Whether you are a pool builder or a homeowner, it's important to understand that the process of building a fiberglass pool on a home under construction presents some unique challenges. However, if these are understood and discussed beforehand they can be easily overcome.

7 Things to Plan For When Building a Fiberglass Pool on a Property with a House under Construction

Drainage protect the pool when to begin cleaning the pool stains and other damage to the pool shellDon't leave pool equipment on the site double-check the pool before installing the patio

1. Drainage

Why drainage first?In most cases, when a pool is installed before the home is finished, the pool will sit for long periods of time before the patio and other peripheral work is completed. This being the case, it's not uncommon for pools to sit for months without insuring surface water is diverted away from the pool.

Some easy remedies are to re-route downspouts with corrugated pipe and to divert surface water away from the pool using straw bales and/or silt fences.

The main point (as with everything in this article) is to ensure this is discussed before the project begins so expectations are set ahead of time.

2. Protect the Pool

Again, in most cases these pools sit for very long periods of time unfinished. Furthermore, a pool on a construction site almost always becomes a waste dump. Workers wash buckets in the pool, the wind blows all types of debris in there... The point is, the pool must get covered as soon as it is installed. This can be done with plywood or plastic but the takeaway is COVER THE POOL!

3. When to Begin

The first question most folks have is, "When is the right time to start the pool?" Well, it depends on few factors. First, you need to determine if access to the backyard will be cut off or seriously impeded at any point during the home construction. As you probably know, getting a fiberglass pool to a backyard requires some space. If your access will be cut off, then install the pool as late in the game as possible. If access to the backyard isn't an issue then we feel the perfect time to install the pool is after the exterior of the home is complete and before the final driveway and landscaping/irrigation are completed.

4. Cleaning the Pool

This is a critical point of discussion before the project begins. Regardless of whether the pool is covered or not, if it sits for months (not uncommon at all) while waiting for electrical service, it will be a mess to clean up. On our construction projects in cases like this, we include two cleaning trips in our price and the client understands that any more will result in an extra charge. We learned this one the hard way. After several projects where we literally removed buckets of debris and spent well over a dozen trips to clean the pool, we wised up.

5. Stains or Other Damage to the Pool Shell

It's also important to communicate that there is a potential for damage to the pool shell to occur in these circumstances. Again, after learning this one the hard way, we now make it clear that if any debris enters the pool such as nails, razor blades, or other tools or construction materials that can oxidize and consequently stain the pool, we are not responsible for the expense to resolve these issues. The same applies to bricks, stones or other large heavy materials that could damage the pool from an impact.

6. Do Not Leave Pool Equipment on the Site

Be sure not to leave salt systems, pool cleaning equipment, or any other portable equipment on the site.

There is always someone who would be happy to relocate it for you :)

7. Double-Check the Pool Before Installing the Patio

Fiberglass does not like to stay straight. Consequently, a straight-walled fiberglass pool that sits for months without a concrete collar to lock it in place could move a little over time. Be sure to make a special trip before pouring concrete to re-straighten anything that may have come out of alignment. We hope this helps and we certainly hope that you can use our experience to help you execute your fiberglass pool project well. At River Pools, we manufacture and install world-class fiberglass pools across North America.

Content of this blog post provided by River Pools