Step-by-Step: How We Build a Custom Pool
Straightforward. Transparent. No hidden steps.
Building a pool shouldn’t feel confusing or overwhelming. You deserve to know exactly what’s happening in your backyard and when it’s happening. Here’s a clear, start-to-finish look at how we build every Austin Dreamscapes pool—from first sketch to first jump.
Step 1: On-Site Visit & Design
We start by coming out to your home and taking a real look at your yard—access, sunlight, layout, and how the pool will fit into your space.
Then we talk through what you’re dreaming up: size, shape, depth, features, and the overall style you want.
Once we understand your vision, we build a clear 3D design so you can see exactly how the pool will look in your yard before anything starts. When you’re happy with the design, we move forward to the next step.
Step 2: HOA & Permits
Before we break ground, we make sure everything is cleared and approved. If you’re in an HOA, we put together the full submittal package for you—pool layout, materials, and all the details they normally ask for. You won’t have to deal with the back-and-forth; we handle that part.
If your home is inside city limits, we also file the required permits so the project is fully authorized before construction starts.
Whether it’s the HOA, the City of Austin, or both, we take care of the paperwork so the process is smooth and you don’t get stuck navigating any of it on your own.
Step 3: Layout
Once everything is approved, we come out and mark the exact shape and location of your pool on the ground. This includes painting the outline, setting the elevations, and checking all the measurements so the pool sits perfectly in your yard.
This step is important because it lets you visually see the pool’s footprint before we start digging. If you want to shift it slightly, widen an area, or make adjustments for shade or furniture layout, this is the moment to do it.
By the time layout is complete, everyone is on the same page and the project is fully ready for excavation.
Step 4: Excavation
Excavation is when the project really comes to life. We bring in the equipment and start digging the pool to the exact depth, shape, and layout you approved. Every step, bench, and contour is carved out so the structure matches the design perfectly.
During this phase, we also haul away the dirt or set aside what’s needed for later grading. The crew shapes the walls, smooths the floor, and cleans out loose soil so the pool shell is clean and ready for the next stage.
By the end of excavation, you’ll clearly see the size and feel of your future pool—it’s the first big transformation in your backyard.
Step 5: Steel Rebar
After the dig is complete, we start building the structural backbone of your pool. This is where strength really matters. We install a full grid of steel rebar across the floor, up every wall, and around all the steps, benches, and ledges.
The steel is tied together tightly so it forms one solid cage. This reinforcement is what keeps your pool stable through heat, rain, shifting soil, and the natural movement of Texas ground. Good rebar work isn’t something you notice after the pool is done, but it’s the difference between a pool that lasts a few years and one that lasts for generations.
We take our time here—clean lines, tight spacing, and no shortcuts. When the steel is finished, you’ll be able to recognize the shape of your pool, and it’s officially ready for plumbing and electrical to begin.
Step 6: Plumbing
With the steel in place, we move on to the plumbing system—the lifeline of your pool. This is where we install all the underground pipes that keep your water moving clean and clear.
We run lines for:
Skimmers
Main drains
Return jets
Spa jets (if you have a spa)
Waterfalls or fountains
Cleaner lines
Any additional features you added
Every pipe is installed with proper spacing, depth, and flow direction. Once everything is connected, we pressure-test the plumbing to make sure there are zero leaks. This is one of the most important steps for long-term reliability.
Step 7: Gunite
Gunite is when your pool finally becomes solid. A crew sprays a concrete mix over the steel frame, and then shapes the steps, benches, and walls so everything matches the design you approved. By the end of the day, your pool looks real.
Gunite creates the main structure of your pool. It’s strong, durable, and built to last.
For the next 7 days, you’ll need to water the gunite shell once or twice a day. This helps it cure properly and prevents cracking. It only takes a few minutes, and we’ll show you exactly how to do it.
Once the shell is curing, we clean the site and get everything ready for tile and coping.
Step 8: Tile & Coping
Once the gunite shell has cured, we move into one of the most noticeable parts of the build: tile and coping. This is where your pool starts to show its actual personality and style.
Tile
We install your waterline tile around the top edge of the pool. This protects the pool from staining at the waterline and gives the whole design that clean, finished look.
Whether you chose glass, ceramic, or natural stone, this step is where those design decisions finally show up.
If you added accent tiles, mosaics, or raised walls, we install those at the same time.
Coping
Coping is the stone or concrete border that sits on top of the pool’s edge. It frames your pool and creates the transition from the water to the deck.
Common options include:
Lueders stone
Travertine
Concrete coping
Paver coping
Bullnose or square edges
We set each piece carefully to keep the lines straight, the joints tight, and the edges smooth.
This is the first step where you’ll really see the style take shape.
Tile and coping set the tone for the entire look of your pool.
Weather can slow this phase down, since everything needs to be dry for proper installation.
Once tile and coping are complete, your pool starts looking more “finished,” and we’re ready to prepare for decking.
Step 9: Decking
Now it’s time to start turning all that dirt around the pool into a finished backyard.
For our pool decking, we pour 3,500 PSI concrete approximately 4.5 to 5 inches thick and reinforce it with 3/8-inch rebar. Before the concrete goes down, the area is properly prepared and compacted to give the deck a solid foundation.
One Detail You’ll Never See
Before we pour, we also install a vapor barrier underneath the entire concrete deck.
It’s one of those details that gets completely covered up once the concrete is poured, but it serves an important purpose. The vapor barrier helps control moisture coming up through the ground and helps the concrete cure more consistently. We install it whether you’re getting a textured overlay like SunDeck or not.
That matters because even if you don’t choose SunDeck today, you may decide to add it years down the road. Having the vapor barrier already underneath the concrete helps prepare the deck for that future finish. It helps keep moisture from working its way through the slab, which can affect the color and longevity of a textured overlay.
It’s a small detail during construction, but it can make a big difference in keeping that finished color looking even through the Texas heat, rain, and changing seasons.
Once everything is ready, we pour the 3,500 PSI concrete, finish the surface, and give it the proper time to cure before moving into the final stages of the build.
Step 10: Equipment Installation
Once the deck is finished, we move into setting up the “engine” of your pool—the equipment pad. This is where all the behind-the-scenes magic happens to keep your water clean, clear, and circulating the way it should.
We start by placing all the equipment in a clean, organized layout. This usually includes:
Pump
Filter
Heater or chiller (if you chose one)
Spa blower (for spa owners)
Automation system
Valves and manifolds
Pool lights and electrical connections
Every pipe is tied into the pad with clean, direct plumbing so everything runs smoothly and can be serviced easily down the road. We make sure the pad is neat, labeled, and accessible—not a messy pile of pipes like you see with some builders.
Once everything is installed, our electrician connects the power and automation. This is when your pool officially starts to come alive. We test the system, check flow, and make sure every component is working exactly the way it should.
Step 11: Electrical Finish-Out
After the equipment is set in place, our licensed electrician comes back out to finish all the power connections. This is the step where everything gets tied into your home’s electrical system.
We run the wiring from your equipment pad directly to your main breaker panel and make sure it’s safely connected and labeled. This gives your pump, heater, automation, and other systems the power they need to operate.
Next, we install and connect all the pool and spa lights. This includes running conduit to each light niche, pulling wire through, and sealing everything properly so the lights stay watertight and code-compliant. Whether you’ve chosen standard white lights or color-changing LEDs, this is when they’re fully hooked up.
Once the power, lights, and automation wiring are complete, we test every circuit and make sure everything is functioning exactly as it should. With electrical finished, your pool is officially ready for plaster and the final stages of construction.
Step 12: Landscaping
If you chose to upgrade your project with landscaping, this is when we bring the rest of the backyard back to life.
We highly recommend completing landscaping before the pool is plastered and filled. Fresh plaster is at its most vulnerable during the initial start-up period, and leaving exposed dirt around the pool can allow dust, mud, and yard debris to blow or wash directly into the water. Getting the landscaping finished first helps protect that brand-new pool finish.
Once the pool equipment is installed and ready to go, we grade the yard and install any sod, artificial turf, rock, mulch, or plants you selected. If sprinklers need to be added, repaired, or rerouted, we can take care of that as well so your new landscaping is ready from day one.
Landscaping is a relatively quick stage, but it makes a huge difference. It softens everything around the pool, ties the deck into the rest of the yard, and turns what still feels a little like a construction site into a finished backyard.
With the landscaping complete and the area around the pool cleaned up, we're ready for plaster, water, and start-up.
Step 13: Textured Deck Overlay
Now it’s time to give the pool deck its finished look.
We apply a textured overlay, often called SunDeck, across the decking to add color, texture, and a comfortable, slip-resistant surface around the pool.
This is where your color selection really starts to tie everything together. The deck finish complements the coping, tile, and surrounding design, helping the entire backyard feel like one complete space.
It’s also one of those steps that changes the backyard almost overnight. What has looked like a construction project for weeks suddenly starts looking like the backyard you imagined.
With the deck finished, there’s only one big transformation left: Start-Up
Step 14: Plaster
Plaster is the final interior finish of your pool. It’s the surface you’ll see and feel every time you swim, and it’s also one of the biggest transformations of the entire build.
For most of our pools, we prefer SparkleQuartz. It gives the pool a beautiful quartz finish while providing greater durability and longevity than a basic traditional plaster finish.
But we take it one step further.
After the plaster is installed, we use a product called Set & Cure to help lock in and seal the new finish. This added step helps protect the plaster during the critical curing process, improves the durability of the surface, and helps give your new pool finish the best opportunity for a long life.
Once the plaster is finished, we immediately begin filling the pool. And when we say immediately, we mean it. Once that water starts flowing, do not turn it off. Stopping the fill halfway can leave a permanent waterline or ring in the fresh plaster.
The pool needs to fill continuously until the water reaches the middle of the waterline tile. Depending on your home's water pressure and the size of the pool, this typically takes anywhere from 12 to 48 hours.
Once it's full, we're officially out of construction and into start-up. The equipment comes on, the water chemistry begins getting balanced, and the new plaster is brushed daily as it goes through its initial curing process.
After weeks of watching your backyard transform, this is the moment it finally becomes a swimming pool.
Step 15: Start-Up
Once the pool is full, we begin the official start-up process. This is where we balance the water, protect the new plaster, and get all your equipment running the right way from day one.
We use a startup barrel during this phase. This barrel slowly feeds the right mix of chemicals into the pool water as it circulates. It helps the plaster cure evenly and prevents issues like staining, scaling, or rough spots. Using a startup barrel gives the pool a smoother, cleaner, and longer-lasting finish.
During the first week, we brush the surface daily, adjust chemicals, and make sure your pump, heaters, lights, and automation are running exactly how they should. This step sets the foundation for clear, healthy water and a strong plaster surface.
The startup barrel protects your plaster during those crucial first days.
The water will be brushed and checked regularly.
It’s normal for the water to look cloudy at first—this clears up as the plaster dust is removed.
We handle the full start-up until the pool is stable and ready for regular use.
After the start-up is complete and everything is dialed in, we walk you through the entire system so you feel confident using your new pool.
Step 16: Pool School
Once the start-up is complete and your water is balanced, we walk you through Pool School—this is our hands-on orientation where we show you exactly how to run and take care of your new pool.
We go over everything in real time:
How to use your pump, heater, and automation
How to adjust lights, schedules, and features
How to clean the pool and empty baskets
How to check and balance basic water chemistry
What to expect during the first few weeks of a brand-new pool
It’s simple, clear, and made for homeowners with no experience. You’ll learn what to do weekly, what to watch for, and how to keep everything running smoothly.
By the end of Pool School, you’ll feel confident using your equipment, understanding your pool’s settings, and knowing exactly how to care for it day to day.
After this step, your pool is officially ready to enjoy.