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Hive Outdoor Living, LLC

Hive Outdoor Living, LLC

📍 Tampa, FL
★ 4.2
91 Google reviews
8.2/10
358permits
2013since
Jul 2026updated
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Reviews

What customers say — Google is the largest, most representative sample.

Google
4.2 · 91
Yelp
2.5 · 17

Source: Google / SERP · Jul 2026.

How They Compare

Against typical Florida pool builders.

Google rating 4.2 (avg 4.4)
Permits on record 358
Years online 2013

Reviews Worth Reading

Real quotes from public Google reviews — the praise and the critical, as posted.

★★★★★Barton Campbell · Jun 2020Google

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

★★★★★Greg Moorman · Sep 2020Google

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!

★★★★★Brad Warren · Jan 2024Google

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!

★★★★★C.J. Leone · May 2022Google

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!

★☆☆☆☆Justin Bogart · Oct 2023Google

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.

★☆☆☆☆Lucy Loo · Aug 2023Google

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.

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Standing & Verification

Official-record checks from FL DBPR, permit databases and state records.

Actively permittingRecent permits on file in Tampa
✓ Verified
Licensed contractorFL DBPR record confirmed · CPC1458419
✓ Verified

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.

358permits on record
Pools permitted per year

Year-by-year data not yet mapped.

What they pull permits for

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

RF
Robert F Foster
Owner / license qualifier · FL DBPR

Confirmed on FL DBPR

Project Photos

Portfolio photos — what this builder's work looks like.

📷Their portfolioPhotos from hiveoutdoor.com

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About Hive Outdoor Living, LLC

Tampa Bay's premier pool builder serving Hillsborough, Pinellas & Pasco Counties.

Read more ▾

Company Snapshot

Hive Outdoor Living, LLC is based on North Nebraska Avenue in Tampa, describing itself as a Tampa Bay pool builder serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. The company holds Florida license CPC1458419, a Certified Pool/Spa Contractor credential confirmed current with the state, under qualifier Robert F. Foster and on file since 2013.

Specialties & Service Area

Full-scope backyard builds are the pattern in this company's work — pools, screen enclosures, paver decks, and landscaping repairs coordinated as one project rather than separate trades. Hillsborough County carries the bulk of the permits tied to this license, with smaller counts in Pasco and Polk. Recent permit activity jumped sharply in 2025, with 11 filings averaging roughly $119,000, up from just one or two per year in 2023-2024 — and two of those recent permits are currently open.

What Customers Say

A 4.2-star average from 91 reviews puts Hive squarely in the middle, and reading through them shows why. Strong reviews describe the company rescuing a project after a prior contractor was paid 70% of a contract but abandoned it 30% complete, finishing ahead of schedule during pandemic-era supply shortages, and keeping named staff (Ben, Teddy, Steve, Ron) in constant contact throughout construction. But a real cluster of 1-star reviews raises harder questions: repeated tile, paver, and coping rework after poor initial installation on one five-figure job, a pool leak one reviewer says has gone unresolved with the company blaming evaporation since 2022, damage to a neighboring property's irrigation and yard during construction, and more than one account of a sales representative reacting with hostility after a prospective customer chose a competitor.

Bottom Line

Some customers here get exactly the above-and-beyond service the five-star reviews describe, and the jump in 2025 permit volume shows a company currently winning real business. The question is consistency — the specificity of the finish-quality and post-completion complaints means references from recent, not just older, projects are worth chasing down before signing.

Credentials & Recognition

FSPA/PHTA certifications & awards when on file.

CPC · top FL pool credential FL State Licensed

FSPA 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