What to Expect During Your Atlanta Pool Installation: A Week-by-Week Guide

Deciding to add a swimming pool to your Atlanta home is exciting, but the construction process can feel overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect. Understanding the timeline, phases involved, and what’s happening at each stage helps transform the experience from stressful to genuinely enjoyable.

At Andy’s Pool Service, we’ve been installing custom pools throughout metro Atlanta since 1987. Over 35+ years, we’ve guided thousands of homeowners through the installation process. Here’s what you can realistically expect when building a pool in the Atlanta area.

Before Construction Begins: The Planning Phase

The work that happens before a shovel ever touches your yard is some of the most important in the entire process. This planning phase typically takes two to four weeks, depending on permit timelines and design complexity.

• Initial Consultation and Site Assessment: During your first meeting with our team, we’ll walk your property together to evaluate the best pool placement. We’re looking at factors you might not consider—underground utilities, drainage patterns, sun exposure throughout the day, proximity to trees, and how the pool will integrate with your existing landscape. Atlanta’s clay-heavy soil and variable water tables also influence design decisions, which is why local experience matters.
• Design Development: Once we understand your vision and your property’s characteristics, our design team creates detailed plans for your custom pool. This includes the pool shape and dimensions, interior finish selections, coping and decking materials, and any special features like water features, lighting, or attached spas. You’ll have the opportunity to review and refine these plans until they’re exactly what you want.
• Permitting: Pool construction in metro Atlanta requires permits from your local city or county. The specific requirements vary depending on whether you’re in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, or Gwinnett County, and your municipality may have additional regulations. HOA approval may also be necessary. We handle all permit applications and inspections, but this process can take one to three weeks depending on your jurisdiction.

Week One: Excavation and Steel

Once permits are approved, construction begins—and it happens fast.

• Layout and Excavation: The first visible sign of progress is when we mark your pool’s footprint with paint or stakes. Then the excavation crew arrives with heavy equipment to dig the pool shell. This is the most dramatic transformation your yard will experience, typically completed in one to two days. Your backyard will look like a construction zone, with large piles of dirt that will later be used for backfill or hauled away.
• Steel Installation: After excavation, a steel framework is installed throughout the pool shell. This rebar grid provides the structural reinforcement that gives gunite pools their legendary durability. The steel is carefully positioned according to engineering specifications and tied together to create a unified structure. A city or county inspector will need to approve the steel work before we can proceed.

Week Two: Plumbing and Electrical

With the steel framework in place, the focus shifts to the systems that will keep your pool functioning.

• Plumbing Installation: All the pipes that circulate water through your pool, connect to your filtration system, and feed any water features are installed and pressure-tested. Proper plumbing installation is critical—problems here can be extremely difficult and expensive to fix later.
• Electrical Rough-In: Electrical conduits are run for pool lighting, pumps, automation systems, and other electrical components. Both plumbing and electrical work require inspection before construction continues.

Week Three: Gunite Application

This is the day your pool truly takes shape.

• Gunite or Shotcrete Application: A specialized crew arrives with equipment to spray a mixture of concrete and sand over the steel framework. This material—called gunite or shotcrete depending on the mixing method—forms the structural shell of your pool. The application typically takes one day, and the result is a rough concrete bowl that will cure over the following weeks.
• Curing Period: After gunite application, the shell needs time to cure properly and must be kept moist to prevent cracking. The curing process takes approximately one to two weeks.

Weeks Four and Five: Tile, Coping, and Decking

With a cured shell, the finishing work begins.

• Tile Installation: Waterline tile is installed around the pool’s perimeter at water level, serving both aesthetic and functional purposes. If your design includes decorative features or a fully tiled spa, this work happens now.
• Coping Installation: Coping is the cap that sits on top of your pool wall, creating the edge where your pool meets the deck. Options include brick, natural stone, pavers, and concrete.
• Deck Construction: Your pool deck extends the usable space around your pool. Options include stamped concrete, pavers, natural stone, or brushed concrete with slip-resistant coatings. Deck work typically requires several days depending on size and complexity.

Week Six: Equipment Installation

Behind the scenes, the equipment that keeps your pool clean and comfortable is installed.

• Equipment Pad and Installation: Your pump, filter, heater (if applicable), automation controls, and other equipment are mounted on a concrete pad near your home. We install equipment from trusted manufacturers like Pentair, Hayward, and Polaris. If your pool includes smart automation, this is when we program and test those systems that let you control lighting, heating, and water features from your phone.

Week Seven: Interior Finish and Fill

The transformation is nearly complete.

• Interior Surface Application: The final interior surface—whether you’ve chosen exposed aggregate like PebbleTec, standard plaster, or another finish—is applied to the gunite shell. This process requires specialized crews and precise timing. The finish you select affects both appearance and durability, which is why we spend time during the design phase helping you understand your options.
• Pool Fill: Once the interior finish is applied, we begin filling your pool with water. This process takes 12 to 24 hours depending on pool size and water pressure. The fill must be continuous—stopping partway can cause visible lines in certain finishes.

Week Eight: Start-Up and Orientation

Your pool is essentially complete, but there’s important work remaining.

• Chemical Balancing and Equipment Testing: Fresh pool water requires careful chemical treatment to achieve proper balance. Every system is tested thoroughly—pumps, filters, heaters, lights, automation, water features—to confirm everything operates correctly.
• Homeowner Orientation: Before we hand over the keys to your new backyard oasis, we walk you through everything you need to know. You’ll learn how to operate your equipment, understand your automation system, and know what to watch for. We also discuss ongoing maintenance options, including our weekly pool service that keeps your pool swim-ready without any effort on your part.

Preparing Your Property and Your Family

A few practical considerations help the process go smoothly. Construction crews need access to your backyard with heavy equipment, which may require temporarily removing fence sections. We’ll identify and mark all underground utilities before excavation. Letting your neighbors know about upcoming construction is courteous and can prevent friction. And remember—there will be days when nothing visible happens due to inspections, curing periods, and crew scheduling. This is normal and doesn’t indicate problems.

Schedule Your Pool Consultation With Andy’s Pool Service

Building a pool is a significant investment that enhances your property value, lifestyle, and family enjoyment. With 35+ years of experience installing pools throughout Atlanta, Buckhead, Druid Hills, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Marietta, and surrounding communities, Andy’s Pool Service brings the expertise and local knowledge to make your project a success.

As a Certified Pool & Spa Operator (CPO) company with an A+ BBB rating and HomeAdvisor Screened & Approved status, we’re committed to quality craftsmanship and customer satisfaction. Contact us today for a consultation and site visit.

Your backyard oasis is closer than you think.