What to Expect During Pool Construction in Los Angeles, CA

As you prepare to have a pool installed at your home, you should be aware of everything involved with the process. All in-ground pool constructions have several phases of construction, and each must be completed before construction can proceed to the next phase. Each one of these phases can take anywhere from a single day to a week to finish.

Here’s a general overview of the process you can expect during pool construction in Los Angeles, CA.

Design

As the first step of your pool construction project, a pool designer will come to your property and perform some measurements, while also considering your property line, easements, underground utilities, setbacks and the topography of the area, in addition to your budget and any requested design features you have submitted.

After you and the designer have reached an agreement on the shape, style and size of the pool, you can then talk about add-ons such as rock formations, water features, spas, planter beds and more. Some people like to request infinity edges, built-in benches in the shallow section and tanning platforms. You will also select other pool equipment, such as diving boards and slides.

When all of this is complete, your designer will begin drawing up the final plans. You will meet for a final confirmation before these plans are submitted to the city for the proper permits. If you live in an area with a homeowners association, the HOA may need to issue approval as well.

Excavation

The concept of the excavation phase is simple—diggers come in to excavate your pool area. They will first stake and paint an outline of the pool’s shape. You might need to remove vegetation and fences to clear the area for the pool. You will also have to decide what you are going to do with the excess dirt: keep it, or have it hauled away.

Plumbing and framing

Actual construction begins once excavation is complete. Steel rebar is used to reinforce the hole. It gets bent into the shape of your pool, and the initial plumbing infrastructure is installed among and around it.

Concrete

Construction teams use gunite (a type of concrete shot out of a forced air gun), which gets pumped out of a hopper truck and onto the rebar surface. A finishing team then comes into sculpt that concrete into your pool’s finished shape. At this stage, the project really begins to look like a pool.

Tile

The perimeter tile is usually placed while the concrete of the actual pool is curing. The pool tile around the perimeter of the pool itself provides an easy-to-clean surface. The deck can also be built during this phase.

Electrical work

At this point, the electrician comes in to install the breaker box for the pool. It is installed where the pool equipment, including the pump, filter and heater, will be placed. The electrician will also connect the pool lights to junction boxes placed outside the pool deck. Upon completion of this step, he or she runs a conduit from the junction boxes to the breaker box.

Plastering

The final phase of pool construction is plastering, which gives your pool the waterproof layer it needs to protect the steel and shell while also giving it a smoother surface that is easily cleaned. Once this process is finished, you can begin filling the pool up with water!

This is a very general overview of the process of pool construction in Los Angeles, CA, but if you have any questions about any of these elements, we encourage you to contact us today.