Trusted Pool & Spa: How a Family-Owned Southwest Florida Pool Builder Is Building a Business Around Customer Trust

In Southwest Florida, swimming pools are more than backyard amenities. They are gathering places, extensions of the home and, for many families, one of the larger investments they will make in their property. For Trusted Pool & Spa, a family-owned pool company in Palmetto, that makes building a pool about much more than construction. Founded in 2010, the company has built its business around a straightforward philosophy: build it right, then stand behind it.

Looking Beyond the Finished Pool

Trusted Pool & Spa has grown into a full-service pool design, construction, remodeling, service and repair company serving homeowners across Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Its work includes custom pool and spa construction, resurfacing, equipment repair, leak detection, screen enclosures, outdoor living features and weekly maintenance, and it is an authorized Hayward warranty service provider.

Southwest Florida homeowners have no shortage of pool builders to choose from. Bill Gary, President of Trusted Pool & Spa, believes they should weigh one more question: what happens after the pool is built?

"A lot of companies can build you a swimming pool. But you're not just choosing who builds your pool. You're choosing who stands behind it."

— Bill Gary, President, Trusted Pool & Spa

That thinking shapes the company's "Pool Partner for Life" philosophy: the idea that finishing construction should not mean ending the relationship. Trusted expanded beyond new construction so it could stay involved throughout the life of a pool. "We want to build your pool today, take care of it tomorrow, and still be the company you call years from now," Bill said.

Custom Design Without a Cookie-Cutter Approach

Trusted says it designs each project around the homeowner's property, lifestyle, priorities and budget rather than a limited menu of predetermined packages. Customers can visit the company's design center to choose tile, coping, decking, interior finishes and other materials.

Bill says custom should not automatically be read as bigger or more expensive. "Some of the most impactful pools we build are relatively simple designs that just fit the home and the family perfectly," he said. "It's not about building the biggest pool. It's about building the right pool for you." The same thinking applies to budgets: rather than encouraging homeowners to add more features, the company aims to help them put their investment toward the elements that matter most to them.

Accountability During Construction

Turning a design into a finished backyard means coordinating multiple trades, inspections, permitting requirements and construction phases. Trusted assigns a dedicated construction supervisor to every project, giving homeowners a consistent point of contact from excavation through completion. The supervisors coordinate construction activity and provide project updates. The company says it manages residential and commercial permitting, is fully licensed and insured, and is a member of the Florida Swimming Pool Association.

"We don't claim to be perfect," Bill said. "But we absolutely believe in accountability and transparency." The company treats its salespeople, designers, construction supervisors, service technicians and office staff as parts of one customer relationship rather than separate departments completing individual transactions.

Building Around the Entire Pool Ownership Experience

New-pool customers receive instruction on their pool and equipment so they are comfortable operating their new backyard. Years later, the same customers can return to Trusted for renovations ranging from new interior finishes and equipment upgrades to more extensive transformations, along with weekly maintenance, repair and warranty support.

The strategy builds the business around the full lifecycle of pool ownership rather than a single construction transaction, and for homeowners it means fewer relationships to manage. "We want to be the last pool company you'll ever need," Bill said.

Recognition From the Communities It Serves

That customer-first approach has been matched by outside recognition. Trusted has received Best of Florida recognition for three consecutive years, and in September 2026 it was named Pool Builder of the Year for Lakewood Ranch by the Consumer Ratings Institute. The company has also earned hundreds of positive homeowner reviews. The Consumer Ratings Institute is described in the announcement as an independent U.S. organization that recognizes business excellence based on verified consumer ratings.

Bill says the awards matter because they reflect something the company values more: customer confidence. "You don't have to take our word for it," he said. "At the end of the day, what our customers say about their experience carries a lot more weight than anything we can say about ourselves." In communities such as Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Parrish and Sarasota, the company says neighborhood recommendations, online reviews and referrals strongly influence which contractor homeowners choose.

Family-Owned and Built for the Future

As consolidation continues across many home-service industries, Trusted remains independently family-owned. It is led by founder and CEO Chris Hegedus, President Bill Gary and Vice President Austin Hegedus, with the next generation already involved in leadership. The company says it is investing in construction systems, customer communication, service capabilities, employee development and marketing as it grows.

For a business asking customers to think beyond the construction phase, longevity matters. "We live here. We work here. We raise our families here," Bill said. "Our reputation matters because this is home." The goal, he says, is not to build every pool in Southwest Florida but to earn the opportunity to be considered. "When someone trusts us with their home and their family's investment, that's a responsibility we don't take lightly," he said. "Our commitment is pretty simple: build it right, stand behind it and be there when they need us." More information is available at trustedpool.com.