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If you have already decided to have a pool in your home, you want it completed within the shortest time possible, as you do not wish to imagine swimming in it. You want to do the actual swimming. Even with your eagerness to have your pool, rushing the project could lead to mistakes. You want to know from the pool builder the realistic duration before you can swim.

This is the most critical question, as many homeowners overlook the time it takes to plan, obtain permits, and build a pool. Failing to consider the total time it will take to have the pool ready for swimming is why many people end up frustrated when they wait too long to complete their project. Designing and building a pool takes approximately twelve weeks. Below are the phases involved in pool design and construction and the average time for each stage.

Design or Planning Phase

When your preferred swimming pool is an in-ground one, the first phase of construction is planning. Choosing a professional pool builder will help you design the project with 3D modeling technology. Finalizing the design takes one to four weeks. You will spend most of this time with your pool builder to create a flawless design that will fit your backyard pool vision. During these collaborations, ensure the project design captures your imagination's size, shape, and landscaping features.

If you do not know the pool design you want, you can read home magazines, scroll through Instagram pictures, or talk to friends and family about this installation. You will find the best ideas for your pool plan here. Some of these people who have swimming pools in their homes can even assist you in finding the right pool contractors for the job. You can have a pool plan but not have a professional to help you begin the construction. Referrals will help you find the right contractor to help you design the pool using the latest technology before starting the building phase.

It is worth noting that when consulting with your pool builder on the design issue, other household members must be available to help with decision-making. These family members will be equally using the pool, and before starting this enormous investment, it is critical to have their ideas captured in the design. The project can be delayed if the decision-makers disagree on the shape, material, size, and installation features. You want a pool design everyone likes; the best way to achieve this is to involve other decision-makers in the household in designing the pool.

Engineer Design Approval

Once you have developed a pool design, you should talk to an engineer to determine if the plan is structurally sound for construction. A pool entails more than looks. Therefore, you should have an engineer review the structural aspects of the design and how the project can necessitate stormwater management modifications.

Engineer approval takes one to two weeks. Even if many people can overlook this phase, it is critical because it affects the timeline for pool completion. If the pool is structurally unsound, the relevant authorities will not issue you the necessary permits to begin construction. You will be forced to develop another design, wasting most of your time and resources, and slowing down the project.

Obtaining Relevant Permits

The local permit issuance office will determine the duration of obtaining a pool permit. Today, you cannot start an in-ground pool construction project without obtaining the necessary approval and building license from the state agencies. A license proves to neighbors, local professionals, and city officials that the project is safe and legal. You can have the permit within a week if your municipality does not require several approvals. However, if several licenses and inspections are required before issuing a building permit, it can take up to six weeks.

The more thorough your pool contractor and engineer are, the quicker it will be to obtain the necessary approval from the local authorities. If your professionals are inexperienced or not keen on details, they could miss something during design or review, sending you back to the drawing board and reversing all the gains made. Starting from scratch will take you several weeks, forcing you to wait longer before you can enjoy your pool.

Land Prepping and Excavation

After you have received the go-ahead from the local authorities to start building, it is time to prep the land and commence excavation. Generally, the land preparation and excavation phases take a week or two. In some instances, it even takes one or two days. However, several factors can interfere with the digging and cause delays. Digging is not always easy when it is muddy. Therefore, the weather will play a critical role in determining the duration of excavation. Besides, you can come across many obstacles, like debris or locks.

Other times, utility lines like water pipes could run through your backyard and must be redirected before you can continue digging, meaning the phase will take longer than usual. You should expect this phase to take a few days to several weeks, depending on factors like weather, pool size, and obstacles.

You want everything to go as planned, but this is not always true. Therefore, when hiring a pool builder, ensure the person is a professional who can stick with the timeline for the project regardless of the impediments they encounter during the digging. Even if the obstacle means delaying the project, having a professional who will address all problems as they arise is better. You will initially feel frustrated with the delays, but you will avoid costly issues that could occur in the long run because your pool builder overlooked a particular problem. With all concerns being addressed, you will be at peace knowing all issues have been addressed and that you will not need to relocate the pool or incur hefty repairs.

Rebar Installation, Plumbing, and Electrical Works

Once the pool is dug, the next phase involves rebar implantation and routing for plumbing and electrical lines. Rebar is the steel that reinforces the rods holding the pool structure. At this phase, the pool expert installs the pool circuitry, like hydro lines, to connect pool equipment and other lines necessary to power pool fixtures, outdoor lighting, and landscape lighting. Installing these three principal components of the pool can take one to two weeks.

Gunite Installation and Curing

Gunite combines cement and sand to create the pool shell or walls. If you have opted for a gunite-sprayed pool, you must be patient because after spraying, the expert will wait around four weeks for the mixture to heal. After four weeks, the shell will be ready for plastering. Plaster is the finishing done on top of the pool shell or walls to smooth the visible surface of the pool. During the curing period, your contractor will not be resting. They will be building other backyard features of the installation to enhance the overall appearance, like:

• The outdoor kitchen
• Landscape lighting
• Patio and pavilion
• Outdoor fire pits
• Recreational area

When you opt for a vinyl or fiberglass pool, the swimming section will be ready quickly because curing is unnecessary. These pool liner materials are manufactured elsewhere and only brought to the site for installation.

You can choose the vinyl liner pool for a customizable installation with a limited budget. These are the most prevalent pools because they are easy to build. The walls are assembled directly upon arrival. However, the floor of the pool is made of gunite or concrete. The advantage of these installations is that they are suitable for cooler regions, are less susceptible to freezing, and come with ultraviolet light protection and built-in algae inhibitors.

With fiberglass pools, the shells arrive already manufactured, and you can have the swimming area ready within the same day. However, for the project to be durable, you must do proper ground preparation. Also, the shells must be handled carefully during transportation to avoid breakage that could result in disasters. 

Plastering and Finishing 

Once the gunite has healed, your contractor will add the plaster and other personalization required. From the time it takes to design the pool to the time you jump inside, it can take a minimum of eight weeks if no obstacles are encountered during the entire process. Nevertheless, it takes ten to twelve weeks to complete the project, although the duration can vary based on factors like a busy pool building season when all pool builders are booked. If your contractor is working on several projects simultaneously, you will wait longer than twelve weeks to swim. Therefore, start now if you decide to build a pool and have a budget.

Realistic Pool Planning and Building Timelines

Your pool construction company needs to be upfront about the stages involved and the expected timeline. No genuine company will guarantee a timeframe for project completion; if they do, this should be a red flag, and you should move on to another professional on your list. You must understand that many impediments can occur when undertaking a massive building project like this, slowing down the process and extending the expected completion time. Despite these obstacles, your choice of pool builder must not skip these challenges or make errors to complete the project on time.

Even though you want results as soon as possible, you do not want a company that will brush off or overlook a building problem to deliver the project within the promised timeline. Sadly, some pool contractors can do this, so you must be extra careful when hiring. Opt for a contractor who is not obsessed with the deadline but with a quality outcome. You want the landscaping and additional pool features completed to your satisfaction and not to be forced to hire another company to come and fix the mess left by a hasty pool builder.

Factors Affecting the Timeline for Pool Construction

Several factors determine the time it takes to design and build a pool. These include:

Weather Conditions

The weather significantly affects land preparation and digging. First, when the ground is muddy, it becomes difficult for the excavator to arrive at the building site. Nevertheless, even on the site, digging becomes problematic because of the mud and loose soil. The excavation walls will crumble, making it impossible to dig the size required for the pool. The contractor will be forced to dig again when the walls cave in, which consumes more time and money. Also, when it rains, water fills up the whole, and the builder is forced to wait until the rain stops and the water dries up to continue with the work.

Also, builders cannot install steel construction, plumbing, or electrical routes when the walls are weak. Also, the soft walls cannot support a gunite application if you are building a concrete pool. Again, the mixture will be washed off if it is raining, hence the need to stop the project until the rain stops.

Material Choice

Your material choice will impact the pool's construction duration. Concrete or gunite pools take the longest because of the curing time, while fiberglass liners take the shortest.

Besides, you must order some construction materials like tiles and stones in advance because the project will be delayed if you need them, but they are in low supply. Cement and concrete should not worry you because they are readily available. Nevertheless, for rare materials, you must buy them in advance because prices change in different seasons of the year. If the price increases due to demand and you cannot afford the material, you must delay the project to find a lender or wait for the prices to drop.

Find the Right Pool and Spa Contractor Near Me

When building a pool, you want to work with a builder in your best interest to deliver on your expectations and not just meet the agreed-upon timeline. A reputable contractor will take time to arrest all the obstacles that could cause delays and finish the project right instead of brushing issues under the rug and completing the project overnight. If you want pool design and construction in Jacksonville, FL, Oak Wells Aquatics can build a quality pool to make your dreams come true. Call us today at 904-619-3281 to discuss your design, construction, and the duration of the installation.