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—Building a new pool

The stages of building a pool

A concrete pool is built in a fixed order. Knowing the stages helps you plan the household around the works and ask sensible questions at each step.

Building an in-ground concrete pool follows a sequence in which each stage depends on the one before. Design and approvals come first. The ground is then marked out and excavated, steel reinforcement and pipework are placed, and the concrete shell is formed and left to cure. Waterproofing, the interior finish, coping and decking follow, and the equipment is installed and connected.

Construction guides follow a new pool from the first idea to the first swim, so each stage is easier to plan and to question.

Some stages are quick and noisy, others are long and quiet. Excavation and concrete work bring machinery and deliveries; curing is mostly waiting. Tiling and finishing need dry, dust-free conditions. Understanding the order makes it easier to see why a pause is normal and when a decision — a tile, a light position, a step layout — is needed before work can continue.

01Summary

What matters most here

  • The order is fixed

    Each stage depends on the one before it being complete and checked.

  • Decisions have deadlines

    Lights, steps and fittings must be fixed before the concrete goes in.

  • Quiet periods are normal

    Concrete and waterproofing need time before the next layer goes on.

02Detail

Stage by stage

  • Design and approvals

    Drawings, the equipment plan and any community or authority approvals.

  • Excavation

    Marking out, digging and removing spoil, with the ground checked as it is exposed.

  • Steel, pipework and shell

    Reinforcement is tied, pipes and fittings positioned, and the concrete shell formed.

  • Waterproofing and finishes

    A waterproofing system is applied, then the tiles, plaster or other interior finish, coping and deck.

  • Equipment and first fill

    Pumps, filters and any heat pump are connected, the pool is filled and the system is started and checked.

03Before you start

At each stage, ask

  • What decision is needed next?

    So it is ready before work stops for it.

  • What is being checked?

    Levels, positions and tests before anything is covered up.

  • What will be disruptive?

    Deliveries, noise and access needs for the coming week.

—In practice

How to use this

Ask for the programme as a list of stages with the points where you will be asked to approve something — layout marking, steel and fittings before concrete, the waterproofing test, tile setting-out and commissioning. Arrange to see the pool at the stages that will be hidden afterwards, and ask for photographs of steel, pipework and waterproofing before they are covered.

Mistakes worth avoiding

Not seeing work before it is covered
Reinforcement, pipework and waterproofing disappear under concrete and tiles. Once covered, any problem becomes expensive to reach.
Changing the design mid-build
A change after excavation or steel fixing stops the site and can mean undoing finished work. Settle decisions before each stage starts.

04FAQ

Common questions about this

Why does the site go quiet after the concrete?
Concrete needs time to cure before waterproofing and finishes can go on. Rushing that stage risks problems later.
When do I need to choose tiles?
Well before the finishing stage, because some tiles have long lead times.
Can underwater lights be added later?
Adding them later is difficult. Their positions and conduits are fixed when the shell is formed.
Is the pool tested before tiling?
Waterproofing is normally tested before finishes cover it, so any defect can be found while it is still accessible.

05Read next

More pool guides on this

Filed under new pool construction. Every pool guide is listed on the pool guides page.

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