Richard's Total Backyard Solutions

I called and spoke with Kristen Barrow and she was so very kind and understanding. She told me exactly what I needed to do to insure a successful solution to my Endleas Pool issue. When I didn’t know all the information, she had me take photos and then used the photos to help with the information she needed.

I am now a new customer for life! Thank you Kristen!

Had problems with freeze protection function of our PENTAIR system for our pool and hot tub. Called and spoke with Kristen Barrow about problems. She took detailed notes and combined them with photos and videos I had taken of system’s malfunction. She forwarded all of my information to one of Richard’s project mgrs.to set up an appointment that day for following week.

Everett walked me through the entire process of my hot tub start up. I am so grateful for his Five Star Service! Give that man a raise! Thank you Everett for a job well done!

Kristen Barrow and the delivery team, Drew and Nick, are all very nice, patient, professional and very helpful. Kristen has made sure I am informed of all the steps involved with my project, which incudes the pouring if the pad, tub delivery, and a pergola. Drew and Nick delivered my hot tub this morning and I could not have asked for a nicer team. They were very knowledgeable and took the time to explain all the steps involved in the care and maintenance of my hot tub. I want them all to know how much they are appreciated.

Jesse was very prompt and quickly analyzed the situation with our equipment and was able to make a repair. He also validated that the heater was working adequately with the change in temperature. Great service!

It's amazing when a company has people who really care about the product and the work they do. That key person for Richard's is Paula Nezat You are Wonder Woman. Thank you for taking care of all the things that making Richard's stand above the rest in customer service.

So far it's been a very good experience. Met with the whole team and the design process has been great. We are really excited about our pool. Kristi has been a really great designer. She's listens to all our crazy requests. Johnathan, the other designer helped out as well and was great. Even JR the owner personally sat in one of the design sessions which was nice. Will add pictures as the pool process begins and finishes. Jessie just service our pool and he was amazing.

Jessie arrived and got my heater up and running so now I can finally heat the pool and enjoy the hot tub!

Jessie came out and repaired the leaking equipment.he was pleasant and completed the job with a smile

Kristen Barrow was/is very helpful, listen with intent. Kristen understood my needs and she also posed the right questions of me. Looking forward to meeting in person, and having an onsite evaluation as to my existing pergola and dock repair or demo.

I recently had the pleasure of working with John A from Richard's Total Backyard Solutions for my pool design and estimate, and I couldn't be more impressed with his level of customer service and design expertise. John was very professional, knowledgeable, and open to go above and beyond to ensure we were satisfied with the evaluation process. Though we did not close the deal with Richard's, our experience with John A was amazing. I highly recommend John to anyone looking for a trustworthy and talented pool expert who truly cares about his customer.

Everett was 5-Star all the way! He was extremely knowledgeable of the hot tub and the operating system! He took my wife and I step by step through the maintenance and upkeep of the hot tub!

So far, Richard's total solutions has been top notch service with on time calls and full disclosure of how to proceed forward with the work. Chris Cantu came out during the Artic Blast today to do a pre job field visit. We were on the same page with how, where, and timing of project. So far so good. Thanks Chris!

I have been working with Johnathan Gill on our estimate and design. He has been extremely helpful and professional! He has gone above and beyond to help us design the back yard we always wanted! Can’t say enough great things about him and this company! Thanks again!

Pat came to our house today to address some issues with our pool. He was very knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. We appreciate him making it out to our home.

Had a new hot tub purchased and installed from Richard’s. We met with April at the store who guided us through the sales process all the way from our choice with features through the site visit and installation. Very professional and helpful through entire project. In addition, the installation team did an outstanding job. Denzel gave us a consultation on the day of which included a tutorial which I recorded on best practices regarding the hot tub. I’ve also been able to text Denzel in the days after installation for any questions we’ve had come up. Always a helpful prompt response. Great job start to finish.

Ms. Paula is absolutely the best! She is personable and kind! Jesse is a great tech as well! I would recommend them any day!

Great supporting service from Paula Nezat. She worked on my order diligently until my covers came and schedule my repairs right away. I am very impressed by her dedication to her job and keeping a client happy. Thank you!

April Johnson was so easy to work with and I’ve referred her to several family and friends, including 2 businesses. Very knowledgeable and easygoing. Can’t thank enough for saving us from the headaches we’ve dealt with in the past!

Jose at Richard’s came out to perform some warranty work on our hot tub. He gave my a 45 minute reminder he was enroute and swapped out the part in a timely manner. Now we are back in business for hot tub season. Thank you Jose!

I would like to acknowledge Innocent on excellent customer service, he is always on time for our valet service appointment for our hot tub. He does an excellent job. We look forward to his visits.
I would also like to acknowledge Kristen Barrow
for excellent customer service when ever we need anything she’s always eager to help.

Great company, love my endless pool and I just wanted to say thank you Kristen Barrow, for your great customer service, and responsive answers and call backs!

Excellent service from April helping us choose our spa from their wide selection, from Innocent who did a great job explaining how everything works and how to take care of our new spa, and from Jose Rivera taking care of a minor problem with one of the jets. Everyone was very professional throughout the whole process.

Paula and Jessie have been amazing. My heater wasn't working and Paula promptly notified me that we had a lifetime warranty on the heater and send Jessie out. Jessie showed up EARLY which was great and he was incredibly knowledgeable. He changed out a few parts and my heater was working like it was brand new 8 years ago. I could not be more happy with their professionalism, low cost, and timely repair. I would highly recommend them to everyone and anyone looking to build or repair any and all pool systems.

Paula the service manager got Jessie scheduled to come work on my pool equipment right away. Jessie quickly found the problem and was able to obtain the necessary parts to get my pool working in less than a day. Great job guys.thanks!

The service technicians of Richard's were incredible. Any questions my family and I had were promptly answered by Innocent and Ricardo, and they took great care in the installment of our tub and with the electrical work required to complete the project. Innocent gave us clear and thorough instructions on how to maintain and care for our tub, and by the mid-afternoon we were enjoying our new tub with friends. Richard's helped turn our back yard into an oasis that we can enjoy for years to come! Thank You!

Terrible company to do business with. Only eager and pushy when collecting money from you, but once everything is paid for you will then need to chase them relentlessly to get them to actually finish the job. Overpriced and amateurish designs, poor or no internal communication amongst their own company, and lack of quality controls (they are very quick to just blame their contractors). There is also no real way to escalate and resolve issues as no one seems to really care at this company, and trying to resolve issues is like talking into a dead phone or sending emails to an unmonitored email address. Even in-person conversations are a slog. There are a lot of pool companies in Houston and you should definitely pass on Richard's.

Jose Rivera was the technician that came to service my spa. He called saying he was 50 minutes away and 50 minutes later he arrived. Jose was professional, personable and knew exactly what was needed. This was the second time that Jose came to provide valet service to my spa and in short, he is remarkable. I feel fortunate to watch and interact with him. He is, without a doubt, an asset to Richard's Total Backyard Solutions.

I purchased one of their Hot Springs spas at the beginning of the year. Jenna was helpful when it came to picking out our tub. Answered all of our question and never seemed "pushy" when it came to the sell. I did have a couple small issues with the tub itself when it arrived. Christen was very helpful and quick at getting everything completely resolved for me. Very happy with our new tub!

Jose Rivera and Jesus Gonzalez replaced and installed new pool lights in my pool. They were courteous, on time and efficient with their work. Great work and good to have lights back on for night swimming!

Mr. Jesse Gonzalez came out to service our pool spa jets, he did a great job and was very professional and friendly, i would also like to thank Jose Zepeda for stopping by to check out the pool and setting up the service appointment.

An exemplary customer service!

A worned-out O-Ring almost ruined my daughter's birthday party. I could not find a replacement from Houston pool suppliers, including Richard's. But Sarah R's diligence set Richard's apart from other suppliers. She took her time to understand my problem, searched for an alternative, found a local supplier, and procured the O-Ring same day.
You just proved that quality of customer service does not depend on the size of the project.

I'm revising my review from 1 star to 5 because the owners, JR and Julie are fantastic people and my finished pool is lovely. Kim Swenson our designer was great. Pat is fantastic once the pool is finished and he promptly takes care of amy issues. I had a lot of issues during construction, a lot of headaches and frustration and a lack of attention or communication from our job super Bray, but instead of focusing on that, I’m focusing on the finished product which is beautiful!

Angel and Jose Rivera are very professional men. Their enthusiasm and their attitude excel. They diagnosed the problem with my spa and quickly did their repairs and left a very happy customer. They deserve a 6 star rating, but your rating is only for 5 stars. I would recommend them to anyone for a job well done. They are pros from start to finish.

These people saved my life! I was so over my home warranty company giving me the run around and sending inexperienced technicians to our home to leave us with no results. Paul a at Richards single-handidly restored my faith in humanity. She was amazing and got me back on the path to redemption. We now have our repairs paid for and scheduled so I can enjoy my hot tub this winter! You guys Rock! ️?

I had the pleasure to have Jose Rivera come and fix the heater for my Pool/Spa. Jose came on time, had all parts ready and fixed the problem quickly and professionally. 5 Stars all day.

Jose Rivera was on time and very knowledgeable. He completed the repairs in less than 10 min. He showed me exactly what repairs he completed. Best service ever for Richard's TBS.

Rating is for Angel the technician who provided service today to replace light bulb on EP e500 and even helped get our WiFi working so we could use Fit@home app - which required contacting EP tech support. He did everything right - on time, high quality, professional, completed the work in a timely and efficient mannet. Highly recommend Angel for your EP service needs.

Jose is always the most knowledgeable technician. Richards built our pool over 12 years ago and he always remembers every detail. He is truly a company champion and cares about their customers.

We were excited to sign a contract in August 2020 for a project that included a pool, pergola, outdoor kitchen and landscaping.

Unfortunately, our project is still not complete, pool has not been plastered, kitchen is not complete, drain pipes are still uncovered in the front and back yard and landscaping/lighting has not been started.

We would like to believe that RTBS will follow-through with their commitments, however now that we’re approaching fall again and with all of the other complaints that we’ve recently seen online, combined with the slow pace of our project, our initial excitement has quickly moved to disappointment and concern.

Hopefully RTBS’ Project Manager will ensure that the entire project is completed with a sense of urgency, integrity, quality and commitment to customer service that was initially advertised. If so, we’ll be happy to increase this rating.

Angel provided us with an amazing customer experience this afternoon! He was very attentive to our spa service needs and was extremely accommodating. Based on his level of engagement and enthusiasm, I could tell immediately that he gains pleasure in providing first-class customer service. I hope that he receives the credit he deserves and is recognized for his positive contributions to your organization!

Jose Rivera was knowledgeable, professional and solve my leak problem very quickly. He even solved an issue I was having with an old chlorinator that I didn't even notice.

This will be an in progress review of my backyard remodel. Will update when job is complete. I will say that thus far Richard’s has done an excellent job of making me feel like a valued customer.

Jose Rivera has been to my property a few times for pool maintenance. He is very knowledgeable and highly competent. Couldn't be more pleased with his work and professionalism

My wife and I bought the swim spa from Richard's total backyard solutions. Torah communicated with us very well throughout the entire process!

The delivery crew was awesome! Very friendly and very respectful and helpful! They got us set up in record time and we were swimming that afternoon!

Thank you Innocent Ochiobi, David Zelaya, Ricardo, and Bryan Mendez. You guys did an awesome job! Respected all my wishes in taking care of my property while bringing in my swim spa!

Richard's replaced our hot tub. They removed the old one and installed the new one. The crew (David, Innocent, Johnny, and Ricardo) were very professional and went above and beyond to get things just like we wanted. Awesome!

Richard built a brand new pool for me it barely 1 year old and it has a leak from the day it was built. They sent a leak repair company out 3 times. Each time they did same thing and found nothing no Richard representative was here at the time of the leak repair company being here. They are very unresponsive to phone calls and no customer service. Each time I call they have not return my calls.

Jose Rivera was awesome, polite, friendly, and knowledgeable! He did a wonderful job fixing my pool, and I really appreciate It.

***UPDATE***
Garrett and the Richard's team have completely turned our project around. Since the first review the team has completed the patio extension and we are now waiting for it to cure before the deck spray is applied. Expecting the landscaping cleanup to be completed soon also. Final step will be installation of the outdoor kitchen when all the pieces are in. We are well pleased with the amount and pace of progress. Communication with the team has also greatly improved.

*Original Review*
Terrible service, will take your money and do nothing with it. We are going on three month paid in full, on a simple 350 Sq ft.patio extension and have barely a hole in the ground and some rusty rebar to show for it. Our PM Garrett is impossible to get on the phone for updates. Finally came to the job site over a month and a half after contact was signed and paid. Simply blames the rain for delays. Idk how the rain delays dropping a gas line for the fire pit or running an extra electrical outlet. If the concrete guys get a break in the rain and want to pour they can't cause the gas line hasn't been ran! We planned on building a pool with them but since they can't be trusted to build a patio that'll never happen. Trust me, pick anyone else.

7/26/21
Tile and coping has been installed and looks very nice. The guys worked in extreme temperatures and worked late into the evening on day one. They finished up early afternoon on day two. Want to thank our Project Manager Rachel for making this happen. The plan for this week is to install drainage, pool decking and if things work out plaster may be installed late in the week.
Photos of tile and coping attached
8/2/2021
Well, unfortunately there was no progress on the pool last week despite the nice weather and being told drainage and pool deck at a minimum would be installed. Our gate and fence was reinstalled, however. At least now my backyard is secured. The orange construction netting I installed over the opening 18 weeks ago provided no security or privacy at all. At least that's back to normal. Not sure what their plan is to re-grade my yard now since they've blocked their equipment access. I'm sure they have a plan. I have not been provided any confirmation whether or not there will be any progress this week. I've been told they're trying to get someone scheduled to install the drainage but all of the plumbers are busy and they are trying to find an available crew. I'm sure this company continues to take on new projects despite the shortage or availability of subcontractors they hire to perform the work. New projects mean scheduling electricians, excavators, gunite crew and of course PLUMBERS. Seems to me you would only take on more projects as you finish projects. Maybe this company does operate that way
I'm not sure. All I can say is what I've said already "Most pool builders claim a pool can be completed start to finish in 8-12 weeks". My project has been on going for 18 weeks now. If all pool builders are taking advantage of the "Pool Rush" and they all use subcontractors to perform all of the work then delays will be inevitable. I'm just so ready for my pool to be complete. Hopefully our PM can find a crew this week for the drainage. Fingers crossed there is crew available to install decking shortly afterward

8/10/2021
Well, I'm having to delete previous updates as this review board apparently has character limits. When my pool is 100% complete I will provide a final review and my personal experience with this company from day of contract signing to day of completion. I will provide a rating in several categories that I think are important when hiring a pool contractor.
The drainage was complete on Saturday 8/7. The city inspector showed up early Monday am and approved it. The drainage contractor showed up this evening to backfill the trench they had dug. Looks like we're nearing the end of this pool build. Decking and plaster remain. A final cleanup and regrading my yard with bank sand should wrap things up. I'm responsible for laying new sod if I choose, I was told this in the beginning. There are 15 working days left in the month of August, I would be ecstatic if the pool could be completed by then. Next update in 6 days.

8/18/2021
SMH - Dropping to 3-stars. Another result of lack of progress.
Electrical repair scheduled for 8/9- No Show to this date
Cleanup Up crew scheduled for 8/10 - No Show to this date
Decking Crew scheduled for 8/16 - No Show
Decking Crew scheduled for 8/17 - No Show
Decking Crew scheduled for 8/18 -?

Jose Rivera was a big help with getting the Harper family up to speed. He was very personable, professional and shared a lot with me about maintaining our new pool. I definitely would recommend “Richards The Backyard Solutions” as a company, in specific Jose was a pleasure to work with!

Jose Rivera did an excellent job on our cleaning and maintenance service. Our spa looks great. Friendly and professional service.

After 11 months and 93,000 after my swimming pool has not been completed from the beginning it was a head ache we signed the contract in june 2020 and up to now there is some issues that have not been completed this company dont send nobody to check the subcontractos this are the issues that i had during the process
1. The dig, they took forever to gunite that hole caved in
2 the gunite. They forgot to place the lights sleeve, didn’t read the blue prints
3. The plumbers they installed the pump piping wrong and also they left the work incomplete and left, i had to be making phone calls so they can cone back
4 the plumbers didn’t install the slide piping correct
5. Rebar company didn’t read the blue print and did a seating area where the step were supposed to be
7. Tile company installed damage tile in the pool and when you tell them to replace it the come out with excuses not to take it off
8. Concrete decking leaves uneven surfaces
9. The plaster company plastered and covered one of the spa lights and leave the plaster with white spots
10. The electrician left the light niche in the spa uneven and it has a big bump in the light
11. After you pay the whole amount of the pull they still left stuff uninstall as automation and slide not connected
12. Swimming pool was paid two months ago and still job not completed
13 spa jet not working
14 company never send someone to clean the site at the end
15. Not training on how to use equipment
17. Construction manager not visit the site only once at the end because all my complains
18. Project manager wasn’t present when they plastered, or gunited, decking etc.
19. They filled out the pool but they don’t tell you what to do or nothing no training
20. You have to pay in advance for the project and when they get the money they forget about you
21. Bad customer service the construction manager is always on mettings
22. When they finish my spa water was draining to the pool leaving the spa with no water
23. No training to use the swimming pool pump i had to check you tube videos

After almost a year this has been the worst experience that i ever had i spent my life savings for something that is not finished yet and i have headaches just to have it done, for everything that i put i have pictures and documents this project has been paid and not completed and they dont give you dead lines, i will never recommend this company with nobody
I just called today to see if they can comeback and finish my slide and they are in a meeting

Update

Two weeks has passes and we still have the same issues no solutions swimming pool has been paid in full two months ago

Jose was on time with the right tools and the correct repair parts. This coupled with his knowledge lead to a very efficient repair. Will definitely use them, and ask for him by name, next time I need service.

As usual, every time we are in need for help and support Jose Rivera comes by and fix it, always very friendly, no matter what weather conditions are, Jose will always have a smile in his face and do the job in a professional manner.
Once again, Thanks Jose!

Angel was very knowledgeable and friendly. Fixed our spa and helped get our chemicals corrected. Deserves 5 star rating. Thank you Angel

Jose is very knowledgeable, personable, explains problems and solutions well. I request him for my repairs. You should too.

Paula Nezat, Tina and Tora have been so helpful in working with Mary and I. Paula has been especially helpful in responding to scheduling service and support. Definitely a Five Star team! We love our Vanguard Spa!

Terrible communication. I am glad that we didn't sign up. Kristi patterson was assigned to design our backyard but from the start it was evident that she has no interest. Will not recommend!