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—Building a new pool

The site survey for a new pool

A pool design is only as good as what is known about the ground under it. The site survey is where that knowledge comes from.

Before a pool is designed in detail, the site is surveyed. Levels are measured so the pool sits correctly relative to the house and deck. The position of underground services — water, drainage, electrical and irrigation lines — is identified, because moving them can be part of the work. Boundary walls and house foundations are noted, since excavation near them needs care.

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

Access is assessed for machinery, deliveries and spoil removal, and a location is chosen for the plant. Where the ground is uncertain, further investigation may be recommended. The result is a set of facts that turns a concept into a buildable design and reduces surprises once digging starts.

01Summary

What matters most here

  • Levels and position

    How the pool sits against the house and garden.

  • Hidden services

    Pipes and cables in the way of the excavation.

  • Access and plant

    How work reaches the site and where equipment goes.

02Detail

What the survey covers

  • Levels

    Finished floor levels, garden levels and falls for drainage.

  • Underground services

    Water, drainage, irrigation and electrical routes.

  • Structures nearby

    House foundations, boundary walls and any existing features.

  • Ground conditions

    Signs of fill, rock or high groundwater that may need investigation.

  • Access and storage

    Gates, routes and space for materials.

03Before you start

Help the survey

  • Share any drawings

    Villa drawings show foundations and services.

  • Point out irrigation

    Where the lines and controllers are.

  • Clear access

    So all areas can be inspected.

—In practice

How to use this

Give the surveyor what you already know: villa drawings, the locations of irrigation, drainage and cables if recorded, and any problems such as damp ground. Ask for the survey to show levels, services, boundary and foundation positions and the access route. Use the survey to fix the pool’s position and level before the design is detailed, not after.

Mistakes worth avoiding

Skipping the survey for a small pool
Even a plunge pool can land on a drain or a cable. Small pools still need the ground understood before digging.
Ignoring levels
A pool set at the wrong level relative to the house and deck creates extra steps, drainage problems or awkward coping heights.

04FAQ

Common questions about this

Why survey before designing?
Levels, services and access shape what can be built and how.
What if services run under the pool site?
They may need diverting as part of the work, which is planned before digging.
Is soil testing always needed?
Not always; it depends on what the survey finds and the type of pool.
Can the plant go anywhere?
Distance, noise, ventilation and access all affect where it should go.

05Read next

More pool guides on this

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

—NEXT

Ready for a site survey?

Send photos and any villa drawings. We will tell you what the survey will look at.

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