Planning A New Pool Considerations

A huge mistake many people make when building a pool is not giving enough consideration to the design of the pool and how it will connect with the existing elements of the  property and affect total build costs. 

When it comes to designing and building a new pool there are many elements to consider. Todays post will focus on the initial design elements and construction constraints that can come into play.

Access-

 Is there available access for machinery/equipment. These days limited access machinery can usually operate as long as around 1100mm in width is available down the side of a house. However soil conditions should be considered if using small machinery as this can become a very costly exercise if rock is encountered or piers are required. In some instances this will be unavoidable due to the property size, if building a new home on a small lot serious consideration should be given to building the pool prior to house being constructed as this can save thousands in machinery and hand labour costs. 

Sewer/Council services and Electricity- 

Does the position of the pool come into contact with any council services such as sewer mains, stormwater easements, overhead electricity or underground services. If so can the design be altered to avoid these items. If these are unavoidable there will be cost implications for building over or bridging these networks and obtaining approvals.

Position of Sun-

 Does the design take into account best positioning of the daily and yearly position of the sun. Whilst having full sun on a pool can have benefits for heating having the afternoon sun blazing into your eyes when trying to enjoy a drink on the sitting areas is not ideal.

Positioning to adjacent structures/retaining walls- 

As a general rule of thumb the depth of the pool is the distance you should stay away from existing structures that have not be reinforced below ground level, to avoid undermining the structure during earthworks.

Future use of the available space-

Will the design affect future access, extensions, alterations to the property and if so can it be altered to allow for future works.

Soil Conditions-

Knowing the soil conditions will make the  builders job of quoting much easier and provide a much more accurate estimate. Things like rock, shale, uncontrolled fill or highly reactive soils can add to total build costs so being aware of these items early is critical to providing a realistic estimate. 

Levels/ Drainage-

Every site will have different amounts of falls/rise and taking these into consideration is essential. Looking at where overland flow will run and how the pool will affect drainage is critical to a long term trouble free outcome. Can the pool be utilized to create retaining aspects or can it be built higher above ground to stop flooding. These should be serious considerations for potential pool owners.