Is it possible to build you own in ground pool?
Question:You know digging it yourself, doing the concrete and hooking up all the water pumps and things. Thanks.
Answers:
Sure, but you have to meet the codes that apply to the construction, and get permits and inspections along the way. Gunite is a specialty, as is plastering, so maybe let those segments be done by specialists with good reputations.
You cannot build someones pool for hire without a license, or without skirting the laws.
totally not cause it's sorta a get down and get dirty thing. Things will get messy.What I did is hire the pool people to get that done.
Good Luck! =)
Also dont think your going out there with a shovel. Your going to have to rent an excavator.
I recommend a half and half solution. Do all your groundwork, prepare the site, etc. Then bring in a fiberglass liner. Have it professionally installed with the pumps, lighting, etc. Then lay your own deck, patio, etc. around it. That way you have a warranty ... and you'll want one!
Sure Is,,lots of folks do it.
You can physically do it yourself,,,
or you can be the "Contractor" & hire your own subcontractors.
RARE FEW Pool Builders do it all with "In House" Crews.
Most use at least SOME Subcontractors.
Each stage is actually a "Specialty"
Design
Digging
Steel
Rough Plumbing
Electrical
Shell
Plaster
Deck & Tile
Equipment Installation & Set Up
Start Up of the finished pool,,which involves the Chemistry
Then the pool Needs to be Brushed and Vacuumed Frequently as the Plaster Cures.
Lots of those jobs overlap,,,and often you find subs who are "Multi Function".
Which means THEY use Subs themselves,,,LOL
.........
While you Absolutely CAN D.I.Y.,,,,,
A Pool is a LOT more complex piece of Technical & Engineered Facility than it seems.
A GOOD Pool is a Breeze to care for,,
Economical to operate,
and just a joy to own,,,as any pool Should be.
SIMPLE stuff can make a pool a Hell Hole.
Mis Sized Equipment.
A Mis-placed Skimmer layout,or return line position.
The Hydraulics of the Water Flow are a Critical consideration.
It's Hard to Visualize what all is happening in Clear Water.
But it has a Profound Effect on Circulation,,and how that acts to "sweep the pool" both in terms of "Self Cleaning" AND Chemical Distribution.
An Eddy Current can leave a "Dead Spot",,,
Dust,Silt ,Pollen,etc can Settle and accumulate in such a Low Flow area.
That creates almost a "infection" in a sense,,a lil' pocket of foreign bodies in an otherwise Overall Clean Pool.
Which plays Havoc not only trying to keep pool Clean,,,but also Chemical Useage & Efficiency.
Too MUCH circulation in an area may Sweep stuff into a pile in a certain area,,,which creates Another finicky type condition.
Plumbing Layout influences Water Flow,,sure.
But it ALSO has a bearing on how easily the lines may become clogged with the Debris that pools invariable have to deal with.
Not just How Easy they Clog,,
But even More Important,,how easily they can be UNclogged.
Even INDOOR Pools get stuff stuck in them,,,
Towels,swim suits,bottle caps,kids toys,,,and a list of Other Stuff that sounds like an episode of Ripley's 'Bleive it or Not.
Construction Nightmares occur.
Get Dug,,get your steel reinforcment all set.
And a Rainstorm comes outa Nowhere for 2~3 days.
#1,,Pool Collapses into a Huge MUSH Puddle.
#2,,Ya get to RE-DO the Steel,,AFTER digging the Pool out,AGAIN.
#3,,Ya Often end up with a BIGGER Pool than You Planned for.
-a)That's MORE MONEY for all the "Per Sq Foot" items
-b) It's Back to the Drawing Board for several of the Per Gallon Related Items.
Just a FOOT or so Larger in OD/Perimeter Circumference adds a LOT to the water volume.
It's Great when all goes well,,but even the Pro's will tell you it's all a Calculated Headache.
The UPSIDE is that you can Save a Lot of Money ,,,IF You are lucky and all goes well.
On a Bare Bones,"Minimum",Simple Pool,,,
There's NOT Really MUCH $$ to be saved.
On larger,,more extensive featured pools,,,there's More Markup & Profit Margin.
So there's More to be saved by DIY,,or being "The Contractor"
My Opinion on Saved Costs??
Spend it on Functional & STRUCTURAL Upgrades.
*More Steel
*Thicker Shell
*Larger Beam w/ extra reinforcement (the "Lip" around top edge of Shell)
* Upgraded Pipe and Fittings,,Schedule 80 vs Sch 40 to avoid underground leaks in future years
* Higher Quality Pump
* Larger & Better Filter
Things You'll never SEE once pool is in service.
Which is the Point .
You DON'T ever wanna see that Steel again,or your underground plumbing.
No Such thing as Overkill re:Peace of Mind.
So you gain the option of HOW to spend your $$$,,,beyond simply how to SAVE some $$$
Pool Biz is Waaay Shady in many aspects.
I hate saying that,,,cuz the folks who DO the work really work HARD at what they do,,,and vast majority are Good at what they do.
.......
Pools have ALWAYS been costly to maintain & operate.
Lately it's Higher than ever.
And once you have that pool,,You really CANT let go.
It costs a TON to get it squared away again after slacking off on maintenance.
LOTS of folks underestimate the commitment.
Amazing the number of folks who are like,,
"Oooo,,Higher Property Tax/Insurance/Local Licenses~Permits,,etc,,,didnt think about that"
Those are Local considerations,,,but can be substantial in some places.
As Rewarding as a pool is,,,it's just as demanding.
.....
If you want to Seriously Consider building one yourself,,,there's No Reason why ya Can't do that and have Excellent results.
But ya REALLY need to do some study and thoroughly educate yourself about what all is involved.
A Trip to a Pool Store for a round of "20 Questions" doesn't count.
There's just too much more involved.
SERVICE Companies who DONT build Pools are a Good place to start.
Most Often,,,they know many of the local Sub Contractors.
Those guys always know "Who does what" and who's good/reliable/established and so on.
If you happen to SEE a pool being built,,,try to go talk with the Workers.
People do that All the time,,so they're used to.
They spend the entire job explaining what
they're doing to every curious neighbor,house guest, passer-by,etc
Pools are an Odd sort thing,in a way.
Much of what goes into them is just General Knowledge stuff.
But much of the more Important stuff is Specific and rather Obscure.
And even folks IN the Biz often do not know as much as they should.
Do your Homework THOROUGHLY and Extensively.
Cross Reference and verify everything you learn.
You'll find out soon that Lots of the "info" you get is just ,,not right.
Plan,Plan,Plan,,,
the Organize everything and everyone.
(There's also an OFF SEASON for builders,,,,that time is good for getting Discounts,,,but it's OFF-Season for reasons.
Like Volatile weather for example.
Lots of workers LEAVE during those times,,,which makes your SubContractor WorkForce IFFY)
Sounds goofy,,,but if you happen upon somebody you seem to connect with,,,You Might be able to Observe much of a Pool or 2 being built.
Which is next best to hands-on experience.
All that Might put you into NEXT YEAR before starting yours.
Consider such a Delay as part of the "No Free Lunch" thing.
The LAST thing ya wanna do is go off half-cocked.
Real easy to end up with a mess thats hard & expensive to straighten out.
If Ya want a pool SOON,,,again the Local Subcontractors know All the Private & Independant Builders who do not advertise to Public,,,and would be Otherwise "invisible " to You-as-a-Shopper
Most all Gunite Companies have Local Phone,,yellow page adds,etc
And most any pool company can & will tell you Who the Gunite Companies are.
They're the folks who spray on the Concrete,,,and they ALWAYS know EVERYBODY in the Biz in their area.
So they are a great source for Info/Leads on who to contact about getting your swimmin' hole going.
And they're HAPPY to help.
It's WORK for THEM,eventually.
And they always welcome a chance to help Their customers via a referral.
I dunno if any of that will help You Jump In & get your feet wet,,,just some stuff to think about,,and different angles to approach.
Have Fun!
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