Making the decision to invest in a pool for your home means making a choice for a higher quality of life and an increased property appeal should you ever decide to sell your home in the future. Realistically, any pool addition can accomplish these things—it takes the ideal pool to truly illustrate your style, accent your needs and transform your living space into the embodiment of your desires.
Choosing a pool starts first and foremost with picking the right design and before pool construction in Los Angeles, CA starts, you’re going to want to make sure you’re in love with your choice—there’s no going back after the ground has been broken!
Take a look at a few different styles of pool design and what makes each unique in its own right. Ponder these options and pair them up with your vision for an ideal pool before consulting a contractor about pool construction in Los Angeles, CA:
- Architecture pool: As the name would imply, this is a pool style that’s focused primarily on design. These pools frequently build themselves into your landscaping and hardscaping, to give the appeal of cohesion on your property. Sophisticated, cosmopolitan and built with a price tag to match, architecture pools are considered the embodiment of luxury in the world of residential pools.
- Recreational pools: These pools are designed with the kids in mind! Recreational pools aren’t flashy in their design, but offer a few amenities that keep kids and those young at heart happy on a hot day. Often built with slides or basketball hoops included, recreational pools offer a larger overall pool space without a whole lot of flash.
- Infinity pools: Infinity pools give the allusion of standing water and serene stillness. These pools are reserved for the upper echelon of homeowners who have the funds to create one and are often associated more with luxury than use. Infinity pools are great for a good soak, but don’t offer the space or depth to swim in.
- Lap pool: Long and narrow and made for one specific thing, lap pools are the friends of exercise-conscious homeowners looking for a place to burn those calories! These pools are great for swimming end-to-end in and can be a simple addition to a residential property that has an elongated lot.
- Plunge pool: Not your idea of a regular pool, plunge pools are often small and kept very cold! These pools aren’t for swimming laps or playing Marco Polo—they’re designed for therapy and relaxation. Plunge in after an intense workout to chill your muscles or spend a few moment soaking on a hot day to relieve stress.
Knowing what kind of pool you want and how the design of that pool will benefit you after it’s completed goes a long way towards making sure you’re getting exactly what you want out of the decision to place a pool on your property. Give the list above some thought before you consult with a pool contractor and you might just find yourself pursuing ideas you never even knew were open to you!
Having a new pool installed on your property is no overnight endeavor—it’s a process that takes a tremendous amount of foresight and planning to go off without a hitch. Working with a pool contractor is essential, since these professionals will know exactly how to proceed smoothly with your swimming pool construction in Los Angeles, CA.
Even in working with a professional contractor it behooves you to know exactly what’s all involved in the construction of your new pool. Knowing what the next phase is, how long it will take to complete, what’s all needed to complete that phase and how it all rolls into the final products means understanding the intricacies of your pool.
Planning and design
Before any ground is broken for your new pool, it’s essential to make sure a sound plan is developed. This means having a contractor out to your home to survey your property, take measurements and conduct a feasibility study. Knowing what’s possible before you dive into pool construction is a core tenant.
Within this first phase you’ll also decide on the type of pool, budget, timeline and start diagramming the finished product. When the planning and design phase comes to an end, you should know what you’re getting, how much it’s going to cost, when work will be completed and what the finished product is going to look like.
Permitting
Once you’ve got everything in place for what the pool will be, you’ll need to make sure your design and placement are kosher with the city and county you live in, which means permits need to be obtained. There’s a good chance that your pool will also affect the lot value of your property and the value of your home, which means accurately filling out permits to the best of your abilities.
Site prep and layout
This is the phase of swimming pool construction in Los Angeles, CA when the heavy lifting actually begins. Site prep means clearing your land of anything atop the construction area, including trees, shrubs, existing concrete and more. Once the land is clear, contractors and their team will begin laying out your pool’s dimensions, so that digging and shaping can begin. This process usually takes a couple of days, depending on the effort involved.
Excavation and plumbing
Once your site is prepped, digging will commence and the formation of your pool will begin to take shape. At first, it’s just going to be a big hole in the ground, but eventually, plumbing and drainage lines will be laid, giving this hole in the ground some semblance of a pool.
Shell installation, decking and pouring
Through these phases your pool will get the overhaul it needs to look and function like a pool. This is where the bread and butter of swimming pool construction in Los Angeles, CA takes place and when it’s through, the bulk of your installation will be done.
Electrical and finishing
The electrical components of your pool are among the last to be installed and before you can use your pool, it will need to be acid washed and lined. Together, these represent the finishing touches on your pool and when all is said and done, it should look exactly like what was drawn up in the initial planning and design stages, all the way back at the beginning!
The big day has arrived and it is time to prepare for your pool construction crew. As this is a large undertaking, there are steps you need to take beforehand to assure this proceeds as easily as possible. Take these steps before the arrival of the crew to help your construction time be as uneventful as possible:
- Know the timeframe: New pool construction in Los Angeles, CA takes time. During this period, your yard will be in upheaval and your routines will be disrupted. This is especially true if you have pets or children who are used to having free run of the yard. The process may be shorter or longer than you realized, so be prepared either way and determine alternatives.
- Locate utilities: Water, gas and electric lines must all be identified before the crew starts digging your pool. By marking these first, workers can know which areas to avoid. This will keep them safe and prevent damage to your yard. Depending on the layout of utilities, this will also affect the placement of your pool and its amenities.
- Move plants: Due to sunlight requirements or the overall chaos in the yard, some plants may not tolerate the construction phase. Consider moving them to a place with more light or away from the havoc. You may want to move your pool away from trees anyway, as that will help keep debris from landing in the water and give you less cleanup to deal with. That decision will also assure the construction affects plants as little as possible.
- Check fencing laws: Once the pool is complete, your fencing contractor should not be far behind. Some areas require pool fencing, and the standards can be very stringent. Also, your homeowner’s insurance may insist on fencing, or you may not have coverage in the event of a claim. No matter the reason, fencing must also be part of pool design and construction. Have that planned before the crew starts building your pool.
- Clear clutter: If you have a patio area intended to complement the pool, remove any furniture and clutter. Giving the workers more space will help the process and keeps your stuff out of harm’s way. Also make sure any walkways to the construction site are clear so workers can travel without worrying about tripping. The less extra stuff in your yard at the time of construction, the better.
- Secure pets and children: The construction site will present many temptations to children. Supervise them well during this time so they do not expose themselves to injury. Pets can also get lost during this period. Inform the construction crew of your pets so they are not accidentally let loose. Consider other accommodations for them during construction just to ensure their safety.
- Above all, be patient: Pool construction has fewer certainties because it involves digging underground. There may be a planned timeframe of two weeks, but new developments can make it three weeks. Prepare to roll with circumstances and listen to your contractors when possible contingencies are described. The process will not be perfect, but rest assured, it will get done.
Avanti Pools, Inc. offers over a decade of experience in new pool construction in Los Angeles, CA. Call us to start the design and building process for your pool today.
Perhaps you recently enjoyed spending time in a friend’s pool, or maybe you wish for a swim on a hot day. No matter the reason, you now feel compelled to call a pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA and immediately build a personal oasis. However, pools can be expensive and require maintenance, so this may not be a commitment you really wish to keep. Before you give us a call, take some time to consider these factors:
- Why you want one: Is it for your personal image? Do you intend to swim once a year, or every day? These considerations will not only help you assess whether the expense is worth it, but they might also impact the pool design should you decide to build one after all. Pools used for fitness purposes are very different from those used for recreation only. If you see it as an aesthetic feature to be used rarely, that will also affect your decision and the final layout.
- Who will use it: Obviously, if your answer is “no one,” or “me, but only occasionally,” you may want to rethink the compulsion. However, just like the “why” question, this one will also impact decisions related to design. If you have children, you may want a pool with an extended shallow area or an auxiliary wading pool. If your household is adults only and you love to entertain, you can likely get away with a deeper pool, and even add features like underwater speakers.
- Your yard’s suitability: Sandy or rocky soil or a high water table may stop pool construction before it even starts. At the least, they will increase construction costs that will lead you to deeper consideration regarding what you really want. Sometimes, digging down deep to install the pool can uncover unwelcome surprises. Discovering buried trash, for example, can require expensive removal fees. Your consideration here is budget and being prepared to spend more than is originally predicted.
- Permits and zoning: Local ordinances can limit the location and size of pools. There can also be restrictions on features. For example, some neighborhoods may look poorly on you installing underwater speakers. Fencing is also an important consideration, as safety issues and accessibility to your pool will affect compliance with the law and your insurance policy. If you are not ready to consider all these laws and requirements, you are probably not prepared to construct a pool.
- Compatibility with your backyard: You need to consider not just the amenities you want included with your pool, but also the ones you already have in your yard. If you wish to preserve the century-old trees, there are likely ways to work around them, but you may wind up with a pool shape unlike your original expectation. Similarly, outdoor grills accompany pools nicely, and if you already have one, the pool will need to adapt to it. This will not only affect your expectations, but also whether you decide to proceed with pool construction at all. People do not always want to rearrange their whole backyard.
When you are ready to take the plunge, call Avanti Pools, Inc. to hire a pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA. We enjoy challenging projects and would love to talk to you about your ideal swimming pool.
