Planning a backyard pool design in Northern Virginia is incredibly exciting. Of course, if you’re planning to add a swimming pool, you want it to be everything that you dream it could be. That means making sure that you are covering all of the bases and avoiding making mistakes that you’ll end up regretting later.
To help you better prepare, we’ve rounded up a list of do’s and don’ts of building a swimming pool. We understand that this can feel like an overwhelming undertaking and you might not even know what to be thinking about ahead of time. You want to be prepared, you may just not know how.
Hopefully, this list of swimming pool do’s and don’ts will help!
Swimming Pool Do’s and Don’ts
Nothing feels worse than looking at a finished project and feeling like there are things you wish you had known or done. In fact, we wrote an entire article about things people often wish they knew before they built their pool.
At Rock Water Farm, we are all about transparency and educating the client. In that same way, this list of do’s and don’ts of building a swimming pool will hopefully help to set you up for success as you begin pool planning.
DO: Decide Why You Want a Pool and How You Plan to Use It
The “WHY” behind any project is an important question to be able to answer. Why do you want a swimming pool in the first place? The answer to this, including how you plan to use the pool, will help you to determine some of the swimming pool features that will help to ensure that you get the most out of your swimming pool design.
Here are some things to consider as you think about why you want a pool.
- Will you mostly be swimming or lounging?
- Will you use the pool for exercise?
- Do you want to be able to dine by the pool?
- Do you envision having a spa?
- How much seating will you need around the pool?
- Are there any water features that you are interested in?
Thinking about these types of questions, among others, will help you make great strides in pool planning for the pool of YOUR dreams.
At the end of the day, this is your pool, and it’s important that you’re happy with the finished design.
DON’T: Choose a Swimming Pool Builder Based on Cost
Shopping for any service on price alone can be a recipe for trouble. There are typically good reasons why one company charges more for its service than other. But when it comes to swimming pool builders, we would argue that shopping on price alone could be a recipe for sheer disaster!!
It’s definitely putting you at risk of being dissatisfied with the finished result and when you’re paying as much as you are for a pool, that’s not acceptable. A swimming pool is simply not something that you should cut corners on.
There are certainly pool companies out there that will throw in a cheap pool and move on and naturally, those types of companies are going to charge less.
These types of companies are the same that are trying to install as many pools in a season as they possibly can. But these same companies fail to put together a “complete space” which is what you’ve likely envisioned (and will most likely end up paying for in the year to follow). It’s important to remember that most companies like this are not offering you a turnkey solution. You’re just paying for the pool, and that’s all you get.
You might even have a mess of a yard when they’re done, and they won’t fix it.
We’ve seen where a pool company dug up the whole yard and left mounds of dirt behind—because they were never doing anything more than just the pool.
We’ve also seen pools where the homeowner simply wasn’t happy with the end result (and at that point, it’s too late). The lack of thought put into the pool might have even left them with problems.
Ultimately, these failures end up costing the homeowner in the long run. In fact, fixing problems that were created may cost them more than it would have if they’d just had the pool installed the way they truly wanted from the onset.
Like anything in life, trying to cut corners to save some money is usually going to create disappointment.
DO: Consider Your Budget
At Rock Water Farm, we love when our clients dream big during the process of pool planning.
One of the amazing things about being custom pool builders is that we are not limited to a certain size or shape (or depth) the same way that we would be with a fiberglass pool or even a vinyl-liner pool. With a gunite pool, the possibilities are vast.
That being said, everyone has a budget and we know that we have to work within the confines of each of our client’s budgets.
We get that this can be an unwanted topic. In fact, sometimes when we talk to clients about their swimming pool budget, they’ll respond, just tell me what it will cost.
The problem with that approach is that as with any project, there are varying levels of costs and various ways to ensure the project is still meeting your primary wants and needs and staying within your budget.
The bottom line is that swimming pool designs must work within the confines of the budget. There are different choices that can be made based on budget, so having this information upfront is pretty critical.
DON’T: Forget About the Areas Around the Pool
As we alluded to previously, a swimming pool is so much more than just the pool itself. You won’t’ be spending the entire day in the pool, but you might spend the entire day around or near the pool if you have the right spaces and amenities.
Some of these areas around a pool might include a pavilion, an outdoor kitchen, fire features, lounging zones, and of course a pool patio. All of these go into making the time spent at the pool more enjoyable. It also translates into spending more time outside.
Think about it, if you can cook and serve meals outdoors, have a place to escape from the sun for a while, or maybe watch the game in your comfy outdoor pavilion, all while your kids are still swimming, you might spend the entire day (and night) outside! These areas around the pool help you to maximize your investment by spending as much time as possible there.
Even the landscaping around the pool is really important and should not be considered an afterthought. When planning a backyard pool design, you want to make sure that you are working with a company that is covering all of the bases.
DO: Research the Pool Companies When Pool Planning
When it comes to who will build your pool, you have options. This includes working with a pool builder that exclusively handles pools or working with a landscape company that installs pools but also designs and builds landscape features. The biggest difference between the two is what they’re capable of performing.
A lot of pool companies are aggressive about getting the sale of your pool, plunking in a concrete patio, and moving on to the next job as soon as they can. These are the types of companies that we talked about in the section about shopping on price. The pool building season in our region is short and understandably they want to sell as many jobs as they can.
But a pool builder like this is only focused on the pool itself—something that we refer to as “tunnel vision”—and that can mean that a lot of things are missed.
With their sole focus being on the pool, they might fail to include some of the important features that you probably desire.
If you really want the full package—the backyard that has the outdoor kitchen under a pavilion, beautiful plantings, and a highly functional patio surrounding your pool—then you need to consider working with a company that has a landscape design expert on staff. That is a company that not only knows how to design and install pools but knows how to work with entire landscapes. While it will be an important feature, in the end, your pool is only one aspect of your entire landscape.
Take your time to research your options. Spend time on pool builders’ websites and look at their reviews. Don’t be afraid to ask questions almost like an “interview.” This is a big decision and you deserve to feel confident you’ve chosen a company that you trust.
Take These Swimming Pool Do’s and Don’ts Seriously
We know that we’ve presented you with a lot of food for thought, but these do’s and don’ts of building a swimming pool are a big deal. That’s because your swimming pool is a big deal.
You’re investing your hard-earned money into planning a backyard pool design and you deserve to have everything that you’re dreaming of. You also deserve to be happy when the swimming pool is done.
Here at Rock Water Farm, we understand that every single detail of your project matters. When we’re finished with your pool, we want you to be happy with everything about it. We want it to become a space where you and your family create lifetime memories.
That’s why we take every aspect of designing and building your swimming pool quite seriously. In the end, it’s your dream on the line and we don’t take that lightly in any way.
Are you ready to get started on the pool of your dreams at your Haymarket, Gainesville, or Round Hill, VA home? If so, talk to an expert, choose a solution that rocks, and get ready to see your dreams begin to take shape!
