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I had a pool when I lived in S CA. In the summer it went to 80 to 85 degrees all summer long. I was in it almost everyday. Took apart & cleaned the Filter every 3 to 4 months, never had to replace a pump in 13 years. Dumped the Chlorine in every once in awhile. Had the Creepy Crawler to keep it clean. The only thing was when the wind blew and the pool got filled with leaves...that I didn't like. That pool cost me North of 60K in 1991, and I subbed it myself.


The key here is to BUILD IT YOURSELF..get the sub contractors and away you go. You save roughly 25% to 30% on the deal.

Here is yer 12 step program:

1. Draw your plan

2. Buy the Engineering details

3. Get yer Permits

4. Hire a pool digger

5. Get a Rebar sub contractor

6. Get a Plumber, he can arrange buying the Equipment at wholesale

7. Get an Electrician

8. A Gunite sub

9. A Tile Sub

10. A Concrete Decking sub

11. A Plasterer

12. Hook everything up and leave hose in the bottom of the pool to fill.

Oh and one sub will lead to another sub as they all know each other. As a matter of fact the Pool Contractor that you are contemplating on hiring is going to be using some of those same Sub Contractors.

So the question becomes on a 60K pool is 15K to 20K worth your time and effort. AND YOU GET A LOT MORE POOL FOR YOUR DINERO...little extra features..in other words a deluxe pool vs a plain jane. Early on you need to get your Plumber, so that he can lay out where the Equipment is going to be set and where the trenches are needed for the Plumbing.


There are no mysteries and it is not as hard as you would think. Even my school teacher next door neighbors built their own.

Now the pool I built in S CA was a major project...the Pool alone needed 30 yards of Gunite (18 inches thick at the bottom) with rebar 4 inches on center, the Footing for the Retaining walls another 25 yards of Concrete. Just to dig the thing, 200 yards of dirt and rock were removed.