Our process. Eight steps, the same way every time.
Atlantis builds a custom pool the same way every time: a phone call, a free site visit Kelly runs herself, a custom design, a look at real finished projects, a contract, permitting, twelve to fourteen weeks of construction, and an exit meeting that teaches you every part of what you now own.
Bruce Todd, Owner, Atlantis Pools & Spas. Genesis School of Design Associate. 30+ years of custom pool design.
Most builders describe their process in a sentence or two: consultation, design, build. That tells you almost nothing about what happens to your property, your money, and your next several months.
Why we publish this instead of just showing you pools.
Every step below is real: the sequence Bruce and Kelly run on every project, from the first phone call to the day they hand you a finished backyard and teach you how it works.
The eight steps, in order.
Building a custom pool with Atlantis moves through eight steps, from the first phone call to the exit meeting, and skipping or rushing any one is where most pool projects go wrong.
What happens on the first call?
The first conversation is a phone call, not a meeting. It gathers three things: your budget range, what you want the space to do, and a rough read on your property, including its elevation, before anyone drives out. There is no pitch in it, and if it makes sense to keep going, the site visit gets scheduled directly.
What happens when Kelly comes to your property?
The design site visit is free, and Kelly comes out herself: measuring the property, reading the elevations, checking setbacks, and studying how a pool actually fits your land before a single line gets drawn. Nothing is handed over that day. What she finds becomes the design you see at the next step.
What happens between the site visit and seeing your design?
Kelly turns the site visit into a custom design over seven to ten days. You meet again to see it, this time with something real to look at, say what to change, and go through rework until it is right. The detailed proposal, with real pricing, comes out of that meeting, not the first one.
How can you see the proof for yourself?
Before you sign anything, you can see the work itself. Atlantis keeps a reference list of every pool it has built and can arrange a walk through a finished project, so you can judge the craftsmanship in person.
What are you agreeing to, and when?
The contract stage is where the design becomes commitment: the scope, the pricing, and the timeline, written plainly, before construction is scheduled. By this point you have already seen the design, priced the real scope, and walked real finished projects, so nothing here should be a surprise. This is the point homeowners can still walk away from, and Atlantis wants you to walk in only once you are sure.
What happens before construction starts?
Atlantis prepares the site plan and permitting while HOA approval runs at the same time, not after. Most homeowners assume those happen one after the other, adding weeks to the front of a project; running them in parallel is one of the reasons a project starts on schedule instead of waiting on paperwork.
Read the county permit and HOA guidance and see how structural engineering runs alongside it.
What actually happens during the build?
Construction runs twelve to fourteen weeks from groundbreaking to a finished backyard, the real window, not a marketing estimate. Every stage, excavation, steel, plumbing and electrical, the shotcrete shell, the interior finish, and the decking and hardscape around the water, happens in a set order, with real updates so you always know where the project stands.
What happens the day your project is finished?
The project does not end when the water goes in. At the exit meeting, Kelly or Bruce walks the finished property with you and teaches every component, the equipment, the automation, the lighting, so you understand what you own before you are left with it, rather than handed a manual to figure out alone.
What's covered after we leave.
The exit meeting is not the last time you hear from Atlantis. A pool is maintained for years, and Atlantis stands behind the structure for the life of the pool: the shotcrete shell and the pebble finish carry a lifetime guarantee, Hayward equipment carries three years, lights carry four, and workmanship carries one. Your first month of service, including chemical balancing, is already included, and a sister service company stays involved through construction so the transition into ownership isn't a cold handoff.
Full detail: Read the complete warranty and service page
Questions buyers ask about the process.
Does the first visit cost anything?
No. The first site visit is free, and Kelly runs it herself. You are not charged until you sign a contract with real pricing, and that pricing comes after the custom design meeting, not on the first call or the first visit to your property.
How long does the whole process take, from first call to finished pool?
From the first phone call to the exit meeting, most projects run several months, with construction itself taking twelve to fourteen weeks. Design, contract, and permitting happen before that window starts, and HOA approval runs alongside permitting instead of adding time after it.
Who do I actually work with, Bruce or Kelly?
Kelly, the designer and project manager, runs the site visit, the design process, and the design meetings herself. Bruce, the owner, brings the construction and engineering read to the site and leads the build. You work with the same two people throughout.
Can I really see other projects before I sign anything?
Yes. Atlantis keeps a reference list of every pool it has built, and Kelly will walk finished projects with you in person. Seeing real work, in real backyards, tells you more about craftsmanship than any photo gallery, and most builders never offer it.
What do I get from the first site visit, a written report?
Nothing, at the first visit. Kelly studies your property and gathers what she needs. The custom design and the detailed proposal, with real pricing, come at the follow-up design meeting seven to ten days later, once there is something specific to show you.
Is there a warranty on the pool itself?
Yes. The shotcrete structure and the pebble finish carry a lifetime guarantee. Equipment is covered three years, lights four years, and workmanship one year, and your first month of service, including chemical balancing, is already included before you even have to ask for it.
Begin with a phone call.
You do not need a design in mind or a number picked out to start. The first conversation is a phone call: what you're picturing, what you want to spend, and a rough read on your property. From there, every step above happens in order, the same way it happens for every Atlantis client.