You’ve decided it’s time to add a swimming pool to your backyard. Congratulations! If you’re in the Atlanta area, you live in the perfect climate for a pool. You’re about to fulfill the dream of many homeowners. You’re also in for a bit of chaos over the next several weeks. At least in the yard. Swimming pool construction goes typically more smoothly if you know what to expect. Here’s what things will look like as you move through the process.

Your Swimming Pool Consultation

First, you’ll meet with a pool design consultant at your home. This meeting is where you share your ideas and the consultant shares theirs. A pool designer knows how to create a pool design that blends in with your yard and your design style. They’ll also discuss any upgrades or special water features that can enhance your swimming experience. Once the meeting concludes, you’ll get a proposal to review. The proposal combines your budget and the design elements that fit into it.

You Can’t Start without Permits

Most cities require a swimming pool permit. Also, If you live in a community served by an HOA, you may need additional permits. These are details your swimming pool builders in Atlanta will discuss in your initial pool consultation. If a permit is required, it can take up several days to get approval. HOA boards have their time-frame. Building permits are often the biggest hold-up to breaking ground for residential swimming pools. No permit—no pool.

From Permit to Breaking Ground

The day your pool builder starts excavation is when the excitement begins. It’s fun to watch the heavy equipment roll in and start digging. You might even recognize the outer shape of the swimming pool you’ve been dreaming about. Excavation typically takes a full day and then it’s on to installation of the structural steel, called rebar.

From Rebar to Plumbing

After the rebar is installed, your pool builders work on what’s called stub-out plumbing. These are the locations of the water-return jets, suction lines, and water features. The actual plumbing, called the long plumb, takes place after the structural shell of the pool is complete.

It’s Looking More like a Pool Every Day

Next is the shell. If your pool has a gunite shell, your pool builder in Atlanta will discuss what to expect. Pool owners typically help keep the shell watered for about seven days. Once the swimming pool shell is cured, tile work begins. You’ll be amazed at the craftsmanship of the tile installers. It’s here you really start to imagine what the pool will look like with water in it.