“We want a swimming pool!” If this is a refrain you have been hearing from your children, significant other or have been uttering yourself, what are you waiting for? How to design your family swimming pool is a process that might be fraught with tension, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be fun and exciting!
Talk with the swimming pool contractors at Best Pro Pool Service in Merced, California and they will tell you that owning a pool in California is one of the best gifts you can give yourself! They have put together a check list to help you through the design process and make it easier to know what questions to ask your potential pool contractor.
How to design your family swimming pool
Look for a pool contractor who can offer you a birds-eye view of what your yard will look like once the pool has been added. This is a great, and sometimes eye-opening, look at the project from a different view you wouldn’t have considered. You also want to find a pool contractor who will listen to your ideas, understand your budget and marry the two.
Here are some of the steps to get you started on your design path — unless you already know exactly what you want!
Flip through books and magazines with photos of residential swimming pools as well as architecture, travel and interior design magazines. This will get you an idea on pool shapes, sizes and amenities for your own pool.
Decide what pool shape you want.
Know how many people will be in the pool, on average most of the time, and construct a pool to accommodate that.
Know that even if you have a small yard you can still have a pool.
Know what type of accessories you want — fountain, diving board, slide, pool heater, hot tub, etc.
Know what your budget is for the project itself and for ongoing maintenance
Meet with at least three pool contractors, let them know your budget and your ideas. Hire the one who has the best pricing, listens to you, works with you to help you understand the differences in pool filter types and pool equipment efficiency.
Visit the pool contractor’s showroom and thumb through his or her lookbook.
Let your imagination run wild when you’re in the planning stages but be prepared to have your ideas reined in once you speak with a pool builder. Be open to discussing ideas with the builder but defer to his or her expertise and remember, it’s likely the more wild the design, the higher the price tag.