Step 1 ::  Analyze site and draft preliminary sketch Whether your house is already built, or whether you are early in the design stages, the foundation to any good design is a detailed plot plan that shows the footprint of the house with finished floor elevations, easements, set-backs, or other site contingencies. Once the survey and/or plot plan has been obtained from your architect/builder, our designers can draft a preliminary sketch that considers the architecture of the home, your functional requirements, sun exposure, privacy and view opportunities. NOTE: For hillside properties, it is often necessary to obtain topographical surveys and/or soils engineering prior to the design process. Perimeter and retaining walls are best designed in conjunction with the pool, not independently. If you have a hillside lot and have not yet finalized the perimeter wall design, Contact Us as soon as possible so that we might work with your architect to create the most integrated design possible. Step 2 ::  Develop a preliminary budget Based on the site analysis and your design requirements, our designers will help in assessing what your project may cost. Step 3 ::  Draft a detailed plan Once a conceptual budget has been determined, our designers will then be equipped to draft a design for your review. Structural engineering for the pool and walls may be required at this point. Step 4 ::  Prepare a detailed cost estimate Our designers will provide a finalized cost estimate once we have developed a finished scale-drawing (with completed engineering, when appropriate). Step 5 ::  Draft construction agreement Step 6 ::  Generate Construction documents and obtain building permit Depending on the complexity of your project and the municipality in which you reside, this phase could take but a few days (for simple projects) or up to several weeks (for jobs that require custom engineering and multiple reviews by the city building department). Step 7 :: Site Prep and layout Once the building permit has been obtained, construction can begin.Some projects require a good deal of prep-work before the actual pool construction can start. Demolition, grading, and retaining walls are just a few steps that might occur prior to laying out the shape of the pool itself. Step 8 ::  Checkpoint #1 Once the pool is either painted on the ground or staked and delineated with string line, this is a great time to meet with the project superintendent and designer to verify the actual size, configuration, placement, depth and height of all the design features that were heretofore discussed with pen and paper via drawings at the kitchen table. This is where the vision of your project begins to manifest in reality. Step 9 ::  Forming and Excavation If you haven't experienced it already, the action and excitement begins with loud, heavy machinery tearing into your site. The goal is to create a tranquil finished environment for you to relax and enjoy, but the process of construction can feel invasive and disconcerting while your yard is in such disarray. If you have selected a professional building team, their professionalism and communication with you will help minimize the disruption of this tumultuous experience. Patience and flexibility on your part will make the process flow right along. Step 10 ::  Plumbing and Equipment Set Step 11 ::  Structural steel re-bar installation Step 12 ::  Electrical runs and hookups Step 13 ::  City inspection / make corrections if needed Step 14 :: Checkpoint #2 At this time it is good to double check things such as light placements,therapy jet locations, and in-floor cleaning head locations with the designer / superintendent prior to the installation of concrete. Step 15 ::  Shotcrete This is a great day to take off of work if you haven't been sick in a while.A crew will come and spray the concrete of your pool in with what looks like a fire hose. Watch as your pool takes shape right before your eyes. Step 16 :: Clean-up, trench burying and general grading for decks This is the best phase of all, because up until now, your yard has been a war zone of open trenches, exposed piping, exposed conduit, exposed re-bar stakes, piles of dirt here and there waiting to be leveled, and a big whole in the ground that was hard to navigate. Suddenly you have a pool to look at and the yard gets put back to some semblance of normality. Step 17 ::  Boulders and Masonry If you have any large scale boulder settings to go in, this is another day to stay home and watch the action. After Boulders are set and grouted, any masonry walls, BBQ's, fireplaces, benches, etc. will go in next. Step 18 ::  Checkpoint #3 (Deck Layout) At this time the designer and the home owner should get together to mark out where the patios will go. Does the design as depicted by the original plan meet your expectations of where you want furniture, landscape, and walkways? Now is the time to double check, ask questions if you are doubtful, and make suggestions. Step 19 ::  Deck installation Step 20 ::   Tile installation Step 21 ::  Fencing and Barrier installation Step 22 ::  Final Inspection If your municipality requires your backyard doorways to be self closing or alarmed, this is the deadline for their installation, and the city inspector will need access to your home's interior on this day to verify the proper implementation of the barrier devices. Step 23 :: Home owner schedules gas hookup If you have a natural gas supply meter to your residence, it is required by the Gas company that you make the call to have the meter connected to the gas lines run for your pool heaters and/or fireplaces. If you have had propane tanks installed instead of natural gas, verify that your supply tanks are full at this time. Step 24 ::  Interior finish Another exciting day has arrived: the installation of your pools final interior finish. Say good bye to the raw concrete. In a few days you will be swimming. Step 25 ::  Fill pool and Start-up The tease: you have been so looking forward to seeing water in your pool, the kids are stomping pool side with swim trunks donned, and we have to say just a few more days of work to be done. It takes just a few more days and a little more patience while we turn the systems on, troubleshoot, perfect any discrepancies, and get the pool water's chemistry stabilized for you. Step 26 ::  Orientation meeting At this time we'll set up an actual appointment to meet with you. It is time to show you everything about how to operate your swimming pool. Step 27 ::  Landscape installation / restoration Step 28 ::  Enjoy!