Almost every home owner has taken on a renovation project, whether it was redoing a kitchen, replacing fixtures or appliances, installing new flooring, or revamping decor. Installing a pool in your backyard is just another renovation project where planning ahead will make sure everything goes smoothly.
A fiberglass swimming pool installation complete with landscaping usually takes about 3-4 weeks to complete. The size of the pool, the access to the backyard for machinery and the scope of the landscaping are the three largest factors that will determine your timeline. Let’s go over the various stages of an installation to help you determine how long your project might take.
Step 1 – Preparing the site
A clear path for machinery to access the backyard must be prepared in advance of the excavation. This might require removing fence posts and/or panels, taking down an air conditioner, or removing structures. An access path at least 6′ wide is required for most excavation machinery. Trees, structures and other backyard items also need to be cleared from the area where the pool is to be installed prior to the start of the project.
Step 2 – Excavation
Once machinery can access the yard the excavation can begin. If a retaining wall is required this will be installed first and can take a day or two of ground work. The pool excavation can take as little as a half day for a small, flat bottom pool, or up to two days for a large, slope-bottom pool – weather and ground conditions can obviously influence the schedule. Having access for larger machinery and being able to leave the excavated material on site or at a nearby fill site can reduce the excavation time and save you money.
Step 3 – Pool Delivery & Install
After the hole for the pool has been prepared the pool can be placed. The elevations will be checked and if there are any issues the pool will be lifted out, the base adjusted, and the pool re-set. Back-filling and water filling commences once the proper level has been confirmed. Water pressure will determine how long this takes but most pools take 1-3 days to fill completely. Pool fittings will be installed and the underground pipes and lighting conduit will be run to the equipment pad during the back-fill process.
Step 4 – Equipment Install & Plumbing
Delivering and plumbing the pool equipment takes about 3-4 hours. The glue will need several hours to cure before the equipment can be started. Electrical and gas connections can be done either prior to or after the equipment is plumbed in.
Step 5 – Pool Surround & Landscaping
Now that the pool is installed the project gets turned over to landscapers. This part of the project can vary in timeline. Pavers, concrete, wood or stone can be installed around the pool, gardens can be planted, fences installed, and sheds, outdoor kitchens, tiki bars or other structures can be built. If you are only looking for a simple pool surround it should only be another 1-2 weeks before you can be lounging poolside, cocktail in hand.
Expect that you will need to take some time to work out all the details of your project if it involves multiple stages and contractors. You are probably not going to redo the whole backyard so making sure everything is finished properly is important.
