new build

Dad was a pool guy in the Chicago suburbs in the 70’s. Had a 24’ above ground as a kid and a 20x40 10’ deep end diving pool as a teenager. Dad did everything himself but I was usually mowing when he was so I never learned. Well, I’m learning now. Got a hot tub 3 years ago then we were able to...

Hi everyone, new to the forum and world of pools. Purchased a new house with the intention on getting an inground pool constructed in the spring of 2025. Have met several pool builders, received quotes, information, etc. Leaning towards the following setup, but would appreciate any comments...

Hi everyone, new to the forum and world of pools. Purchased a new house with the intention on getting an inground pool constructed in the spring of 2025. Have met several pool builders, received quotes, information, etc. Leaning towards the following setup, but would appreciate any comments...

We are looking to build a custom hot tub to our back yard. Cement, 500 gallons, above ground, insulated cover. We went to a local spa and want to copy their build for size and shape, so we know its doable :) I need some help picking an electric heater I already have a Omnihub controller, and...

After spending a lot of time researching pool equipment, rebars, PVC schedules, lights wattage and lumens, etc. and reading through this forum and talking with six different pool builders, I am about to sign with our pool builder. Before I do, I would appreciate any suggestion and feedback. I...

Hi all, we are about to get started with our salt water pool build out in AZ and would like to get some recommendations on pool equipment. The pool is going to be a rectangle with the shallow end at 4' and deep end at 8'. Pool dimensions are 18' x 33' with a separate 7' x 7' spa that will drip...

Hi - looking for some feedback on our design, initially wanted only coping around the pool + 9 feet of decking for loungers on the entry side. We’d like to conserve some grass space (roughly 20ft of grass past the pool) so we thought about removing loungers from entry side and adding more...

Newbie here. First time posting, and first time pool owner. I am DIYing a 27’ round X 54” semi inground from the pool factory. Today was day 1 of excavation! The excitement hasn’t worn off enough for me to regret my purchase decision quite yet. We have sandy soil where we are in South Carolina...

hello just looking for your advice about this config note: 1- planning to use glass instead of sand with the filter 2- i will get SWG from another brand CircuPool Universal (UL25 or UL40) 3- i will look for professional installer not my self...

hello, thank you in advanced as i mentioned I'm a new pool owner and looking for some help with my package choice this is the configuration that i consider : https://www.thepoolfactory.com/pages/customizer?pid=saltwater-5000-18x33x52-oval-pool&uuid=NjYwNjQ0ZTAxN2UwOQ%3D%3D 18'x33'x52"...

I've been skimming through this forum for what feels like ages and can't describe how excited I am to finally start. The progress below has been over the span of about three days of work. One day for the initial layout and then two long days to get the steel and rough pluming in! The biggest...

Hello TFPers! I'm looking to install a small, simple rectangular pool in Austin, Texas this year (max 14' x 26'), and I'm evaluating fiberglass versus gunite. Pool will be for adulting/beveraging/beating the heat, ideally with a small tanning ledge. Going rectangular so we can install a hidden...

Hello! We are in the process of building our pool. Our plaster will be PebbleSheen Blue Granite. Under the grotto and the in-pool table, there are small ledges that I’d like to add edge tile to avoid stubbed toes. I love the look of these 1x1 glass tiles and was thinking of doing them every 6...

we have been talking about a pool for years but prices have continued to rise so we never pulled the trigger until now. I am so nervous to not be considering something or make the wrong decision. We have a night space and want to make sure the yard is beautiful for the money we are spending. We...

Hello, We live in the SF Bay Area and are planning to put in a new pool, our current plans do not include a spa because we live in a home without a gas line. Due to our current city ordinances we can’t add a new gas line either. We are planning to install solar heating for the pool. My question...

We are first time pool builders and I found this forum way too late! I was going to post some of our experiences and decisions to get feedback and hopefully help avoid some of the same mistakes we made. I am planning to post some of the stages differently due to the time it takes to make a...

We are investigating on doing a DIY inground pool kit from Royal Swimming Pools. We have a small yard & their custom kits seem to be the best option that won't cost us 120K:oops: Quote is for a 9'x30'x18' small L with a liner over steps entry with 6' tanning ledge. Anything you'd suggest...

I’m new to this site. We’ve had our pool for two years and are basically doing ok. However, we are in the country and have a water well, not City water. The three things that are always needing attention are phosphate levels, chlorine stability, and alkalinity and Calcium hardness. Seems...

Been helping a friend getting his new pool up and running. Setup Sand filter, pump STA-RITE SuperMax VS 1.5hp, heater aguacomfort act1100 heat pump 93kbtu, equipment 60 ft from pool, 1.5" flex PVC pipe 1 run for returns and 1 run for drain/skimmer, frog system (I know pool builder said swg would...

Hello All, We are currently in the proposal phase of our first pool. We have gone to 4 builders and as soon as we get our next quote in we will be making a decision on who to move forward with. Any recommendations on things we should do during this initial stage before signing contracts is...

We are in NC and are doing a geometric pool and spa. Our yard definitely gets a good amount of direct sun and full shade throughout the day. I am so lost with regards to what finish color to choose. We love the blue/green waters of the Mediterranean Sea so Seafoam Green and Bordeaux seem...

Hello! We are meeting with the pool builder this afternoon. We have 3 kids (12, 9, 4). Oldest 2 on swim team, and our youngest in swim lessons. We want a pool our family can enjoy, have friends/family over for volleyball, grilling, hanging out, and swim laps. The biggest dilemma is choosing a...

Hi folks! We’re new pool people and curious to know if this type of streak/mark in plaster is normal? This is a dark blue quartz plaster that was filled with water overnight with 2 standard hoses. Our PB wasn’t direct about the normality of this issue and simply mentioned an acid wash but we’ve...

Hey guys! I’m not a new pool owner, I’ve been a TFPer for years. HOWEVER, we’ve always been chlorine & this pool build we decided we wanted to try SW. They finally are able to get and install the salt water generator and I have questions!! 1. I have the app, do I create a new pool or change my...

Hello Yall. My wife and I are in the North Houston area. We are family of 4 with 2 kids (7 and 10). We are looking to build a pool by summer 2023. We met with a few PB's around the area & after getting few designs/bids, we selected a PB that we liked. Attached are the renders and proposed bid...

Working on selecting a contractor for a new pool build. Pool will be about 14.5K gallons in SE Florida with two 12" sheer decent waterfalls, no spa. Narrowed down the equipment (based off of this sites recommendations) for Pentair products, but a couple of the builders only use Jandy. Any help...

Hello, I stumbled across this forum and have read many different posts. I am still doing some research but will give some details of where I am currently. Planning installation and am about to sign a contract with a pool builder. We had many different quotes from different types of pool...

Just opened a 22,500 gallon Gunite pool last week with 2 skimmers, 2 bottom drains and 2 return lines. The skimmer on the opposite side of the pool from the pump barely has any suction. So far I have removed numerous chunks of Gunite and plaster twice from each skimmer and once from the basket...

First ever pool....New ~ 9,500 gallon Hydrazzo plaster pool finished filling on Saturday night. The pool company didn't come until Monday morning. They added 2 gallons of muriatic acid, a small amount of chlorine, and what looked like a sequestering agent. I saw this on the pool camera and they...

Hello! New to this wonderful site, so excited to see all the fun things people have done. We're nearing completion, having equipment installed this week and getting ready for pebble next week but thought I'd share some pics of the process. I calculated about 19,500 gallons after 3D mapping the...