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The pandemic created a huge boom for the pool installation industry—a historic 24% growth overall, according to the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA)—and left many homeowners disappointed. “Labor and supply chain issues caused significant delays,” says Janay Rickwalder of the PHTA, whose website SplashFacts.org was designed to guide homeowners through the pool-building process. “Demand was off the charts. Pool builders received more construction inquiries than they could respond to, and the supply of aboveground pools quickly sold out.” Shortages still exist, but there are ways to get yourself swimming by next summer. We talked to experts to find out how.
Do your research
Before you reach out to anyone, know what you want. “Incorporate as much prep work as possible beforehand,” says Ashley Petrone, an interior designer in Anna Maria Island, Florida. “Scour the internet for ideas and inspiration so that when you’re ready to hire someone, you aren’t the one causing extra delays.”
The scope and design of your project will determine a builder’s ability to fit you into their schedule. For example, says Kevin Holleran of Hayward Holdings—a manufacturer of pool equipment—vinyl liner or fiberglass build times are significantly shorter than those for concrete or gunite custom pools.
“Talk to your builder and make sure you understand the implications of certain finishes and design details,” advises Sara Cukerbaum of Slic Design in Austin, Texas. “Recently, for a pool interior [we were doing] we found there might be a delay with a specific plaster, so we pivoted to a pebble finish. This is true for pool equipment as well.”
Pull your permits
Labor and material shortages have gotten most of the attention, but John Rachel of Rachel Lynch—a pool builder in Southampton, New York—says that the permitting process can actually be the biggest holdup due to a shortage of workers and high turnover. While a contractor typically pulls a permit once a design is in place, it’s worth looking into the specifics in your area even before you begin the design process. “I can often build a pool in four to six weeks, but the permitting process can take two or three months,” Rachel says.
Enlist some help
Ideally, you want to involve a landscape architect or designer in creating the overall vision for the pool, hardscaping, and landscaping. It’s a big and permanent project after all, and approaching a builder with a design in place is a great time-saving move. But to save even more time, it’s possible to go directly to a builder, says Annapolis, Maryland, architect Cathy Purple Cherry—you’ll just want to look for one with in-house design services or a professional designer on staff.
Lock in the contract ASAP
If you want a pool installation completed by the upcoming summer, you want to lock in the contract now, says Thomas Jepsen of architecture company Passion Plans. “Many companies are backed up several months, so if you lock in the contract now, you’ll be ahead when it comes to doing the work,” he says, pointing out that it’s a good idea to take advantage of winter downtime. “This is usually the time when contractors have some time that they’d love to fill. If you can get it done now instead of when everyone else is competing for their attention, you’ll likely also save money.”
Think above the ground
Although in-ground pools are still considered the most upscale option, custom decking and landscape design can make aboveground pools very cool, says Philadelphia interior designer Phoebe Schuh of PS & Daughters. “Our guidance is to go smaller—think plunge, not laps—and consider stainless steel as your material to avoid skewing tacky.” Just be warned: John Rachel says that some aboveground projects can be deceptively difficult. “Aboveground can get around the permitting process and sometimes be quicker,” he says, “but in ground and in virgin soil are still the easiest pools to construct.”
Consider alternatives
Pools like the ones from Vancouver-based Modpools made out of shipping containers, Nashville-based Palmingo Pools, and Austin’s prefab Proper Plunge Pools can be a great interim or even permanent solution. Instead of months, prefab pools take days to install. The key, Phoebe Schuh says, is to go with simple shapes and leverage a landscape designer to make the end result beautiful. “Prefab and stock tank pools are totally doable and can look very chic,” says Ashley Petrone, who built a stock tank pool at her own home that her kids loved. “You can build a deck around them, paint them, or keep them simple with just some pavers or rocks.” Add a pump to circulate the water so it says fresh.
Do it in phases
Schuh says it’s totally fine to prioritize getting the pool in the ground, and then give yourself another season to work on the landscape. Landscape designer Blythe Yost—of online design firm Tilly—says, “I’ve had instances where a pool is complete, but the hardscape isn’t ready, so we’ve put down temporary AstroTurf to make the pool usable through the season and then finished up in the fall. The landscape can be phased over time, if needed.”