Reviews
What customers say — Google is the largest, most representative sample.
Source: Google / SERP · Jul 2026.
How They Compare
Against typical Florida pool builders.
Reviews Worth Reading
Real quotes from public Google reviews — the praise and the critical, as posted.
Hive Outdoor Living saved us. Our gratitude towards this company is hard to put into words but we feel obligated to share our story. We were victims of a pool contractor who was paid 70% of the contract however abandoned our project after only completing 30% of it. I’ll spare the details but he left us in a horrifying financial position. We then vetted out several contractors to assess the state that our pool was left in. Ben Kelver (from Hive Outdoor Living) personally came to our home, sat at our dinner table and reviewed all the details with us. We held off our decision for several more months in hopes that our original contractor would finish job and complete his obligations. After 2 court hearings and countless broken commitments, we decided to move on from our original contractor. I then called Ben and he was very empathetic and understood our position as he never gave up on the opportunity to help us. We felt comfortable with Ben since the beginning, however trusting any contractor after our horrifying experience was a difficult decision and Ben did not let us down. He promised to have our pool 100% complete within 60 days and he beat that deadline. Ben went over and beyond to minimize our costs to finish the project. He passed much of his manufactured cost savings onto us when he easily could’ve capitalized on the profit opportunity. For example, he charged us wholesale pricing for the screen enclosure, pool heater, pump and automation system. Ben was and still promptly answers any and all questions we had and to continue to have as this is our first experience as pool owners. Our pool is amazing. Hive did a fantastic job at every aspect. We recommend Hive Outdoor Living to anyone and will continue to tell our friends and co-workers about our incredible experience if they should ever want a pool built. Thank you Hive. Thank you for your integrity. Thank for saving us. Barton & Zuleika Campbell
Super professional, Super friendly, Constant Communication. Project was done on time, on budget, and the pool is gorgeous! Steve and Teddy went Above and Beyond!!! My wife and I started the process of putting in a pool earlier this year. We interviewed multiple pool contractors and ultimately chose Hive. Our first interaction was with Ben. He handled the negotiations with the utmost professionalism and made himself available to us whenever we had questions or wanted to rework the design. Ben was amazing.. He is ultimately the reason we chose Hive. After selecting Hive to build our pool, we couldn’t have been happier with the entire process. Ted and Steve were our contacts throughout, they always answered our phone calls and answered our questions. We also heard from them constantly about status updates of workers or sub contractors. As is expected, there were speed bumps, but due to the constant communication from Steve and Teddy we always knew what was going on, and when people would be at our house doing work. The sub contractors were all polite and treated our property with respect. We also added to the design mid project (rock on wall, additional paver patio, etc). Ben promptly adjusted for our changes, and material was on site quickly to keep the project on time. No Hassles, No Hoops, Ben designed our changes, let us know if there would be additional cost, and presto. . My family was swimming weeks before we thought we would be able to!
From the moment we met Ben Kelver at the Hive sales office, we knew we were in good hands. Ben was outstanding in helping craft the vision we had for the pool we wanted in our new home. Ben provided us with various options and shared pros/cons of some of our choices. His attention to detail on the CAD drawings was top-notch. Once we were under contact and had the permits, Ben came to our home with Project Managers Ron and Teddy. During this kick-off meeting, we were told to circle a specific future date on our calendar and the pool would be done by that date. Through the dedicated efforts of Teddy leading some awesome subcontractors for pool construction, pavers, screened enclosure and landscaping repairs our pool was delivered earlier than anticipated. Once construction was complete, Ron took over for our orientation and did a great job explaining all of the equipment and required maintenance. Our experience with the Hive team couldn't have gone any better. Their communication throughout the process was A+!! My wife and I would highly recommend prospective pool purchasers to consider HIVE if you want an excellent experience!
In the pandemic-era where we continue to hear about vendors and companies that struggle to deliver due to “supply chain and labor issues”, my wife and I are pleased to say that Hive delivered on every dimension of our pool project. We live in a large master-planned community and there is no shortage of other companies building pools. We talk to our neighbors and hear horror story after horror story of delays and construction issues. Thankfully, none of this with Hive! From planning to execution, the Hive Team (Ben, Robert, Teddy, Steve) was attentive, professional and ethical as they brought our vision to life. During the planning phase, Ben was uber-patient as we worked through ideas and different options with materials and budget. He spent time with us in our home, even connecting his laptop to our big-screen TV so we could see our vison come to life. During the actual project, both Teddy and Steve were very responsive, and the crew was very polite and respectful. Building a pool is a significant investment and no small undertaking and we strongly recommend you consider Hive for your project!
My experience with this company goes beyond horrible. The completion of my pool took several years and is still not correct. Where do I start. The tile installer was unable get the job done correctly. We gave up on attempt number five and are left with crooked and broken tiles. The pavers were also redone several times and were left chipped after supplies ran short. The jets in our spa were installed extremely low to the seat (2 inches), which is uncomfortable to say the least. I was told that they could be moved but I will likely have leaks in the future. Our outdoor kitchen sat uninstalled for almost a year and was dented/scratched by the other vendors. The stacked stone around our outdoor kitchen was installed with unusually large gaps and the cement board can be seen underneath. Hive also damaged my paver driveway after a concrete spilling incident. They did attempt an acid wash (which removed the concrete) but the driveway is now discolored. I could go on and on about the other problems we faced with this company but I think I made my point.
I called for pricing and spoke with one of the sales people. I didn't get his name but I'm sure there aren't many. I explained what I was looking for and told him that I already had a pool design because the company that I was working with went out of business and I was looking for someone to replace them. When he gave me the ballpark of their pricing I told him that it was higher than what I had from other companies and started to thank him for his time. He then said "yeah, well maybe that's why we are still in business and the company you picked isn't". I told him a lot of people were hurt financially by this company closing and he flippantly said "yeah, I'm sure they were". I would never choose this company and would warn others to not choose them either. There are a lot of companies out there with better pricing and MUCH better customer service. If that is how they go about trying to get a new customer I can only imagine how it goes when you are a customer. No thanks!
Source: public Google reviews. Quotes appear as posted by their authors.
Reviewed by homeowners
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Standing & Verification
Official-record checks from FL DBPR, permit databases and state records.
Sources: Shovels.ai (permit data aggregator) · Google (reviews) · Wayback Machine · FL DBPR · Sunbiz
Permit Track Record
License-verified against Shovels' Florida permit database — matched to their DBPR license number, not a fuzzy name guess.
Year-by-year data not yet mapped.
Work-mix data pending.
Source: Shovels permit database, matched to DBPR license CPC1458419 · verified Jul 2026. Found a mistake?
License & Credentials
Florida state contractor license & scope of work.
✓ FL DBPR record found- License #
- CPC1458419
- Type
- Certified Pool/Spa Contractor
- Status
- Active
- Qualifier
- Robert F Foster
Scope of work & exact number verified on FL DBPR.
Ownership
Confirmed on FL DBPR
Project Photos
Portfolio photos — what this builder's work looks like.
Find Them Online
Verify anywhere.
About Hive Outdoor Living, LLC
Tampa Bay's premier pool builder serving Hillsborough, Pinellas & Pasco Counties.
Read more ▾
Credentials & Recognition
FSPA/PHTA certifications & awards when on file.
CPC · top FL pool credential FL State LicensedFSPA membership · PHTA/CPO · manufacturer certs surfaced when present.
Hive Outdoor Living, LLC — Frequently Asked Questions
Answered from public records.
Is Hive Outdoor Living, LLC a licensed and insured pool builder?
Hive Outdoor Living, LLC holds an active Florida state contractor license (CPC1458419) verified against FL DBPR. Always confirm current licensure and proof of insurance in writing before signing.
How long has Hive Outdoor Living, LLC been building pools?
Public records show a documented permit history on file, state-licensed since 2013.
What areas does Hive Outdoor Living, LLC serve?
Based on permit records, Hive Outdoor Living, LLC builds across Hillsborough County.
How do I verify a pool builder before hiring?
Check: (1) active FL license on DBPR, (2) real permit history with the county, (3) genuine reviews across platforms, (4) fair pricing. This profile gathers all four from public records.
How large are Hive Outdoor Living's typical pool projects?
Recent permits show estimated project costs ranging from about $60,900 to over $325,900, with a typical value around $81,500 based on the sample on file.
Does Hive Outdoor Living build only in Tampa, or across a wider area?
Permits span three counties — Hillsborough (7 of the sampled permits), Pasco (2), and Polk (1) — centered on the Tampa area but reaching into surrounding counties.
What's the honest take on Hive Outdoor Living's reviews?
Communication and crew are the most repeated positive themes across 91 reviews (4.2 average), but a recurring complaint pattern around quality issues and delays/stalling (2 mentions each) shows up in the lower-rated reviews too.
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Sources & Verification
Every figure traced to a primary source.
Shovels.ai (permit data aggregator) · Google (reviews) · Wayback Machine · FL DBPR · Sunbiz
