As Texas homeowners grapple with a wave of failing concrete pools built during the COVID-19 construction boom, fiberglass is emerging as a preferred alternative, according to a recent episode of The Building Texas Show. Recorded live at the San Antonio Home and Garden Show and released on September 14, 2026, the episode titled “San Antonio Homeowners Are Choosing Fiberglass, Here’s Why” features Jeff and Kelley Turner, owners of Staycation Fiberglass Pools. The Turners explain that many concrete pools from the pandemic era are now deteriorating due to alkali-silica reaction (ASR), often called “concrete cancer,” leading to repair bills that can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The implications for homeowners are severe. Jeff Turner notes that tear-outs of failing concrete shells can cost between $200,000 and $400,000, and most builders carry no insurance to cover such damage. This financial burden is compounded by Texas’s lack of licensing requirements for pool builders. “In Texas, you need more certifications to do hair than you do to build a pool,” Turner says. “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.” While PHTA certification exists, it remains voluntary, leaving homeowners to verify a builder’s qualifications on their own.
The Turners stress that fiberglass pools, when properly installed, offer greater durability and lower long-term costs. They point to manufacturer warranties from companies like San Juan, with over 70 years in business, and Australia-based Aqua Technics as benchmarks for quality. However, they caution that low bids often hide critical omissions such as engineering plans, proper bonding, correctly sized pump equipment, and full deck scope. “You’re dating us as a builder...” Kelley Turner says, explaining that a warranty is only as good as the builder behind it. For those considering renovation, the episode also covers EcoFinish flame-applied polymer resurfacing as an option.
The Turners’ expertise is backed by training from Jason Hughes and River Pools, and they recently completed a hybrid negative-edge rebuild in Dripping Springs. That project rescued a one-year-old fiberglass pool that looked thirty years old, transforming it into a 30-foot infinity edge over the Hill Country. The full build sequence is available in the video, which can be watched on YouTube.
This episode is part of The Building Texas Show’s ongoing series profiling the builders, tradespeople, and entrepreneurs shaping the Texas economy. Hosted by Justin McKenzie, the show records on location at events like the San Antonio Home and Garden Show and posts new episodes two to three times a week. For homeowners, the key takeaway is clear: fiberglass pools, when sourced from reputable manufacturers and installed by certified professionals, can avoid the pitfalls of concrete failures. To see the Turners’ completed projects, visit staycationfiberglasspools.com.
