Whether you are a pool builder or a home owner, it's important to understand that the process of building a fiberglass pool on a home under construction presents some unique challenges.
However, if these are understood and discussed beforehand they can be easily overcome.
7 Things to Plan For When Building a Fiberglass Pool on a Property with a House under Construction
- Drainage
- Protect the pool
- When to begin
- Cleaning the pool
- Stains and other damage to the pool shell
- Don't leave pool equipment on the site
- Double-check the pool before installing the patio
1. Drainage
Why drainage first?
In most cases, when a pool is installed before the home is finished, the pool will sit for long periods of time before the patio and other peripheral work is completed.
This being the case, it's not uncommon for pools to sit for months without insuring surface water is diverted away from the pool.
Some easy remedies are to re-route downspouts with corrugated pipe and to divert surface water away from the pool using straw bales and/or silt fence.
The main point (as with everything in this article) is to ensure this is discussed before the project begins so expectations are set ahead of time.
2. Protect the Pool
Again, in most cases these pools sit for very long periods of time unfinished.
Furthermore, a pool on a construction site almost always becomes a waste dump.
Workers wash buckets in the pool, the wind blows all types of debris in there... The point is, the pool must get covered as soon as it is installed.
This can be done with plywood or plastic but the takeaway is COVER THE POOL!
3. When to Begin
The first question most folks have is, "When is the right time to start the pool?" Well, it depends on few factors.
First, you need to determine if access to the backyard will be cut off or seriously impeded at any point during the home construction.
As you probably know, getting a fiberglass pool to a backyard requires some space. If your access will be cut off, then install the pool as late in the game as possible.
If access to the backyard isn't an issue then we feel the perfect time to install the pool is after the exterior of the home is complete and before the final driveway and landscaping/irrigation are completed.
4. Cleaning the Pool
This is a critical point of discussion before the project begins.
Regardless of whether the pool is covered or not, if it sits for months (not uncommon at all) while waiting for electrical service, it will be a mess to clean up.
On our construction projects in cases like this, we include two cleaning trips in our price and the client understands that any more will result in an extra charge.
We learned this one the hard way. After several projects where we literally removed buckets of debris and spent well over a dozen trips to clean the pool, we wised up.
5. Stains or Other Damage to the Pool Shell
It's also important to communicate that there is a potential for damage to the pool shell to occur in these circumstances.
Again, after learning this one the hard way, we now make it clear that if any debris enters the pool such as nails, razor blades, or other tools or construction materials that can oxidize and consequently stain the pool, we are not responsible for the expense to resolve these issues.
The same applies to bricks, stones or other large heavy materials that could damage the pool from an impact.
6. Do Not Leave Pool Equipment on the Site
Be sure not to leave salt systems, pool cleaning equipment, or any other portable equipment on the site.
There is always someone who would be happy to relocate it for you :)
7. Double-Check the Pool Before Installing the Patio
Fiberglass does not like to stay straight. Consequently a straight-walled fiberglass pool that sits for months without a concrete collar to lock it in place could move a little over time.
Be sure to make a special trip before pouring concrete to re-straighten anything that may have come out of alignment.
We hope this helps and we certainly hope that you can use our experience to help you execute your fiberglass pool project well.
At River Pools, we manufacture and install world-class fiberglass pools across North America.
Check out our pool designs or try out our pool pricing calculator today. You can also contact us to request pricing by clicking the button below.
If you still don't know which type of inground pool you want, download our free ebook below which explains the key differences between the three main inground pool types.
Up Next:
Why You Should Wait to Get a Pool Until Your New Home Is Built
Retaining Walls For Pools 101: Types, Prices, And Features
Editor's note: This blog article was updated on November 6, 2018.