Inground Pool Guide
Installation Overview
A pre-configured inground pool kit is a contractor-built pool at a DIY price. Here is what the full installation process looks like โ from site prep through first fill.
Weeks Typical Timeline
Contractor Required
Typical Savings vs. Full Build
Kits Supported Through Install
Before You Dig
What Happens Before Excavation
Pull Your Permits
Inground pools require permits in virtually every municipality. Pull your permits before any digging begins โ starting without a permit can result in fines and mandatory removal. Your contractor handles this in most cases.
Call 811
Before any excavation, call 811 (or have your contractor call) to have all underground utilities marked. Gas, electric, water, and cable lines must be located and flagged before the excavator arrives on site.
Layout and Staking
Mark the exact pool footprint on the ground using stakes and string lines. Verify dimensions match your kit specifications. Your pool shape determines the staking pattern โ rectangular, grecian, or L-shaped.
The Install Process
Full Installation Step By Step
01
Excavation
A backhoe excavates to the pool dimensions plus additional working room on all sides. Depth is excavated to accommodate your wall height plus the concrete floor. Most residential excavations take one day. Soil is staged on site or hauled away depending on your yard plan.
02
Bottom Preparation
The excavated floor is leveled, compacted, and prepared for the concrete base. A layer of vermiculite-concrete or sand-cement mix is typically applied to create the smooth pool floor. This is the base your liner rests on โ it must be perfectly smooth with no sharp edges or protrusions.
03
Wall Panel Installation
Steel or polymer wall panels are assembled in the excavation in sections, following the pool shape. Panels are bolted together and braced. The pool wall is what gives the pool its shape โ panel alignment is critical to a square, true pool.
04
Plumbing Rough-in
Return lines, skimmer lines, main drain, and any additional feature plumbing are run before the deck is poured. All penetrations through the pool wall are made now. This is also when conduit for pool lighting is run if applicable.
05
Coping And Deck
Cantilever concrete coping is formed and poured around the top of the pool wall. The deck is poured at the same time in most cases. Allow 7โ10 days for concrete to cure before proceeding to liner installation.
06
Liner Installation
The vinyl liner is custom-cut to your pool's exact dimensions. It is carefully dropped into the pool and seated into the coping track. A shop vac is used to pull the liner tight against the walls while water begins filling. All wrinkles must be worked out before the water covers them.
Good to Know
Your kit includes: wall panels, all hardware, liner, steps, coping track, skimmer, return fittings, pump, filter, and all plumbing fittings. Everything to build the pool structure.
Good to Know
What you source locally: Excavation, concrete, electrical, coping materials, and any additional deck features. We will walk you through exactly what your contractor needs to supply.
Good to Know
Kit delivery: Your kit ships on pallets via LTL freight. We coordinate delivery timing so materials arrive when your contractor is ready for them โ not sitting in your driveway for weeks.
Final Steps
Fill, Equipment And Startup
07
Fill The Pool
Begin filling immediately after the liner is installed and seated. Use a garden hose at the center of the pool floor. Monitor the liner as it fills and smooth any wrinkles by hand before the water covers them โ once set, wrinkles are permanent.
08
Install Equipment
Mount the pump, filter, and any additional equipment on the equipment pad. Connect all plumbing from the skimmer and main drain through the filter and back to the return lines. Prime the pump before first startup โ never run dry.
09
Electrical Connection
A licensed electrician connects the pump, pool light, and any automation equipment. All pool electrical must be bonded and grounded per NEC code. This is not a DIY step โ always use a licensed electrician for pool electrical work.
10
Water Chemistry Startup
Test the water immediately after filling. Balance in order: Total Alkalinity โ pH โ Calcium Hardness โ Chlorine โ Cyanuric Acid. Allow 24โ48 hours of circulation before swimming. Retest and adjust as needed throughout the first week.
Warning
Never run the pump dry. Always prime with water before first startup. Running dry even briefly damages the pump seal.
Warning
Do not swim until chemistry is balanced. Unbalanced water at startup can irritate eyes, damage the liner, and affect equipment. Test before anyone gets in.
Good to Know
Startup chemistry targets: pH 7.4โ7.6 ยท Free Chlorine 1โ3 ppm ยท Total Alkalinity 80โ120 ppm ยท Calcium Hardness 200โ400 ppm ยท CYA 30โ50 ppm
The Real Cost Difference
A contractor-built inground pool is a major investment โ and most of that cost is not the pool itself. Labor, concrete, excavation, and project management account for the majority of what you pay a full-service pool company.
A Poolzilla inground kit gives you the same contractor-grade materials โ Latham wall panels, 27 mil liner, Hayward pump and filter โ at a fraction of the cost, because you are supplying the materials and your own contractor handles the installation labor.
Kit starts at $7,500 โ materials only, no labor markup
Typical contractor-built equivalent: $50,000+
Typical savings with a Poolzilla kit: $30,000โ$42,000+
Same Latham-sourced materials the contractors use
Here to Help
Questions About Your Installation?
We have guided hundreds of inground kit installs. Call or text us at any point in the process โ before you order, during the build, or at first fill.