Making the decision to build a swimming pool is possibly one of the most exciting home and garden projects you can enter into. With a completely life-changing result, building a swimming pool involves lots of important decisions and this article aims to help map out the process so you are aware of all of the decisions that need to be taken into account at the beginning of your project.
The Design Process
Here at Clear Water Revival, we have a team of professional experts to help build your own custom-made swimming pool. From planning and design, to construction and technical maintenance, we have all of the experience necessary. We start with a concept design and then once approved we create a 3D visualisation of your project. This is then drawn up into detailed build schematics ready for the construction team to turn them into a reality. This process can be fast if clients are able to feedback on designs quickly. 4 weeks for design can be achieved. However, if you are unable to commit time to the design phase, this can take longer so set aside time in accordance to how responsive you think you can be.
Construction times
One of the most frequently asked questions here at CWR is “How long will it take to build my swimming pool?”. Of course each project is different, however as a general guide, a concrete cast pool will have an 8-12 week build time where as a panel system pool will take between 4 and 8 weeks. The thing often overlooked however, is the pre-build period. Clear Water Revival can turn designs around quickly and always look ahead when planning projects to ensure materials can be ordered in time to get started quickly. However, this is dependant on quick feedback from the client and enough early-stage design input so that design work can be completed.
Weather
Weather can be factor affecting the completion dates of an in-ground swimming pool build. Temperature fluctuations can affect concrete casting times so this is always something to take into account when building a pool in winter. The experienced swimming pool builders at Clear Water Revival will be able to keep you informed of the timescales during the project and initially create estimate times based on your specific project and size of area.
Planning Permission
Most pools in the UK fall under permitted development which means that they do not require planning permission. However, if you are in an area of outstanding natural beauty, or greenbelt, or if your home is listed, you will likely need to submit a planning application. These typically take 8-10 weeks but can go on for longer if there are any issues, so it’s best to set aside 12 weeks if you think that you need to get permission. If you’re not sure whether your pool project will need planning permission, the best thing to do is to call your local authority and ask to speak to the duty planner. They should be able to advise you.
The Site
The site selection is another important factor to consider when estimating the timescales of your new swimming pool construction project. Builders’ knowledge is again helpful here as to ascertaining how long construction will take on each individual site. It’s important to take into consideration how accessible the site is, as well as the size of the area and any obstacles around it.
The slope or grade of you site can also affect build times. For example if you are building on a slope you will need to level the site before installing the pool which could mean building additional retaining walls. This will add time to a project so bare this in mind when selecting your pool position.
To summarise, building a pool can be very quick and simple if all factors are taken into consideration at the beginning of your project. The design phase is often overlooked and not enough time is allowed for revisions and updates so if you can, try to get started as early as possible by getting in touch with your chosen pool contractor at least 6 months before you envisage getting on site. This will give you plenty of time to design your ideal pool, get planning permission, and order all of the materials required before getting on site.