Warmer temperatures are here, and one of the best ways to cool off and take a break from the heat is by going for a nice swim. And what better way to enjoy such a luxury than right in your own back yard?
If you are wanting to know how long it takes to build a pool for your family, here is a breakdown of the time frame, and what you can expect.
Coming Up With Your Design
When it comes to constructing your own swimming pool, you can get as creative with your design as you’d like. After you choose the right swimming pool contractor, you’ll meet with their design team and an engineer to make sure your idea can be produced safely. This process might require about a week of back and forth until you can agree on a final design. Once you have viewed a sample model of your pool and are satisfied with your design, you can move on to the pool construction.
Getting Your Building Permit
Although it is your property, we will still need to get permission from the city in order to begin any type of construction. Since your pool is underground and requires digging, we must obtain a residential building permit which can take one to six weeks to obtain on average.
However, if your municipality requires that we obtain approval from multiple sources, involve the engineer and more, it could take a bit longer to get a permit.
Excavating the Site
Now that we have finally received the building permit, we can begin the construction process, which starts with digging. Our contractors can typically have the site dug out in just a couple of days as long as there aren’t any issues with utility lines. Keep in mind that it could take up to two weeks or more if the weather is bad, or if we run into unforeseen obstructions.
Stubbing It Out
A “stub out” is a rough plumbing that is done prior to the installation of the steel. During this phase, we will install the skimmers, main drain, return plumbing lines, etc. If you have any additional water features such as a waterfall, the lines for this would be installed at this point as well. The time this takes will depend on how many lines must be installed per your design requirements.
Forming the Structure
Once the site has been dug and plumbing lines installed, it is time to start adding structure and stability to your pool. At this point, steel rebar will be installed in a horizontal and vertical fashion and will act as the bones of your pool. Once this installation is completed, the job will need to be inspected before we can move on to the next step, which is the actual installation of your pool.
Building the Pool
This is one of the best parts of the construction process as you are now able to see your actual swimming pool start to come to life. Whether we are installing a fiberglass, plaster, or concrete pool will determine how long this process takes.
Connecting the Equipment
It is now time to add your filtration equipment, water pumps, electrical conduits and any other equipment that is needed to help your pool run efficiently. A breaker box for your pool will be installed, and your equipment, such as lights and water pump, will be connected to it.
Tiling Your Pool
The tiles that you have picked out are finally ready to be installed, as well as the coping around the pool’s edge. If you have selected features such as a waterfall or wall sprays, they will be installed at this point as well. This process usually takes just a few days but can take weeks depending on the amount of labor that is required.
Finishing Touches
If you decide to add custom lighting or do some landscaping around the pool, this could take a couple of weeks or longer. In Florida, you are required by law to have a safety fence as well as an alarm system installed around your pool. Once everything has been inspected and approved, we’ll coat your pool with a wet finish, and your pool is ready to be filled.
All in all, average pool construction generally takes about 8 to 12 weeks to complete. However, each case can vary dramatically depending on the design you choose, your contractor’s workload, and the weather, among other factors. When it comes to having a pool built, you should start the process as early as possible if you want to enjoy it by the upcoming summer!
If you’re ready to get started, contact the pool construction experts at Signet Pool in Sarasota today, and let’s begin planning your pool design!