Swimming Pools

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Choosing

Restrictions, codes and other regulations

Health and safety codes

Climate, weather and your swimming pool

Consider the wind

Sizing up the landscape

Slope, soil and drainage

Rules-of-thumb for choosing the site

Lots with a challenge

Choosing a swimming pool site

If the Roman swimming pools of 2000 years ago are any indication, once your in-ground or on-ground swimming pool is in place, it will be there for a long time. It makes sense to choose its location very carefully.

You can retain a professional to do the job for you. But you will be able to communicate your desires more easily if you first study the microclimates of your property, familiarize yourself with codes and other regulations, size up the landscape, and evaluate possible pool sites, particularly if your property has some unusual feature.

Using the professional

Architects, landscape architects and designers, soils and structural engineers, and pool and landscape contractors are among the professionals who can help you plan your swimming pool.

Architects and landscape architects

Many homeowners retain an architect or landscape architect for projects involving a swimming pool and the surrounding environment. These professionals are licensed and are trained to create designs that are structurally sound, functional, and esthetically pleasing. In addition, they are familiar with construction methods and materials understand the mechanics of estimating, and can negotiate with and supervise the contractor.

Landscape designer

Landscape designers usually have the education and training of landscape architects but are not licensed. Some landscape designers are licensed contractors, however, and can both design the landscaping for you swimming pool and perform the actual work.

Soils and structural engineers

If you are planning a swimming pool on an unstable or steep lot, you building department may require that you consult with soils and structural engineers and obtain engineering reports.

Soils engineers evaluate soil conditions on a proposed construction site and establish design specifications for foundations that can resist whatever stresses unstable soil exerts. Structural engineers, often working with the site evaluation and calculations provided by a soils engineer, design swimming pools foundations.

Pool and landscape contractors

Pool contractors specialize in swimming pool construction and landscape contractors in garden construction. Both are licensed. Some also have design skills and experience; their fees for designing usually are included in the price bid for performing the work. Though the design skills of some contractors may be limited, pool contractors have designed many award-wining swimming pools.