Building a Pool – What No One Tells You

Building a Pool – What No One Tells You

Ah, the dream of having your own pool—a shimmering oasis right in your backyard, where summer afternoons drift by in relaxation and laughter. But before you can enjoy that first plunge into the cool, inviting water, there’s a journey ahead—one filled with challenges, unexpected turns, and lessons that only the bold-hearted will experience. Building a pool isn’t just about picking out a shape and deciding on the tiles; it’s a complex, often nerve-wracking process that tests both patience and planning.

Having just finished the pool building process, we wanted share our experience including construction costs, hidden expenses, plus whether or not it has been worth it. Let’s dive into the what it is like building a pool and go over what no one tells you..

THE PROCESS

MAY

• We started getting pool estimates in May 2024. We went through 3 or 4 different companies and ended up choosing Pools R Us, because of their google reviews and their cost was a little cheaper than some of the other pool companies.
• Our project manager was great in the beginning. He sent us nice 3D renderings and we initially wanted the pool a couple of different ways and finally found a layout that worked best for us. I actually designed the layout. (see piece of paper of my drawing as to how I wanted it laid out)
• We went with a 24’x12’ pool with a 6’ water deck or baja ledge.
• We couldn’t start our pool project until July b/c we got married at the end of June and didn’t want anyone working in our backyard while we were on our honeymoon.

OPTIONS

• When you are getting a pool built there are so many different options for upgrades. At the time of our initial estimate for the pool and spa itself was $58,800. That is just the basics, with the additional upgrades we added during the initial planning was $79,000. The upgrades we selected was the 4 Pentair Microbrite LEO color changing lights for $2,900, the Pentair EasyTouch 4 smart panel for $3,900. We added the pop-up floor cleaners for $5,200. And then an 18” raised back wall for $3,800. And an additional $4,400 was added for demoing our previous backyard landscaping and putting back the front landscaping that was going to be taken apart for the pool people to get through.
• Pools R Us provided quartz flake plaster and at the time we decided to go with that.
• After much thought we decided we didn’t want the basic quartz flake plaster, we thought it made the pool look generic and too basic. So, we ended up adding micro fusion, which is a modern pool finish that uses a blend of micro pebbles to create a smooth, durable, and stain-resistant surface for a pool’s interior. Similar to pebble tech but better for an additional $5,800. The color we selected was Midnight and this will make our water color a much darker deeper blue color. Now bringing our pool total to $84,800. We felt it was worth the extra cost.

POOL TILE/COPING SELECTION

• We went to Pools R Us in June to pick out our titles and coping. I wanted something modern and unique. I definitely did not want those tiny shiny 1×1 tiles that everyone seems to put into their pools. And personally, I think those types of tiles seem to fall off faster and don’t last as long.
• Initially I wanted rectangular 2×6 tiles that were stacked vertically but I couldn’t find anything that was modern or that was a tile designed specifically for a pool, because it needed to be the max of 6 inches tall for the waterline.
• I found a beautiful 6×6 tile online at a company called National Pool Tiles, and luckily in the Pools R US showroom they had that exact same tile. I did not want any blue tiles, because it seems like everyone picks blue. This tile was beautiful with a teal color and it looked like waves from the ocean.
• For the retaining wall I wanted a different type of tile, so we selected a 12×24 white tile with blue/gray wavy streaks in it. The blue was not your typical blue and it looked darker gray or almost black. It complemented the 6×6 tile beautifully.
• But instead of having the tile in the 12×24 format, I wanted them cut in half and stacked horizontally making the title now 6×24, looking very modern.

BEFORE PHOTOS:

Our backyard was very boring and all it has was rocks and bushes. We spend a lot of time in our backyard due to the awesome Las Vegas weather and we really were tired of looking at such a drab backyard.

THE POOL BUILD TIMELINE

DEMO & EXCAVATION – Weeks 1 & 2

• Per our contract, Pools R Us was supposed to start the pool demo and excavation on 7/15/24, I had reached out to our designer back in June asking if we were still on track for starting on 7/15/24 and he assured me that we were on the schedule.
• Of course, that was not the case, 7/15 came and went and Pools R Us was not able to start the demo until Saturday 7/20 and the excavation on Monday 7/22.
• On the first day of excavation, they found a hidden kidney shaped pool, that had lots of rebar and the old plumbing. It was a mess and quite interesting to learn that we had a hidden pool. We were thinking oh now, this is going to cost us extra to have this removed, which it ended up costing us an additional $1,500. It took them all day to clear the old pool out.
• The next day on 7/23 the team outlined the pool with wood and rebar so the excavator knows where to dig.
• On 7/24 excavation fully begins and of course they find really bad caliche, which lasted until 7/30/24. With Pools R Us they charge you an additional $300 an hour for digging hard caliche. So, 25 hours later we were charged another $7,500, which was crazy. Bringing the total additional charge to $9,000. YIKES, now the total pool cost was up to $93,800.

COMPLAINT

• Pools R Us doesn’t really keep you abreast about the timelines or when the subcontractors will be coming next. I had to constantly reach out to my designer to check on the status and when the next contractor will be over. Sometimes they would only be working on the pool for one day of the entire week.
• Communication sucked, I had questions and concerns about things and wanted my designer over to clarifying what was going on and if the construction looks accurate. It took days for him to finally come check out the progress and I was quite upset because of the reviews I had read about Pools R Us and the owner Greg on how responsive they were and how they were there checking the progress every step of the way for other clients. That was not the case for us and we felt jaded. Or at least I did.
• I emailed Pools R Us to go over how I was feeling and how I wasn’t happy with the lack of communication. The owner came buy with the designer and we finally got our answers answered and of course Greg talks us into adding two 24’ linear water features for an additional $3,500. Now bringing our pool total to $97,300.
• Initially I did not want a water feature because after seeing so many homes with them and how the tile in the back had a bunch of calcium build up. But since we already had the retaining wall built, it would make a nice added feature for resale purposes.

PLUMBING/REBAR/ELECTRICAL – Weeks 3 & 4

• We don’t see the pool people again until 8 days later on 8/7/24 when they started installing the plumbing and they were only here for one day that week and our yard was a mess with big trenches everywhere for the pipes.
• Then on 8/12/24 the plumbers come back to add the in-floor cleaners.
• On 8/14 – 8/15 rebar gets put in, which are steel bars that are placed in a grid like pattern throughout the pool.
• On 8/17 & 8/19 the electrician comes and puts in the electrical panel for the pool.

SHOTCRETE – Week 5

• On 8/23/24 the team comes and does the Shotcrete – which is a type of concrete that is sprayed onto a surface at high velocity, rather than poured and it shapes the pool.
• Once the Shotcrete was sprayed, we had to spray it with water thoroughly 2 times a day for 7 days. This helps minimize shrinkage cracks.

ANOTHER ISSUE

• Part of the estimate with Pools R Us was for repairing the front yard after they had destroyed it with all of the equipment coming through the yard and they had to remove 20 or so pavers so it was out of their way. This cost was $1,650.
• Since we were having our backyard landscaped, by LandTeck, a company I had used to landscape my front yard 5 years ago. I decided that I would rather have my landscaping company fix all the damages instead of Pool R Us, and because we wanted to revamp our front yard and add more plants and more pavers to make a little patio in the front.
• I asked Ben my designer on 8/26/24 if we could remove the $1,650 repair and add it as a credit because I wanted to go with my own landscaper. He said he would get with accounting and get back to me. On 9/3/24 I ask Ben about the front yard credit again; he was still working on an update. Also, the demo team still had to remove part of the retaining wall that they never removed in the initial demo. We were waiting on a response from Ben on this. Which that was 2 months of waiting on that one.
• On 9/6/24 Ben states he is waiting for Greg (the owner) to approve the $1,650 credit.
• 9/11/24 I ask Ben if Greg was going to issue me a credit and he said he was meeting with him that afternoon and will have an answer for me. Then later he said they were going to stop by the house the next day.
• So, when they get here on 9/12/24, they tell me they just spoke with their lawyers and can’t give me a credit of $1,650 because of how the contract was issued. They can offer another service to add that $1,650 to, like applying it to get our back patio concrete finished. Such bull crap and 17 days later, after I have been asking constantly what the status was of this.

TILE/COPING – Week 7

• After a week of no activity because we had to water the shotcrete, they finally came and put tile in the pool on 9/2/24. We can now start seeing our vision of what the pool will look like.
• Next on 9/6/24 they put on the coping and coping is a material used for the capping or edging that is placed around the swimming pool shell wall. These people were very sloppy and they left two pallets in our front yard with broken tile and unused coping. I called Ben immediately after they left to have them come back to remove because I didn’t want to get into trouble with the HOA. This was a Friday and no one showed up. Damian had to clear the mess himself and put the pallets to the front side walk for trash day. Ben assured me he would handle it. That never happened.

ELECTRICIAN – Week 8

• On 9/12 – 9/13 the electrician comes back out to finish setting up the panel and installing the 4 Microbrite LED lights in the pool.

MICRO FUSION – Week 10

• We didn’t have the pool people come out for a week because we were having our backyard landscaped and we thought it was best to have it done before they put the final finishes of the pool.
• Now on 9/24 it was time for the Micro Fusion, as I mentioned earlier, Micro Fusion is a modern pool finish that uses a blend of micro pebbles to create a smooth, durable, and stain-resistant surface for a pool’s interior. We selected the color Midnight because we wanted the water to be a deeper darker color than the traditional light blue pool color.
• This was very messy and they left a lot of drippings on our brand-new pavers that we just put in the week before. I specifically asked my designer to make sure that the pool people use the right gate to enter into the backyard for the Micro Fusion, they did in the beginning and then they opened my left gate and used that as an entry. When I specifically requested that they only use the right gate. Now this company ruined at least 10 pavers with some cream-colored drippings on them.
• Finally on 9/25 the pool people did an acid wash in the pool and then it was time to fill the pool up with water. It took almost 11 hours to fill.

Building a pool is a journey filled with unexpected obstacles and frustrations. It’s a lesson in patience, resilience, and adaptability. For many, the outcome is worth every hurdle—a lifetime of memories spent poolside with friends and family, the satisfaction of knowing you created something lasting and beautiful.

However, if you ask anyone who’s gone through the process whether they’d do it again, you’ll likely get a pause before an answer. The truth is, while the end result is wonderful, the process itself is not for the faint of heart. It requires grit, a willingness to roll with the punches, and a sense of humor to keep things in perspective.

But if you can handle the trials and tribulations, the rewards of building your own pool are immense—a sanctuary for relaxation, a hub for connection, and a sparkling testament to your determination. And in the end, as you lounge on a float with the sun warming your face, all the stress seems to drift away, leaving only the satisfaction of a dream fulfilled.

AFTER PHOTOS:

If you’re considering buying or selling a home in the Las Vegas Valley, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’ll get back to you personally and promptly. Thanks for visiting!

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Angela O’Hare
Favorite Las Vegas Realtor
Home Realty Center
Lic. #180246
702-370-5112
[email protected]
www.neighborhoodsinlasvegas.com