Your design is finalized, your permitting is complete, and your pool project is ready to start! This also means that your property will be the focus of a major construction project for the next 10-12 weeks. Heavy machinery, construction crews, and inspectors will be frequenting your property to complete different stages of the pool building process. Today we are going to familiarize you with the different steps involved in building a pool!
The Pool Building Process
The pool building process normally takes 10-12 weeks and understanding this process will allow you to be better prepared for what to expect. During pool construction, things will start looking worse before you start seeing your dream oasis come to life. That oftentimes is the most exciting part, seeing your project come to life!
The pool construction process will vary based on: the type of shell being installed, state/county you are in, the size of access points, the contractor, and many other factors. In this “Let’s Build A Pool” blog post, we will be focusing on the construction of concrete shell pools. Island Way Pools has broken our pool building process into 8 steps:
1) Layout, Dig and Steel: Before we break ground on your property, your project manager will schedule a pre-site visit with you to discuss what to expect during the upcoming weeks. From here, if it is necessary, a team will be sent to your property to demo and prep the site for the layout, dig, and steel to begin. The layout will start to allow you to see where the pool is going to be located on your property, the shape, and how much space it is going to take up in your yard. Once the layout is complete, we are ready to start excavating dirt. This is often the dirtiest and loudest part of building a pool. Heavy machinery is used to excavate and haul dirt around the property. Digging is normally a 1-2 day process and you may see some dirt left on your property after the excavation is complete. This will be used later on for grading. After the dig is complete, a rebar frame is installed to reinforce the concrete that will eventually go in. This rebar is kept off the soil using spacers so it remains right where we want it… in the middle of the shotcrete. Normally, this is all completed the first week of construction. Once the steel is installed, we are ready for the first inspection!
2) Shotcrete, Strip, and Grade: Once the steel inspection has been passed, we will schedule to have your pool shell shot. This phase is where you start to see your pool come to life, no longer do you have just a big hole in the yard. Shotcrete is shot through a pressurized hose onto the structural steel. The pressurized hose allows the concrete to be compacted densely around the steel, avoiding bubbles and pockets of air. Leaving you with a structurally sound pool shell (able to handle 3000-5000psi of compressive strength)! It typically takes a day to get a pool shell shot; however, the concrete must cure for up to a week. Once the shell has cured, a team will be out to strip and grade your yard. During this phase, your second installment will be due.
3) Plumbing: Once your property has been graded we will be ready to start the plumbing. During this phase we will trench around your pool, run all the pipes for your pool and its features, we will get pressure to the system, and we will have this work inspected. Once the inspection has passed, we are able to begin working on the tile and coping of the pool!
4) Tile and Coping: We will now begin to see the elegance start to form around your project. The tile and coping installed will be the options you selected during your showroom consultations. During this phase you will also see water features added to your pool project. Normally this takes a few days but more complex projects may take longer. Tile finish pools and extra features can make this phase take weeks or even months longer. During this phase, your third installment will be due.
5) Electric and Bond Wire: Once your pool equipment has been set, we will schedule an electrician to come out to the property. The electrician will run bond wire, install the pool panel, and get power to all the equipment/features. If you have a gas heater, fire table, or any other features that will require gas lines they will also have those lines run during this phase. After the bond wire has been installed, we schedule an inspection with your municipality.
6) Deck Installation: Once all the electric and gas lines have been run, we are ready to install your footer and decking. If you are not having a screen enclosure installed, then the crew will move straight to installing your decking. How long this phase will take will depend on the square footage and complexity of the decking being installed. We are in the home stretch once the decking installation starts, you will be swimming soon! Depending on your municipality, another inspection may take place once the decking is installed.
7) Interior Installation: We have almost reached the finish line. The final step before you fill your pool with water! During this phase, the concrete shell will have the finish you selected installed. The most common finishes installed are plaster or aggregate finishes. You can also do tile finishes, these are more costly but are a gorgeous upgrade to those aiming for a specific mood or look. Your final installment is due prior to beginning this phase.
8) Fill and Final Inspection: Immediately following the interior installation, we will use your water to fill the pool and provide you a water letter of credit. Shortly following, you will also receive a final inspection information sheet and warranty information sheet. We will schedule final inspection as soon as you are ready. Your project manager will also schedule a final walk through with you to ensure you are happy with the end result of our work. During this phase (or shortly after), a member of our team may contact you to collect photos and videos of your project.
Welcome To The Island Way Family
Just because your pool project does not mean that we are done helping you. If you have any questions or concerns about your project, do not hesitate to call us at (727)-488-2047. You are now a part of the Island Way Family!
For the first 30 days after your pool has been filled, our team will check your water chemistry and service your pool for you. After this, you will need to begin to maintain your own pool or hire a company to service your pool. We recommend hiring an outside company since water chemistry and proper cleaning are necessary to keep your pool looking its best. It is also necessary to have all water chemistry records from the date of purchase for warranty claims.
If you would like to see what can delay the pool building process, take a look at our previous blog post: “How Long Does It Take To Build A Pool [Infographic]”.
Are you ready to start transforming your backyard with a reputable, custom, luxury pool builder? Call Island Way Pools at (727)-488-2047 to take advantage of your complimentary 3D design and consultation with one of our design experts! If you have a topic or question you would like us to cover in a future blog post, email us IslandWayThomas@gmail.com.