Inground Pool Guide
What You Need Locally
Your Poolzilla kit ships everything needed to build the pool structure. Here is the complete list of what you source locally — contractors, materials, and services your kit does not include.
The Simple Version
What Ships With Your Kit Vs. What You Source
Ships With Your Kit
Steel or polymer wall panels — all shapes and sizes
All panel hardware — bolts, connectors, bracing
Track coping — attaches liner bead to top of wall
Vinyl liner — custom-cut to your pool dimensions and pattern
Entry steps — polymer corner unit with stainless rails
Skimmer and all return fittings
Main drain assembly
Variable speed pump — Hayward or equivalent, sized to pool
Sand filter — sized to pool
All plumbing fittings included with equipment
Installation manual and support from Poolzilla
You Source Locally
Excavation contractor and equipment
Concrete — floor base, coping, and deck
Coping material if upgrading beyond cantilever concrete
Licensed electrician — pump, light, bonding, and grounding
Backfill material — clean fill or gravel around the pool walls
Pool lighting — if desired, purchased and installed separately
Automation and sanitization systems — salt, UV, ozone if desired
Startup chemicals — shock, pH adjuster, alkalinity, stabilize
Building permits — your contractor typically handles this
Water to fill the pool — standard garden hose or water delivery
Contractors You Will Need
Who To Hire For Your Build
Most inground kit installations use two to three contractors. Here is exactly who you need and what they handle.
Required
Excavation Contractor
Handles all digging — pool footprint, equipment pad, and any drainage work. Also responsible for hauling away soil if not used as backfill. Get quotes from at least two local excavation companies. Typical cost: $2,000–$6,000 depending on soil conditions and location.
Required
Concrete Contractor
Pours the pool floor base, cantilever coping, and deck. Works after the walls are installed and plumbing is roughed in. Can often be the same crew as your excavation contractor or a separate concrete-only company. Typical cost: $8,000–$20,000 depending on deck size.
Required
Licensed Electrician
Connects the pump, pool light, and any automation equipment. All pool electrical must be properly bonded and grounded per NEC code — this cannot be skipped or DIY'd. Your local permit inspector will verify this before issuing a final certificate of occupancy.
Recommended
Plumber (for Gas)
Required only if you are installing a gas heater. Not needed for standard pump and filter plumbing — that is included in your kit and can be done by your general contractor or a handy homeowner.
Optional
Landscaper
For grading around the pool after backfill, restoring lawn, and any plantings around the pool area. Not required but recommended once the heavy equipment has left your yard.
Optional Upgrade
Mason (for Premium Coping)
Required only if you are upgrading beyond cantilever concrete coping — natural stone, brick, or porcelain tile coping requires a skilled mason. Not needed if going with standard concrete coping.
Materials to Source
Materials Your Contractors Need
Vermiculite or Sand-Cement
Mixed with concrete for the pool floor base — creates a smooth, cushioned surface the liner rests on. Your concrete contractor specifies the mix. Typically 1 part Portland cement to 6–8 parts vermiculite.
Pea Gravel or Clean Fill
Used as backfill around the outside of the pool walls as the pool is filled. Clean stone or pea gravel is preferred over regular fill dirt — it compacts more predictably and drains better.
Water Supply
A standard garden hose from your home supply works but takes 24–48 hours to fill a typical pool. For faster fill, some homeowners hire a water delivery truck — typically $300–$600 to fill a residential pool.
Startup Chemicals
Chlorine shock, pH increaser and decreaser, alkalinity increaser, calcium hardness increaser, and cyanuric acid stabilizer. Budget $100–$200 for a full startup chemical kit from your local pool supply store.
Optional Additions
Upgrades You Can Add Locally
These are not included in your kit but can be added during or after construction at your discretion.
Pool Lighting
LED pool lights mount in a niche in the pool wall. The niche and conduit must be installed before the concrete is poured — plan this before excavation begins. Hayward ColorLogic and similar LED systems are popular. Budget $400–$1,200 per light installed.
Pool Heater
Gas or heat pump heater extends your swim season by 2–4 months. Must be installed by a licensed contractor. Requires a gas line (gas heater) or dedicated electrical circuit (heat pump). Budget $2,000–$5,000 installed.
Salt Chlorine Generator
Generates chlorine from salt — eliminates buying and handling liquid or tablet chlorine. Requires compatible pool walls — all Poolzilla inground kits use steel walls that are salt compatible. Budget $800–$2,000 installed.
Robotic Pool Cleaner
Autonomous underwater vacuum that cleans the pool floor and walls independently. No plumbing required — plugs into a standard outdoor outlet. Budget $400–$1,500 depending on model and features.
Pool Automation
Controls pump speed, lighting, heater, and sanitization from a smartphone app. Hayward OmniLogic and Pentair IntelliCenter are popular systems. Best installed during initial equipment setup. Budget $1,500–$3,000 installed.
Pool Cover
Automatic safety covers, solar covers, and winter covers are all available and strongly recommended. Safety covers keep children and pets out and reduce evaporation. Budget $1,500–$8,000 depending on type.
Here to Help
Not Sure What Your Project Needs?
Tell us your pool shape, size, and what your yard looks like — we will walk you through exactly what to source locally and what to plan before your kit arrives.