The idea of building my own home (well, hiring someone to build it) is wild to me. That's some phenomenal cosmic power. You can include all your favorite things and leave out the details you hate.
The only thing that would make building a new home even cooler? If you were putting in a pool with it. Talk about living the dream.
So if you're building a new house, when should the pool be installed? The answer is... "It depends."
(I know, I wish it were simpler too.)
The ideal time: after power, before asphalt and landscaping. Of course, things aren't always so simple.
When should I install a pool in my new home?
When your home is under construction, you should install your pool after the power is on but before the asphalt and landscaping are finished. Lock the pool in place with concrete, and cover it with plywood if there's more construction.
What to avoid
Make sure the pool has power
We don't want to leave the pool uncovered and not running for an extended amount of time.
Let's say the house is under construction. The house goes up, they get the exterior of the house pretty much done, and they move inside. It's usually months before they get electricity to the house.
That's the pivot point: when they get electricity to the house.
Once there's power, you can move forward with the pool.
Don't ruin the new yard and driveway
We also want to avoid messing up fresh asphalt and landscaping.
After all, no one wants giant machinery tearing up the flower beds or cracking the new driveway. Your brand new house deserves to look new!
We want to try to get the pool in after there's power to the house but before access gets cut off and before the backyard (irrigation and landscaping) is finished.
Cover the pool with plywood
If you have to go in earlier than that ideal time period, make sure you cover the pool up.
There have been times where we had to put a pool in and it sat for months. Almost every time, we suggest covering the pool with a plywood floor, especially if it's close to the house.
Why?
During construction, anything that happens in the backyard ends up in the pool. Nails, screws, razor blades, buckets, shingles, cardboard, paper...you name it. We've literally removed buckets of stuff from pools before.
It takes forever to get clean.
Worse, if you've got a bunch of nails in there and they rust, it's gonna stain the floor.
Lock the pool in place with concrete
Get some concrete around the outside of the pool.
If the pool's going to sit for longer than just a few weeks, you need a concrete apron of some kind around that pool to keep it from moving.
(And hey, a 12-inch concrete collar is a best practice that's part of our River Pools Way installation methodology.)
Say it's a rectangular pool. If there's a lot of traffic too close alongside the pool (tractors and whatnot), it could push the walls in. Concrete will keep the pool in position so that it's exactly the same way as you left it.
Also, ensure all surface water is diverted away from the pool.
What if I have to finish the house first?
Sometimes if you're financing the home, you have to finish on the house and close on the loan before you can start on the pool.
If you're forced to wait until the house is closed on, talk to the builder. Ask them if they're able to work with you. A lot of times they can.
The builder may be able to hold off on little things like irrigation and landscaping and putting the final seal coat on the asphalt driveway, so they can come back and do it later.
Will the builder charge more if you add a pool to the house project?
The home builder will only charge more for a pool if they're also the general contractor for the pool. In this case, they will treat it like any other subcontractor and put their markup on it.
If you've only contracted for the house and later you decide to add a pool as part of the construction, the home builder will charge extra for changing plans and for the time/effort of adding a pool.
If you're contracted directly with the pool company, the home builder shouldn't charge you any extra unless there's some work it's causing them to do.
Want to learn more about inground pools?
Do you have any other questions about the process of buying the perfect fiberglass pool? Dive into our ebook, which includes all the details you’ll need to make the best decision for you and your family!
At River Pools, we manufacture world-class fiberglass swimming pools for installation across North America and have a wide variety of models to choose from. Try our inground pool quote tool today to see how much a fiberglass pool will cost you, or contact us directly for more information.
Get in touch with us, and we’ll be happy to help you on your pool journey!
Up Next:
4 Things You Should Know About Concrete Pool Construction
Inground Pool Kits 101: Types, Costs, Tips
Editor's Note: This article was originally written by Holly Jender on July 19, 2018. Any opinions expressed are those of the author. Any prices referenced were based on information that was readily available at the time.
River Pools is a brand of inground fiberglass pools produced in a manufacturing facility in Fortville, IN. While our expertise is in manufacturing fiberglass pools, we have access to a network of installers with expertise relating to project design, installation, and pool service. We often tap into this knowledge base and share information freely with homeowners, just like you, considering installing a swimming pool in your backyard.
