As homeowners across Texas grapple with the fallout from a pandemic-era construction boom, a growing number are turning to fiberglass pools as a more durable and reliable alternative. In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, recorded live at the San Antonio Home and Garden Show and released on September 14, 2026, host Justin McKenzie sits down with Jeff and Kelley Turner, owners of Staycation Fiberglass Pools, to discuss the surge in fiberglass pool demand and the pitfalls of concrete pools built during the COVID-19 rush. The episode, titled San Antonio Homeowners Are Choosing Fiberglass, Here's Why, is the second installment of the show's San Antonio Home and Garden Series and is available to watch on YouTube.
The Turners explain that many concrete pools constructed during the pandemic are now deteriorating due to alkali-silica reaction (ASR), commonly known as "concrete cancer." This condition causes the concrete to crack and disintegrate, often resulting in repair bills ranging from $200,000 to $400,000. Most builders, they note, carry no insurance to cover such failures, leaving homeowners financially devastated. Jeff Turner doesn't mince words about the regulatory environment: "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." The lack of state certification for pool builders means that homeowners must proactively ask about credentials like PHTA (Pool and Hot Tub Association) certification, which is voluntary.
The episode also delves into the importance of choosing a reputable builder and understanding what a turnkey fiberglass pool price should include. The Turners emphasize that low bids often cut corners on engineering plans, proper bonding, pump sizing, and deck scope—areas where cut-rate contracts quietly fail. They point to manufacturer warranties from companies like San Juan and Aqua Technics as benchmarks for quality and consumer protection. Kelley Turner offers a memorable analogy for the builder-client relationship: "You're dating us as a builder..." she says, before explaining in the episode why a warranty is only as good as the manufacturer behind it.
To illustrate the potential of fiberglass pools, the Turners discuss a recent hybrid negative-edge rebuild in Dripping Springs. The project rescued a client whose one-year-old pool looked thirty years old due to a poor installation. The full build sequence, from shell to a 30-foot infinity edge over the Hill Country, is showcased in the video, which you can watch on YouTube.
The Turners credit training from Jason Hughes and River Pools for shaping their client-education approach. They also highlight San Juan, with over 70 years in business, and Australia-based Aqua Technics as warranty leaders. For homeowners considering a fiberglass pool, the Turners recommend visiting staycationfiberglasspools.com to see completed projects.
This episode is part of an ongoing series profiling the builders, tradespeople, and entrepreneurs shaping the Texas economy. New episodes post two to three times a week. Subscribe to The Building Texas Show on YouTube to stay informed.
