An inground concrete pool in Arizona is built in roughly thirteen steps: design and renders, HOA packet (if required), engineering and permits, utility locating and layout, excavation, steel, plumbing and electrical rough-in, shotcrete, tile and coping, decking, equipment, the pebble finish, and startup. Inspections happen at steel, plumbing, pre-deck, and final. A realistic custom build runs several months from design approval to first swim, with permit timing the biggest variable. Payments are tied to milestones — deposit, excavation, shotcrete, decking, and finish — so you pay as the pool takes shape.
The thirteen steps, in order.
- Design and 3D rendering. It starts with a backyard visit: measurements, grades, where the sun and the house are, what you want the yard to do. Then a design with renders so you see the pool before anyone digs. Changes are cheap here and expensive after step 5.
- HOA packet. Many East Valley communities need approval before exterior work. We don't submit to HOAs for you — we hand you a complete, ready-to-submit packet (site plan, drawings, renders) so it's a clean yes.
- Engineering and permits. A structural engineer stamps the plan and we pull the permit with your city or county. This is the longest wait you can't control; some cities are quick, some aren't.
- Blue Stake and layout. Arizona 811 locates underground utilities. Then the pool is painted on the ground, full size, for your final sign-off. Walk it. Stand where the steps will be.
- Excavation. The dig — usually a day or two depending on access and soil. Caliche (the Valley's cement-like hardpan) can slow it down.
- Steel. Rebar is tied into a cage that follows every curve. This is what gives a concrete pool its strength. Inspected before anything covers it.
- Plumbing and electrical rough-in. Suction and return lines, feature lines, conduit for lights, bonding wire. Everything is pressure-tested and inspected while it's still visible.
- Shotcrete. Concrete is sprayed over the steel to form the shell — a big, loud, one-day event. Then it cures, and you'll be asked to hose it down a few times a day for about a week. Yes, really; wet concrete cures stronger.
- Tile and coping. The waterline tile and the coping (the edge you sit on) go in. This is where the pool starts looking like a pool.
- Decking. Acrylic Lace cool deck, travertine, or pavers around the pool. Deck inspection happens before this is poured or set.
- Equipment set. Pump, filter, heater, automation, salt system, in-floor cleaning — installed, plumbed, wired, and gas-connected where applicable.
- Pebble finish. The interior finish goes on in a single day. The next morning it's acid-washed to expose the stone and the hoses go in. See pebble finishes explained.
- Startup and first swim. Once full, the water is balanced, the equipment is programmed, and we walk you through all of it — including brushing the new finish daily for the first couple of weeks.
Inspections you'll see.
Exact inspections vary by city and county, but a typical Valley build is inspected at steel (before shotcrete), plumbing and electrical (pressure test and bonding), pre-deck (barrier and bonding checks before the deck goes in), and final (fence/barrier, alarms, equipment). Inspections are scheduling events — a failed or delayed one pushes everything behind it.
How long it really takes.
Here's the truth: a real build takes months, not weeks. A realistic custom pool runs several months from design approval to first swim. The biggest variables, in order:
- Permit timing — the city's pace, not ours.
- HOA approval — how fast your board meets and answers.
- Change orders — every change after excavation ripples through the schedule.
- Weather — monsoon storms and extreme heat affect dig days and concrete.
- Utility conflicts — a gas line or sewer where the deep end was supposed to go.
What we control — crews, materials, sequencing — we schedule tight. What we don't, we tell you about before you sign.
How you pay.
Payments are tied to milestones, so you pay as the pool takes shape — never ahead of the work:
Each draw is due when that milestone is complete. Financing can be arranged through our lending partners or your own bank — see pool financing.
What to decide before you start.
- Shape and depth. Play pool (shallow, flat-ish) or diving depth? Baja shelf for lounging? A spa?
- Finish color and tile — see samples wet, in your sun.
- Deck material — Acrylic Lace cool deck stays cooler underfoot; travertine and pavers look richer and cost more.
- Equipment — variable-speed pump (yes), heater or not, salt or chlorine, in-floor cleaning for Valley dust, automation.
- Shade and lighting — the pool gets used at night half the year here.
Not sure what kind of pool makes sense in the desert? Start with the best type of pool for Arizona.
