The latest episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, was recorded live at the San Antonio Home and Garden Show and released September 14, 2026. Titled San Antonio Homeowners Are Choosing Fiberglass, Here's Why, the episode features Jeff and Kelley Turner, owners of Staycation Fiberglass Pools, in the second installment of the show's San Antonio Home and Garden Series.
Watch the full episode on YouTube
A wave of concrete pools built during the COVID-era construction boom are now failing. Repair bills are landing in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the Turners spend a good chunk of the episode explaining why.
Jeff and Kelley walk McKenzie through the questions every homeowner should ask before signing a pool contract:
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The rise of ASR - “concrete cancer” - in pools built during and after COVID
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Why Texas requires no certification to build a pool, and what PHTA (Pool and Hot Tub Association) certification actually covers
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The true cost of a low bid, and what a genuine turnkey fiberglass price should include
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Why manufacturer warranties from builders like San Juan and Aqua Technics matter
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Renovation options, including EcoFinish flame-applied polymer resurfacing
Jeff doesn't soften the point about who's regulating this industry:
“In Texas, you need more certifications to do hair than you do to build a pool. It's wild. And you need to be a chemist to be a hairdresser, and you don't need to be a chemist to build a pool.”
He described fielding calls from homeowners whose concrete shells are disintegrating - forcing $200,000 to $400,000 tear-outs that most builders carry no insurance to cover. Kelley has her own way of framing the manufacturer relationship:
“You're dating us as a builder...”
She finishes the thought in the episode - it's one of the more useful ways we've heard a builder explain what a warranty is actually worth.
The Turners also break down a hybrid negative-edge rebuild they recently completed in Dripping Springs - a rescue job for a client whose original fiberglass installer left them with a one-year-old pool that looked thirty. The full build sequence, from shell to a 30-foot infinity edge over the Hill Country, is in the video.
See how they rebuilt it - watch on YouTube
They credit training from Jason Hughes and River Pools, out of Virginia and Illinois, for shaping how they educate clients before they ever sign a contract. San Juan (more than 70 years in the business) and Australia-based Aqua Technics are the two manufacturers they point to as warranty benchmarks - and bonding, pump sizing, and deck scope are where they say cut-rate contracts quietly fail.
Homeowners can see the Turners' completed projects at staycationfiberglasspools.com.
FAQ: Concrete vs. Fiberglass Pools in Texas
Why are so many Texas concrete pools failing right now?
Many were built during the COVID-era construction rush, when demand outpaced skilled labor and oversight. The Turners say a large share of those pools are now showing ASR, or “concrete cancer,” and repairs can run $200,000 to $400,000.
Does Texas require a license to build a pool?
No. Texas has no state certification requirement for pool builders. PHTA certification exists, but it's voluntary - homeowners have to ask for it. Jeff explains exactly what that gap means for a homeowner signing a contract in the full episode.
What separates a real turnkey fiberglass quote from a low bid?
Engineering plans, proper bonding, correctly sized pump equipment, and full deck scope - the Turners walk through where cut-rate contracts quietly cut corners, and what to ask a builder before you sign.
Watch More From The Building Texas Show
This episode is part of an ongoing series profiling the builders, tradespeople, and entrepreneurs shaping the Texas economy - recorded live at events like the San Antonio Home and Garden Show. New episodes post 2-3 times a week.
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About The Building Texas Show
The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, profiles the entrepreneurs, tradespeople, and innovators shaping the Texas economy. Through on-location conversations at events like the San Antonio Home and Garden Show, the podcast delivers practical, consumer-facing insight from the operators actually doing the work. This episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard.
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Justin McKenzie
