I tried history search first but the blog that came up was over 4 yrs old so thought I'd ask... Any recommendations for vendor for pool heater replacement?
Josh at Clear Water Pools was the prior recommendation. We retained one propsal and it was over 4400! Help!!!
We used Mike with Kingwood a/c over the Summer from recommendations here - he was great! Thanks in advance! 

Try Blue Lagoon 

Several years ago I replaced all of my large inground spa equipment. Ordered it on line from bestbuypoolsupply.com. The small size pool heater was about 30% less than I could find here at a store. Also no sales tax another 8.25% savings. I think it was shipped free and arrived by Fedex to my door in 3 days. Then paid a fixit guy $80 an hour to install which only took a few hours but he did replace 2 other pumps and timer and added a few more jets etc! So check out bestbuypoolsupply.com! You will save a lot! 

I would be very careful about using a fix it guy to install something like a pool heater.

First off, I may be wrong here, but, I believe that any retrofit of a pool heater would require a permit and inspection by the COH. Your fix it guy won't be able to do that. Failure to pull the required permits could result in some pretty stiff fines from COH. If you have neighbors you don't get along with, they will probably be the ones who dime you out.

Secondly, if you hire a fix it guy without liability insurance, any damage that might result from a faulty install won't be covered by your homeowner's insurance, and since he probably doesn't have liability insurance either, you'll be stuck with the entire bill.

Thirdly, I am willing to bet money that somewhere in the warranty literature from the OEM, there is a line that mandates that this equipment be installed by a licensed, qualifed, contractor in order to be assured that the warranty will be in full force should there be an equipment failure during the warranty period.

Fourthly (is that a word?), would you let a fix it guy install your electric furnace or gas furnace for your house? In effect, that's exactly what a pool heater does. It heats water using either electricity or gas. The equipment must be installed while adhering to strict national codes in order to be operated safely.

Now, I'm not saying that the fix it guy isn't qualified or that it wouldn't turn out just fine. Chances are, it would. But, for me, it really isn't worth the chances of an epic fail just so I could save some bucks. In the world of contracting, more profit is made on the sale of equipment than on the sale of labor. So, buy the unit off of the internet and have it delivered. Just makes sense.

But, hire a qualified hvac or plumbing contractor to install the unit and you'll both save money and also protect yourself.

Just offering another slant to the question. 

Hey Grand...the fixit guy was a qualified pool contractor / installer...thus the $80 an hour price. My house fixit guy charges $20 an hour so there is the difference! And it was done years ago and everything works well. Good point about the permit as my plumber had done for my hot water heater and another for the gas line install for a gas top pulled a permit. Maybe this guy didn't as he pulled out the same model heater and just replaced it because it was so rusty. 

Then paid a fixit guy $80 an hour to install which only took a few hours but he did replace 2 other pumps and timer and added a few more jets etc!

Hey Grand...the fixit guy was a qualified pool contractor / installer...thus the $80 an hour price.

Big difference between a "fixit guy" and "a qualified pool contractor/installer".

It seems to me that you may have hired a qualified pool installer, but, not a pool company. The only reason I say this is because a pool company would provide you with a quote to install and an installer would quote an hourly rate.

Not trying to split hairs, but, a qualified pool installer won't have insurance and won't be able to pull the required permits. He also heightens the risk you run of voiding any warranties that the OEM offers on the equipment you purchased.

As I said previously, alls well that ends well and it's obvious that you are happy not only with your choice, but with the results. All I was trying to do was to illuminate some of the risks involved in traveling the path you took.

I still believe your idea of purchasing the equipment on line is a really good one. And, given the time of year, it shouldn't be very hard at all to find a legitimate, qualified, insured company that is willing to work for labor only money to install your equipment.