What takes so long…
How long does it take to build a pool? This is a very popular question we get. Especially when we are knocking on summer’s door. You should expect about 4-8 weeks for the starting process to get completed.
This is a little behind the scenes tour on a typical process for a homeowner living in a city.
The contract is signed. Yea, everyone is ready to go. But wait, we need permits. As soon as you sign the contract we are calling in a Dig Test. You will notice someone comes out to the yard and marks your yard up with flags and/or paint. This is usually completed within 24hrs. Say a little prayer they don’t find any major utilities that will be in the way!
The designer will need pics of the markings in order to complete his next step. After getting the pics the plans can be drawn up typically within 3-7 days depending on how many come back at the same time. This does take a special person and cannot be completed by just anyone. It will be the blueprint for your pool build.
They put together construction drawings and send you a copy. These can be submitted to your HOA. On our end we first send the plans to the electric company for their stamp of approval. Then those “stamped” or approved plans move on to the city for permits.
Generally the city has a plans reviewer who looks over the plans and then they send it onto the person sitting in the office a couple of doors down to get approval. Fort Worth generally takes the longest to get this done. We have paid for a 3rd party inspector to rush this along and cut out the extra steps within the city’s processes. This part alone can take 2-4 weeks and even up to 6 weeks during peak times. At this point you’re getting a little anxious. Keep in mind that this wait is out of your builder’s control and we hate it as much as you do.
Plans approved!! Yea, happy day. Let’s roll right? Well, hold on just a minute. You will go on the dig list at this point if you have HOA approval locked in. Going on the dig list is great, but it’s not instant. Digs are coordinated by location, dump sites and what equipment may be needed. Typically even during the busiest of seasons you won’t sit on the dig list for more than 1-3 weeks.
Now how long will it take? Once you have a hole in the ground it usually takes 8-12 weeks. Sometimes it will take even less if everything goes just right. Average is usually about 10 weeks Specialized tiles, coping, excessive amounts of rain, etc are a few examples of what can prolong your build.
Those County Dwellers.. do not require permitting. You will be assigned a project manager once your construction plans are completed. They will usually reach out to you soon after.
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