Building a Pool: What to Expect

Pool Excavation
Realize first that someone is coming to make a huge hole in your yard, and to make that hole, they need big equipment. A backhoe and several dump trucks will be on sight to dig the hole and haul away the dirt. The best preparation you can do is move everything that might be in their way. Give them plenty of room, and if there are things you can't move, such as swing sets and sheds, don't worry. They are professionals and they have probably maneuvered around tougher spots. But accidents can happen, and they can work faster and better if they have an open work space.

Build a Pool
The next step is to erect the steel walls that will brace the weight of the concrete and the water. Depending on the size of your pool, the wall will be pretty big. More large trucks will show up carrying the walls and possibly a small crane to lower them into the hole. These walls are then fastened together and typically welded to the braces. Depending on the contractor, the hole will then be plumbed with a drain and intake unit and wired for lighting.

Once the walls have been erected and leveled they are anchored with concrete. A concrete truck will arrive to pump in the necessary concrete needed to complete the shell of the pool.

Pool Installation
The base of the pool is then installed. The base can be vermiculite, mortar mix, sand and cement, or just sand. The concrete professionals will then trowel the base to the specifications of your plans.

If there is a liner or tiling to be done, this comes next, followed by the finish wiring and installation of diving boards, slides and ladders.