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With normal backyard conditions and weather that allows for the construction to proceed, builders in many areas of the country usually need eight to 10 weeks from excavation to complete a typical residential gunite pool.

In some geographic markets, build times average a few weeks longer. In general, the more complex the design and the more special features it has, the more time your project will take.

Other variables often extend build times. Among them: time of year, permits/variances, difficult building conditions (e.g., property access, hitting groundwater, subterranean rock, or unmarked utility lines), addendums to change the design or features customer payment progress adjacent outdoor features under construction, and custom material choices requiring a special order.

Above all, weather conditions, such as rain or extreme heat and humidity, can cause delays.

Gunite construction is multiphase—requiring a series of steps using various tradesmen for each. Reputable pool builders adhere to the timelines and terms outlined in the sales contract.

Beneath the ground, several conditions can slow or impede pool-construction.

Examples include underground rock, extended tree roots, a high local water table (in which water from the earth seeps into an excavated hole), and buried utility lines that utility-reporting services did not identify.

While qualified pool contractors use strategies to overcome most of these subterranean hurdles, build-schedules often must be extended. Learn more: Backyard Conditions that Impact Building Costs

Soil that expands, contracts, shifts, or is unstable for other reasons can impact a pool’s construction and long-term stability.

For example, in an open excavated hole, sandy soil may cause the walls to collapse. Soil with a high clay content may expand or contract with seasonal temperature or moisture changes.

Professional pool contractors are accustomed to these kinds of challenges and have solutions for the majority of them. Tactics vary by the nature of the challenge and building practices in the local market.

Learn more here: Backyard Conditions that Impact Building Costs

Builders use a variety of techniques to overcome soil challenges for gunite pool construction. Methods often vary by region of the country.

For example, to address unstable earth, they may lay a bed of compacted fill with pea gravel in the excavated hole or increase the amount of gunite and steel in the pool shell. To address sandy soil, they may frame the excavated hole with plywood to hold its shape until gunite is applied.

In certain cases, an analysis by a soil engineer may be needed, and more extensive tactics may be required.