What actually happens between the contract and the first swim.
Construction on a custom Atlantis pool runs 12 to 14 weeks, in a set order: excavation, steel, plumbing and electrical, the shotcrete shell, the finish, and the decking and hardscape around it. Nothing about that order is a mystery, and nothing about it happens without someone checking it in person.
Bruce Todd, Owner, Atlantis Pools & Spas. Genesis School of Design Associate. 30+ years of custom pool design.
Bruce has been doing this for thirty years, and he still goes to the sites. Not because he doesn't trust the crews. He loves this part of the job. Watching a hole in the ground become a shell, then a finish, then water, never gets old, and being there catches the small things before they become the big ones.
Why the construction phase is where trust gets tested.
Most complaints about a pool build aren't about the finished pool. They're about the twelve to fourteen weeks it took to get there: a site left a mess, a schedule that went dark for weeks with no update, a change order sprung as a surprise instead of explained honestly when it came up.
A custom pool build touches your property for months, not days. Heavy equipment comes and goes. Concrete trucks need access. Crews are on-site during stages that take real time to get right. None of that is a reason to be nervous about the process, but it is a reason to expect a builder who protects the rest of your property while it happens and tells you what's happening and why.
The honest version of a change order is one you understand before it's charged, not one you discover on an invoice. Site conditions occasionally shift what a stage requires once the ground is actually open, and when that happens the right response is a plain explanation, not a surprise. That's the standard we hold every stage of construction to, not just the ones that go smoothly.
The order your pool actually gets built in.
Construction happens in six stages, in this order: excavation, steel placement, plumbing and electrical rough-in, the shotcrete shell, the interior finish, and the decking and hardscape that complete the backyard. Each stage has to be right before the next one starts. The full sequence runs 12 to 14 weeks.
What happens first, and how does the rest of your property stay protected?
Before a single scoop of dirt moves, we set up site protection, protecting driveways, existing landscaping, and access paths, based on the plan built during site analysis, then excavate to the shape and depth the engineering calls for, not a rough approximation of the final pool.
What to expect: Heavy equipment on-site, the most visually dramatic stage of the build, and the shortest in most cases.
What actually holds the shotcrete shell in shape?
Steel reinforcement gets placed to the structural engineering from your site's soil and grade findings, forming the skeleton the shotcrete shell is built around. This is an inspection point, not just a construction step: the steel has to match the engineered plan exactly, in placement and coverage, before shotcrete gets applied over it.
What to expect:A visit-worthy stage if you want to see the structure before it's covered. Ask, and we'll walk you through what you're looking at.
When does the hydraulic system from the engineering plan actually go in the ground?
The plumbing lines sized during engineering, for filtration, water features, and any automation, go in before shotcrete, alongside the electrical rough-in for lighting, equipment, and controls, because both have to be in place before the shell closes around them. Every line, from the main drain to the vanishing edge return, gets placed to the plan, pressure-tested, and verified before it's sealed inside the shell.
How does the pool actually take its permanent shape?
Shotcrete gets applied over the steel structure to form the shell, engineered to the specific soil and grade conditions found at your site, not a generic template. By this stage, the shape you saw in the design is becoming permanent. Once cured, this shell, backed by a lifetime structural guarantee, is the structure your pool stands on for the rest of its life.
What to expect: A cure period before the next stage begins.
What goes over the shell, and how long does it last?
The interior pebble finish gets applied over the cured shotcrete shell, and every Atlantis pebble finish carries a lifetime guarantee, the same standard we hold the structure underneath it to. This is the stage where the pool starts to look and feel finished, the surface you'll actually touch for decades.
What completes the backyard, not just the pool?
Decking, coping, and any hardscape, pavilion, outdoor kitchen, or fire feature in your design get built around the finished shell, completing the environment Kelly designed, not just the water. Atlantis builds the whole backyard, not a pool with a patio poured around it as an afterthought: the stonework, pavers, and any outdoor living features get built to match the pool, not bolted on after the fact.
A measured pace keeps senior eyes on every build.
Atlantis starts roughly one new project a week, completing forty to fifty pools a year. That schedule is deliberate. Kelly stays with the design and project management, while Bruce oversees construction, so both remain personally involved from the first site read through the final walkthrough.
What's included in the first month after your pool is filled.
Your first month of service, chemical balancing while the water and the equipment settle in, is included, and construction doesn't end the day the water goes in. Our sister service company is also involved during construction itself, not brought in cold after handoff, so the people who'll maintain your pool already understand its equipment and finish before you ever call them.
Questions buyers ask about pool construction.
How long does construction actually take?
Twelve to fourteen weeks, start to finish, for a custom Atlantis build. That window covers excavation through decking and hardscape. Weather, site conditions, and the scope of your specific design are the main variables inside that range.
What order does construction actually happen in?
Excavation, steel placement, plumbing and electrical rough-in, the shotcrete shell, the interior finish, and finally decking and hardscape. Each stage has to be completed correctly before the next one starts, which is part of why the full sequence takes 12 to 14 weeks.
How do you protect the rest of my property during construction?
Site protection is planned during the site-analysis phase, before construction starts, covering driveways, landscaping, and access paths equipment will use. It's built into the plan, not improvised once the crews arrive.
What happens if something unexpected comes up mid-build?
We tell you plainly what it is, why it came up, and what it changes, before it becomes a line on an invoice.
What happens right after my pool is filled?
Your first month of service, chemical balancing while the water and equipment settle in, is included. Our sister service company is involved during construction as well, so they already know your pool's equipment and finish before your first service call.
Let the property set the starting point.
Kelly will read the grade, access, and possibilities in person before the design begins. By the time construction starts, you will know the sequence and who is watching each stage.