Deciding to build a pool is the fun part.
Then the crew shows up, the backyard turns into a construction site, and a lot of homeowners quietly wonder what they just signed up for. Building an inground pool is a real construction project, with a dozen moving parts, several trades, and more than a few days where it looks like nothing is happening at all.
None of that is a problem once you know what is coming. After building hundreds of pools across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, we have found that the homeowners who enjoy the process are the ones who understand it.
So here is an honest, phase-by-phase look at what actually happens when you build a pool, how long each step takes, and where the surprises tend to hide.
First, Choose Your Pool Type
Most inground pools come in three types, and the one you pick shapes the entire build.
| Pool type | How it is built | Best for |
| Fiberglass | A pre-molded shell lowered into the hole | Fast installs, lower maintenance, limited shapes |
| Vinyl-liner | A frame lined with a vinyl membrane | Lower upfront cost, liner replaced over time |
| Concrete (gunite) | Sprayed concrete shaped in your yard | Fully custom shapes, sizes, and depths |
The walkthrough below follows a custom gunite pool build, since it has the most steps and tends to raise the most questions.
Phase 1: Design and Layout
Long before anyone digs, your pool gets designed on paper. This is where the big decisions get made:
- Size, shape, and depth of the pool
- Layout, and where it sits in the yard
- Built-in features like a tanning ledge, raised spa, water features, or a nearby outdoor kitchen
A good builder puts all of this into a 3D design so you can see the pool in your actual backyard before committing. It is the cheapest, easiest time to change your mind.
One tip: lock in the features you care about now. Adding them after the shell is poured is much harder and more expensive.
Phase 2: Permits and Approvals
Here is the part that catches people off guard. Before a single shovel hits the dirt, your pool needs permits.
- Every city in North Texas requires a building permit for a pool
- If you are in an HOA, you will likely need their design approval too
- This stage shows no visible work in your yard
It can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to over a month, depending on your city and how backed up they are. A builder who pulls permits locally keeps it moving, but some of it is simply waiting on the municipality. Patience here is normal.
Phase 3: Excavation (Breaking Ground)
This is the day it gets real. Heavy equipment rolls in and the crew digs out the shape of your pool, sometimes moving several tons of dirt in a day.
Excavation is fast and dramatic, and it is also where your site shows its hand:
- Dense clay or rock can slow the dig or call for extra work, both common in North Texas
- Backyard access matters, since a tight side yard makes it harder to get equipment in
- Expect mess and noise, and a very large hole where your lawn used to be
Phase 4: Steel and Plumbing
With the hole dug, the crew builds the pool’s skeleton.
- A grid of steel rebar forms the structural framework the concrete bonds to
- The plumbing goes in: the main drain, the return lines, and the pipes that run out to your equipment
- An inspection usually happens here to confirm the steel and plumbing meet code
This is the underground work you will never see again once the pool is finished, which is exactly why it has to be done right the first time.
Phase 5: Gunite (Spraying the Shell)
Now your pool starts to look like a pool. Gunite, a sprayable concrete, is applied over the steel to form the shell, the floor, the walls, and any built-in benches or steps, all shaped by hand as the crew goes.
Then it has to cure, and this is one of the few times slower is better. The shell needs to hydrate and harden over several days, and rushing it weakens the structure. You will likely be asked to hose down the new shell during the cure, which helps it gain strength.
Phase 6: Tile, Coping, and Deck
With a cured shell in place, the look of the pool takes shape:
- Waterline tile runs along the top of the interior
- Coping caps the rim, the finished border you sit on and step over
- Your pool deck goes in around now, in travertine, pavers, or a poured surface
This phase adds a lot of visual appeal fast, and it is where the materials you picked back in design finally show up.
Phase 7: Equipment and Electrical
Next comes the machinery that keeps the water clean and comfortable:
- Pool equipment gets set and connected: the pump, the filter, and any heater, saltwater system, or automation
- A licensed electrician wires and bonds everything to code and powers your pool lighting
- Custom features like waterfalls or automated controls get wired and plumbed in here
It is a quieter, more technical phase, but it is what turns a concrete basin into a working pool.
Phase 8: Interior Finish (The Big Reveal)
The interior finish is the surface you actually touch, and it is often the moment the pool stops looking like a construction site.
For gunite pools, this is usually plaster or a pebble finish troweled over the shell, sealing the interior and giving it color and texture. Pebble finishes cost a little more, last longer, and feel better underfoot, which is why a lot of homeowners choose them.
Phase 9: Fill, Startup, and Water Chemistry
The hose goes in and your pool fills for the first time, often over a day or so depending on pool size.
Then comes startup. The equipment is fired up, the water circulates, and a pro balances the water chemistry. A new plaster or pebble finish is still curing underwater during these first weeks, so the startup process matters more than people expect, and it usually means daily attention to the chemistry at first.
Skipping it can leave you with staining or a rough surface.
Phase 10: Final Inspections and Your First Swim
Before you dive in, the pool goes through final inspections to confirm everything is done properly, including code-required safety features like fencing or barriers.
Once it passes and the water is balanced, the pool is officially yours. That first swim in a pool you watched get built out of a hole in the ground is a genuinely good feeling.
The Full Timeline at a Glance
Here is how the whole thing tends to shake out for a custom gunite pool:
| Phase | What happens | Rough timing |
| Design and layout | Finalize design, features, 3D plan | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Permits and approvals | City and HOA sign-off | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Excavation | Dig out the pool shape | 1 to 3 days |
| Steel and plumbing | Rebar, plumbing, inspection | 3 to 7 days |
| Gunite shell | Spray, then cure | Sprayed in a day, cures over 1 to 2 weeks |
| Tile, coping, deck | Waterline tile, coping, decking | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Equipment and electrical | Pump, filter, wiring, lighting | 3 to 7 days |
| Interior finish | Plaster or pebble finish | A few days |
| Fill and startup | Fill, then balance chemistry | 2 to 4 weeks of startup care |
| Final inspection | Code check, first swim | A few days |
Add it up and the active construction phase usually runs 8 to 12 weeks once digging starts. Counting design and permitting on the front end, the realistic overall timeline between a signed contract and your first swim is a few months.
Two things tend to move that date:
- Weather. Heavy rain can pause excavation or gunite work.
- Supply chain issues. These can occasionally hold up specific equipment or materials.
The best builders build a little buffer into the schedule and keep you posted at every phase rather than promising a date they cannot control.
Ready to Build Your Pool the Right Way?
Knowing the process is half the battle. The other half is having a builder who runs it well.
At MCM Outdoor Living, we have completed hundreds of outdoor living projects across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and we bring a clear, communicative process to every custom pool we build, with a 3D design up front so you know exactly what you are getting before we break ground.
If you are thinking about a new pool:
- Take a look at our custom pool building services
- Call (469) 583-6213 or reach out through our contact page to talk through your backyard
