Pool Building Process

We’ll sit down with you and walk you step-by-step through the process of obtaining your own personal custom backyard oasis. From the pool features and add-ons to the style and design, we ensure you get exactly what you envision. During your consultation, we begin initial planning and maximize your budget to achieve your backyard pool dreams.

Our personal customization pool design service ensures every detail from shape to finish is tailored to reflect your unique style and lifestyle needs.

Using advanced PoolStudio software, our certified design consultants create a realistic, 3D model of your new pool. With today’s modern pool design technology, we can provide you with a complete 3D model visualization, allowing you to see the finished project before we break ground. We can customize every detail in real-time, from the pool shape, style, and design to custom features like a rock waterfall, an outdoor kitchen, or a pergola. At Van Kirk Pools, we ensure the final plan perfectly matches your vision.

Once the design is finalized, we create a detailed construction timeline so you know what to expect and can plan your schedule accordingly.

• Digging: The first physical step is digging the hole for your pool, which is excavated slightly larger and deeper than the final dimensions to accommodate the structure.
• Steel Framework: Our crews line the hole with steel rebar, creating a reinforced cage that serves as the backbone of your pool’s structure.
• Initial Inspection: A city inspector reviews the job site and pool plans to ensure all the steelwork is up to code before we proceed.
• Gunite Application: We apply the concrete that forms your pool’s shell and steps using a high-pressure pneumatic process. Any built-in features like gunite spas, swim-outs, or fountains are also formed during this phase.

• Plumbing & Backfill: Once the gunite shell has cured, our plumbing crews dig trenches and lay the pipes that will connect your pool to its equipment. We then backfill soil around the pool’s walls and braces.
• Deck & Patio Preparation: The construction crew carefully levels and compacts the sub-base around the pool to prepare a solid foundation for your patio and decking.
• Tile, Coping & Deck Installation: Our skilled tile crews install the waterline tile and the coping around the pool’s edge. Next, we form the shape of your deck and apply your chosen finish, whether it’s stone, tile, or another custom material.
• Electrical & Equipment Hookup: Our electric crews run the necessary conduits and wiring for your pool equipment, lighting, and other features. We then install the pool pump, filter, and gas heater (if applicable). Before this step, we will need your connectivity information and elevation survey.

To prepare for the final inspections, the homeowner is responsible for completing the following items unless specified otherwise in the contract:

• Sod, Landscaping, and Sprinkler Systems.
• Fencing and Alarms: All fences must comply with Florida building codes. Gates must open to the outside, be self-closing, and feature self-latching hardware placed at least 54” high from the ground. Existing fences will need to be re-inspected.
• Elevation Survey: After the sod and landscaping are complete, you must call your surveyor to perform an elevation survey. This is a requirement in certain areas, including Parkland, Boca Raton, Martin County, Miami Shores, and SW Ranches. Weston also requires a survey if a pergola is part of the design.