How We Build Your Pool
Building a custom pool is a significant project — and the process matters as much as the final result. Caribbean Pools has been building inground pools in Arizona since 1996. In that time we’ve developed a structured, transparent build process that keeps homeowners informed at every stage, eliminates surprises, and delivers pools that look and perform exactly as designed. Here’s exactly how it works.
Our Pool Building Process — Step by Step
Step 1: Free Design Consultation
Every project starts at your home. One of our designers meets with you, walks your yard, and takes measurements. We have a detailed conversation about how you envision using the space — size, shape, features, style, and budget — and we design a pool with everything you want. We also price it on the spot so you know exactly what you’re looking at. There’s no pressure and no commitment. Timeline: Scheduled within a few days of inquiry.
Step 2: Contract Signing
Once you’ve reviewed the design and pricing and you’re ready to move forward, we sign the contract and collect the first payment. This initiates everything that follows — CAD drawings, engineering, permitting, and material ordering. We do not begin any site work without a signed contract. Timeline: You control this step.
Step 3: CAD & Engineering
After the contract is signed, your design moves into CAD and structural engineering. CAD produces the precise construction drawings the build crew works from, and engineering certifies the pool shell, plumbing, and structural elements meet Arizona code requirements. Timeline: 1–2 weeks.
Step 4: Permitting
The engineered plans go to your city or county for permit review. Caribbean Pools handles every permit application, every fee, and all inspector coordination — permit costs are passed through to you at cost with no markup. If your community requires HOA architectural review, we recommend submitting that simultaneously. Timeline: 2–4 weeks depending on jurisdiction.
Step 5: Pre-Grade
Before excavation can start, the build area has to be cleared. We remove anything in the way of the pool — grass, rock, turf, existing barbecues, trees, plants, anything else that would block excavation access. This is also when we plan equipment access routes and protect the rest of your yard. Timeline: 1–2 days.
Step 6: Pool Layout
Our crew paints the exact pool outline directly on the ground using your engineered drawings. This is your last chance to see the pool’s footprint at full scale before we dig. Many homeowners walk it, sit beside it, and confirm placement is exactly right. Timeline: A few days before excavation.
Step 7: Excavation
Heavy equipment moves in and digs the pool to engineered depth and shape — shallow end, deep end, benches, steps, spa, sun shelf, every contour as designed. Spoils are hauled offsite. Timeline: 1–2 days for most pools.
Step 8: Plumbing & Equipment Set
Plumbing and equipment installation happen hand-in-hand. We run all suction, return, and skimmer plumbing through the pool walls and out to the equipment pad, where the Hayward filter, pump, heater (if applicable), and Paramount in-floor cleaning controller get set in place. Pressure tests verify every line before anything gets buried. Timeline: 2–3 days.
Step 9: Steel
Rebar steel goes inside the pool — a structural grid tied to engineered spec that will be encased in the shotcrete shell. This is what makes a concrete pool last 30+ years in Arizona soil conditions. Timeline: 1–2 days.
Step 10: Electric (Rough-In)
Our licensed electrician runs all conduit and rough wiring for pool lights, equipment power, automation, and any outdoor living electrical (ramada outlets, fireplace ignition, etc.). Timeline: 1 day.
Step 11: City / County Pre-Shotcrete Inspection
The city or county inspector visits the site to verify steel placement, plumbing, electrical rough-in, and engineering compliance. Approval here is what authorizes us to proceed with shotcrete. Timeline: Scheduled within a few days of being inspection-ready.
Step 12: Shotcrete
Pneumatically applied concrete is shot into the steel cage at high velocity, forming the structural pool shell in a single continuous pour. This is the moment your pool becomes a pool. The shell then cures for 7–10 days. Timeline: 1 day of work, plus cure time.
Step 13: Underground Gas
If your pool includes a heater, gas fire features, or a built-in barbecue, the underground gas lines are trenched and run after shotcrete. All gas work is done by licensed gas plumbers and pressure-tested before backfill. Timeline: 1–2 days.
Step 14: Waterline Tile
Decorative waterline tile is installed inside the pool along the top edge where the water surface will sit. Tile choice is yours — we offer a wide range of styles and finishes. Timeline: 2–3 days.
Step 15: Hardscape & Outdoor Living
This is where your backyard takes shape. We build any ramadas, pergolas, fireplaces, fire pits, BBQ surrounds, and media walls you contracted for. Then the decking goes in — travertine, pavers, or concrete deck — including the full deck field around the pool. Timeline: 2–4 weeks depending on scope.
Step 16: Final Trim-Out & Cleanup
Final electrical trim — lights, outlets, switches, automation panel — gets installed and tested. Final gas hookups are completed and pressure-tested. We backfill all trenches, regrade as needed, and do a full site cleanup. Timeline: 3–5 days.
Step 17: Final Inspection (Pre-Fill)
The city or county returns for the final inspection. In addition to verifying all electrical, gas, and structural work, this inspection focuses on pool barrier safety — perimeter fencing if required, self-closing self-latching doors, gate hardware, and any other code-required safety features. Approval here is what authorizes us to fill the pool with water. Timeline: Scheduled within a few days of being inspection-ready.
Step 18: Interior Surface
Your chosen interior finish is applied — pebble, UltraPoz, plaster, or whatever surface you selected during design. This is the final layer that determines how your pool looks and feels. Timeline: 1 day to apply. Fill timing depends on cure conditions and is scheduled as soon as the surface is ready.
Step 19: Fill, Startup & Orientation
We fill the pool with water and balance the initial chemistry. Once it’s full, we come back out for startup — bringing the equipment online, verifying every system runs correctly — and walk you through an in-person orientation: how to operate the pump, filter, heater, automation, lights, and in-floor cleaning system. You’ll know exactly how to use your pool before we leave. Timeline: Fill takes 24–48 hours; startup and orientation are scheduled the day after fill completes.
What to Expect Throughout the Process
Communication
Your project manager is your main point of contact from permit submittal through completion. You’ll know who to call, and they’ll be reachable. We believe the biggest complaint homeowners have about pool builders is poor communication — so we’ve made it a structural part of how we work. You’ll receive updates at every major milestone and have direct access to your PM throughout.
Payment Schedule
Our payment schedule ties directly to construction milestones — you only pay as work is completed:
- 30% — At contract signing (funds permits and project initiation)
- 30% — At shotcrete completion (the structural shell is in)
- 30% — At hardscape completion (decking, coping, and outdoor living done)
- 10% — At final completion (pool filled, equipment commissioned, keys handed over)
This schedule protects you: you never pay far ahead of the work, and the final 10% is held until everything is done to your satisfaction.
Permits and Inspections
Every phase that requires a city or county inspection gets one — we never skip mandatory checkpoints. Permits are pulled in-house and fees are passed through to you at cost. If an inspection requires a correction, we handle it immediately and reschedule promptly. You will receive copies of all permit documents at project completion.
Design Changes During Construction
Changes before permit submission or before excavation are straightforward. Changes after shotcrete are limited because the pool structure is then fixed. We walk you through all decision points in advance and recommend finalizing every design choice before excavation begins — so there are no regrets after the concrete goes in.
Why Our Process Stands Apart
Line-Item Pricing — Always
We don’t sell packages that bundle features together and hide the individual costs. Every quote we produce shows every item individually — pool shell, finish, decking, water features, equipment, automation, fencing, permits, and every add-on. You know exactly what you’re paying for. If you want to remove something, you see exactly how much it saves. If you want to add something, you see exactly what it costs. No package guessing.
The Same Team, Every Job
Caribbean Pools doesn’t hand your project off to a different team after the sale. Your salesperson stays involved. Your project manager is dedicated to your job through completion. You’re not a number in a queue. This consistency is how we’ve built our reputation in the East Valley since 1996.
In-House Permitting — We Handle Everything
Permits are not an afterthought. We submit every application ourselves, manage every inspector coordination, and stay on top of every city’s review queue. We’ve navigated the permitting process in dozens of Valley cities — Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Queen Creek, and more. Faster permits mean your build starts sooner and runs smoother.
Licensed, Bonded, and Insured
Caribbean Pools is licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC #325789 B-04) and carries full general liability and workers’ compensation insurance. You’re protected from the day we step on your property to the day we hand you the keys.
Ready to Get Started?
The first step is a free, no-pressure design consultation at your home. We’ll walk your yard, talk through your vision, and leave you with a clear picture of what your pool will look like — and exactly what it will cost.
Or call (480) 503-1300 and ask for the design team. We’re based in Gilbert, AZ and build throughout the entire Phoenix metro area.
