, it turned out the coping fascia that was installed had become discontinued and not one of those companies could come up with a reasonable solution, one company actually suggested that I remove the entire concrete deck despite the fact that it was in great shape. Needless to say I was somewhat disenchanted with having to redo a 1200 sq. ft. deck at a cost beyond $10,000. I again contacted Josh, I knew that Lido Pools are primarily builders, but I was desperate and he had done such a fantastic job on my renovation, I knew he would do his best to help me out. . His solution was to neatly trim the concrete at the edge of the pool, install a new aluminum coping track and a stone coping on top. It was far more cost efficient and looks great. The new liner in grey marble gives the water a beautiful azure blue colour and matches our steps much better. Overall we are very happy with the conclusion & would for the second time refer them to anyone especially if they are in a predicament as they are very resourceful. The foreman on site, Jaime was at all times clean, courteous and the workmanship is top notch.

We have been enjoying our "Lido Pool & Spa" for seven years now & there hasn't been one issue with the job. Personally I find it difficult to believe that anyone could have an issue with Josh as he was at all times very accommodating. Having read a negative response makes me wonder what could have gone on because we have 2 set of friends that also used Lido & the common theme is pretty consistent, quality! The one thing that we had learned while shopping the different builders was that they are often very different in approach. Lido really focuses on the individuality of the yard & what you want to achieve with it. Our pool design is a truly unique, one off design that we still get compliments on years later, it's timeless in design. I know that they focus on custom work and not really looking for quantity. That really worked for us, so I guess it depends on what you are looking for & what matters to you. We'd use Lido again if we moved & whole heartedly refer at every opportunity. Lido, loved your approach & wouldn't change a thing!

Allan & Carol
Sharon, Ont.

Putting in a pool was kind of a big thing for me & looking for a good contractor can be a daunting task. It takes some homework to muddle through the info each one presents. In the end, I think that it all comes down to who you feel comfortable with & who you feel you can trust. A few companies were referred to me by friends including Lido. In total I met with 5 contractors and ended up deciding on Lido because Josh had a very knowledgeable, sincere & creative approach. He stressed saving the existing mature landscape and skillfully snugged this pool into the perfect spot without any trauma to the surroundings. Price was a little above average, but I feel worth the investment. Josh was always very approachable, jobsite was neat & workers were mature & courteous. The pool is now seven years old & not one crack in the deck. The pool & equipment works great & without a hitch. I still get compliments when entertaining & have referred Lido to others. All in all the pool & landscaping looks amazing and has aged very well. I couldn’t ask for more.

Say it ain't so that Josh and/or Lido pools is still installing pools.
He has gone bankrupt before. He did my pool and I have been hiring people to fix most of the problems. Some will be problems forever. Just dished out $2200 this summer and $2100 2 summers ago.

Here is a follow up.
I have not spoken to Josh in years. I posted my review Approx 4:00pm on Fri.

By 5:20pm Josh cantacted me on my cell phone and accused me of being Malicious.

I turned on my cell phone on Sat. There were 16 text messages from Josh.
He again accused me of being melicious. I find it interesting that he knew right away who had written the review but has no recolection of any problems.

In reading Josh's responses to other bad reviews, he accused each of us us of being malicious and/or slanderous.

Here's the reason I only wrote this review after a few years.
First of all I thought Josh/Lido was out of business. Each Spring I'm reminded of Lido/Josh as I deal with or incur additional charges to fix problems that have existed from the beginning due to design/ shoddy work.

Here are some of the issues.

The spill over spa lifted twice when rain water got under the spa. This would never have happened if the spa was ankored or put on a cement pad.

The back fill was not done properly. This causes the interlock to fall next to the pool. The solution would be to lift the interlock, dig up the area around the pool have it properly back filled or pour concrete.

After installing the liner it was discovered that chips of cement were left under the liner. Rather than empty the pool and lift the liner, Josh had his employee move the rocks with a screw driver. The liner was punctured in a number of spots and the liner leaked. Josh refused to replace the damaged brand new liner instead Josh instructed his employee to put silicone to plug up the holes. The holes are in the shallow end by the steps.
Silicone does not last without people walking on it.

Lido did not install the backwash pipe which was in the contract. Josh was quite angry that I insisted it be installed. The backwash pipe was not buried properly. It sticks out in a number of places on my lawn.

Lido did the cement pad for the cabana housing my pool equipment.
They did not put the heater on blocks. They positioned the pipes for the pool right in front of the heater so they blocked the heater access panel. The heating elements must be cleaned as preventative maintenance. Service men refused to work on my heater. The heater died after only 6yrs.

The filter is installed sideways so it's difficult to access the drain plug which is needed for pool closings.

The pool cleaner did not work. Josh did replaced the first one. However, the new one still didn't work (It wouldn't clean the shallow end). Josh said I needed to experiment with it to get it to clean my shallow end cleaned. I discovered the angle from my deep end to my shallow end is too drastic for most cleaners.

Some of the equipment installed was not the brand listed in the contract.

If Josh would like to rectify the problems. He can re-emburse me out of pocket expenses to fix the problems. Pay to fix problems still not rectified.

I wish someone had told me this when I was purchasing my pool.

The contract:

The pool company will ask for up to a 30% deposit when signing the contract. Give no more than 10%.

They will ask for as much as 20% when they dig the pool. Then up to 30% when they drop your equipment.
The hole will be dug in the 1st week. The equipment will be dropped off by the 2nd week. They have 80% of your money for only 20% of the job. It looks like you're well on schedule.

That's when it becomes hard to get in touch with your contactor and the job will linger. They know you can't go anywhere else because you've paid for 80% of the job with only 20% complete.

If the pool company is legitimate, they will accept a snall deposit with the balance upon completion. Hold back at least 20% upon completion. Remember if it's not in the contract they will not do it once they have your money.

Last response:
1) There are 18 reviews here 3 are negative 17% of people
responding have been unhappy with Lido. 100% of the
negative responses have been accused of malicious slander.
2) all my dealings were with Josh. He supervised all of the
construction and employees.
3) spring 2001 is 8yrs.
4) $7,400 was after reciving threats from Josh. We held back 10%
$3,500. Not enough.
5) The spa has always been winterized correctly with water left
in the spa.
FYI The cement pad has corrected the problem.
6) Josh was not pleased nor did he suggest his employee should use
a screw driver to move the stones under the liner. However, he
he did not want to empty the pool to do the job properly. He
also would not replace the liner after his employee put holes
in the brand new liner. He was satisfied with the silicone
solution.
7) There was no cabana when Josh built the pool. It was built after
the pool. The hoses and the heater were installed by Lido.
Very clearly the hoses obstructed the heater door.
8) Robot pool cleaners work well and can handle any bad slopes.
I paid $1,000.
9) Back fill is what is used to seal in your pool. It has nothing
to do with the interlock. However if it is done incorectly,
the back fill will sink and damage the interlock. I have this
problem only around the pool. The rest of the interlock is good.
10)Many phone calls were placed to Josh. His final response to me
was a threat of legal action to collect the final 10%.
11)I'm sure Josh has done some good pools.
Clearly he has also done some poor quality work. My
advice is to get as many recomendations as you can before
hiring a pool contractor. Ask the pool supply
stores, neighbors or even people who you spot have a pool. The
pool stores know all the contractors. The pool
contractors who reset the hot tub, made a cement pad and
installed the new heater were recomended from a pool store.
Very satisfied!

We always wanted a pool and did extensive research before deciding to proceed with Lido Pools. We are very happy we chose them because our backyard was an odd shape...long and narrow...and we wanted to incorporate a spa in our backyard as well. No one had anything that we liked or that would give us enough space around the pool for lounging. And then...we found Josh at Lido Pools who had many suggestions and pictures for us to choose from. We decided on a custom ROMAN SHAPED POOL with a spill over spa...which is perfect! We absolutely LOVE how it looks! The service we received was exceptional and the price was very reasonable. Lido Pools offer the complete package. If you need landscapers, carpenters etc...they have it all. We highly recommend Lido Pools for their extensive knowledge, great ideas and fabulous customer service.

Lido Pools originally installed our pool 20 years ago and the quality of workmanship has stood up extremely well. Finally this summer we decided to replace the pool liner and called Josh for a quote. Not only did he provide the most competitive quote, he also was able to do the job in the shortest amount of time.

John installed the new liner in no time at all and the pool looks like new. After 20 years we continue to be impressed by the quality and service provided by Josh Katz and his crew.

I have provided a number of recommendations for Lido Pools over the years and am happy to say that given the recent work, would be pleased to continue to do so for years to come.

Neil

Lido Pools designed and built a spectacular pool with lazy river in our backyard. This project included a spa, and 2 revolution water slide on an island with a stone bridge connecting the patio to the island. The river gently pushes you down the river into the pool and the current takes you back to the river! The actual stone coping around the pool is magnificent and so are the 4 waterfalls and small pond. The wood deck and cabana and interlocking and firepit were all supervised by Lido and their great team of employees. This was a very complicated project that all other pool companies we approached couldn't do because we wanted a vinyl pool and no one had the expertise to design it. Josh did an incredible job designing and John followed through with amazing workmanship. The landscaping was done by Lisa of Rococo and Russel & Ron did all the carpentry and everyone worked together to bring this project together.

We have just finished having our pool built by Lido Pools. Josh and his crew were exceptional. They were professional and courteous. The end result is brilliant. We live in a neighborhood where we are surrounded by other pools, but ours stands out for several reasons. The design is unique, no other pool in the area has our exact shape. It has a beautiful waterfall that was recommended by Josh, (it surpassed our expectaions). The waterfall is gorgeous and the great thing is , is that there are jumping rocks around it that the kids have tons of fun jumping off. The coping around the pool was done very skillfully by Josh's crew. Each piece of flagstone was individually cut and placed. The crew took the time to make sure that it was done just right. The deck and stairs were just as exceptional. We are thrilled to have a finished product that is the envy of the neighborhood. We highly recommend this company.

Lido installed my pool in 2001. Straight and simple fact is that it ran problem free since then. You realize how lucky you are when all my neighbours seem to have constatnt problems with their pools. Water leaks, constant draing, repairing and refilling of their pools. 8 years later, my pool heater packed it in. I decided on replacing it as it showed signs of corrosion and the new ones are more efficient. I called several companies on a Saturday and only Lido called me back within an hour. 2 days later, I had a new heater at my door. I would recommend LIDO to anyone. My cousin also had a pool installed by LIDO and it too has run trouble free since 2001. Josh also recommended a carpenter by the name of Russell. He did an amazing job on my cabana and elevated deck.

Last Spring, my husband and I decided to go with Lido because of the HomeStars reviews as well as a good initial meeting with John, who responded to calls, came on time and seems knowledgeable. We have an old custom inground pool which is in need of renovations, including replacing the pump and heater, re-painting as well as tile and coping work. In addition, we were also looking for a better company for service. Fortunately, we decided to start out small with just the weekly service and replacing the pump. Things went well during the pump installation. However after a few weeks, algae started to appear (for the first time in our 10 years plus with the pool!). Lido did try to fix the problem but it was never resolved. Then things got worst for the next couple months. We noticed that the service was unreliable and we hadn’t received any invoice after the first one. By then, we had been trying to contact John for weeks but hadn’t heard back from anyone. When finally reached someone at the office, he was not only unhelpful, but rude and condescending. When the invoice finally arrived, Lido double charged us for our weekly service – calming that they serviced twice a week instead of once. After our pool was closed with unresolved issues, Josh showed up (we never heard back from John again) with promise to fix things this season. Of course, they never follow up with us this year. Overall, the entire experience was frustrating and extremely disappointing. We will never use them again not even to do regular pool maintenance.