How to build a swimming pool
An inground pool is built in a fixed order: check setbacks and utility lines, design it and get the permits, lay out and excavate, set the steel and plumbing, pass the steel and bonding inspection, shoot the shell, bond and pour the deck, build the barrier, pass the barrier inspection, then finish, fill and pass the final inspection.
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- Even when you act as your own general contractor, some steps belong to licensed trades: in Chicago, electrical permits for pools are obtained by a licensed electrical contractor, and private pools deeper than 48 inches need plans by a licensed architect or structural engineer.[2]City of Chicago, Department of Buildings, Guidance on Private Outdoor Pools
- Columbia, South Carolina, asks for a site plan with setbacks and barrier details, a bonding diagram and scaled plans of the pool and its barrier.[1]City of Columbia, South Carolina, Planning and Development Services, Permit…
- Midland reminds owners that electrical and mechanical permits may be required on top of the building permit.[3]City of Midland, Michigan, Swimming Pool Requirements
- Under the barrier rules Des Moines enforces, the barrier is at least 48 inches high on the outside, no more than 2 inches above the ground, with no openings a 4-inch ball can pass, and gates that open outward and are self-closing and self-latching.[4]City of Des Moines, Iowa, Permit and Development Center, Pool Barrier Requirements…
- San Diego states that all in-ground swimming pools require a permit, and Santa Clarita lists swimming pools, new or remodeled, among the projects that need a building permit.[7][9]City of San Diego, California, Development Services, When is a Permit Required?
Who does what
Most homeowners hire a pool contractor for the shell, the plumbing and the electrical work, and keep control of the design, the budget and the paperwork. Even when you act as your own general contractor, some steps belong to licensed trades: in Chicago, electrical permits for pools are obtained by a licensed electrical contractor, and private pools deeper than 48 inches need plans by a licensed architect or structural engineer[2]. Knowing the sequence below lets you check the schedule, the contract and the inspections.
Plan the pool
Check the site before the shape
The shape you like has to fit the rules of your lot. Distances to the property lines, to the house and to overhead wires decide where a pool can go:
| City | Rule |
|---|---|
| Midland, Michigan | Side or rear yard only; 3 feet from property lines and 6 feet from other structures; never in an easement; overhead wiring at least 22.5 feet above the water[3] |
| New York City | 5 feet from any lot line on lots 25 feet wide or more; no overhead conductors within 22.5 feet[5] |
| Chicago | Pool edges and pump or filter equipment 10 feet from any neighboring lot[2] |
Mark the easements from your survey, the septic system if any, and the utility lines. Chicago's site plan must show overhead and underground electric lines, the sewer line and the water supply line[2].
Design and permits
The permit drawings come from the design. Chicago's list is a good picture of what a city expects: a site plan from a legal survey, a plan and sections with the pool's volume and surface area, electrical and grounding schematics, plumbing and piping schematics with the filling, backwash, discharge and disinfection methods, wall and lighting details, steps or ladders, skimmers, returns, main drain and fence details[2]. Columbia, South Carolina, asks for a site plan with setbacks and barrier details, a bonding diagram and scaled plans of the pool and its barrier[1]. Nothing gets dug before the permit is issued.
Step by step
1. Layout and excavation
The builder stakes the outline from the approved site plan, then digs. The first inspection often checks exactly this: Columbia starts with a site and location inspection to confirm placement and setbacks[1].
2. Steel and plumbing
Reinforcing steel is tied in the hole, and the circulation plumbing is run to the equipment pad. Chicago requires a recirculation system able to turn over the entire water volume every six hours[2]. Columbia inspects the steel, the forms and the bonding of the pool's steel before the gunite or backfill, in one visit[1].
3. The shell
Concrete is sprayed or poured to form the shell, or a fiberglass or vinyl-liner structure is set. Chicago requires a rigid, watertight shell with a smooth, impervious, light-colored finish, slip-resistant floors in shallow areas, and a design that withstands water pressure from inside when full and ground pressure when empty[2].
4. Electrical bonding and the deck
Before the deck is poured, the perimeter bond is laid. Columbia requires a bare solid copper conductor of at least #8 AWG following the pool's contour 18 to 24 inches from the inside walls, buried 4 to 6 inches below the finished surface, attached to the pool's steel at four or more evenly spaced points, with no breaks or splices; this equipotential bonding inspection happens before the deck concrete[1]. Then the deck is formed and poured. Chicago requires walk areas at least 6 feet wide around the pool, non-slip and pitched away from the water[2].
5. Equipment and electrical
The pump, filter, heater and lights are installed and wired by the electrician under the electrical permit. Midland reminds owners that electrical and mechanical permits may be required on top of the building permit[3].
6. The barrier
The fence, gates and alarms go in before the water. Under the barrier rules Des Moines enforces, the barrier is at least 48 inches high on the outside, no more than 2 inches above the ground, with no openings a 4-inch ball can pass, and gates that open outward and are self-closing and self-latching[4]. If a wall of the house is part of the barrier, doors and windows leading to the pool need alarms, a powered safety cover, or another approved protection[4]. Midland adds that a barrier must be placed so permanent structures and equipment cannot be used to climb it[3].
7. Barrier inspection, finish and fill
Columbia inspects the barrier before the pool is filled[1]. Pleasanton, California, requires the enclosure to be installed and working before any water is introduced, typically at its pre-plaster inspection, and checks its two required drowning prevention features at the final[6]. Then the interior finish goes on and the pool is filled.
8. Final inspection
The final inspection confirms the pool, the equipment, the bonding and the safety features are complete and compliant[1]. Keep the signed-off permit: it is the record a buyer, an appraiser or an insurer may ask for.
Do you need a permit to build a swimming pool?
Yes. San Diego states that all in-ground swimming pools require a permit[7], and Santa Clarita lists swimming pools, new or remodeled, among the projects that need a building permit[9]. The barrier rules are there for a reason: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports an average of 376 children under 15 fatally drowned in pool- or spa-related incidents each year from 2021 to 2023, over 70 percent of the deaths in residential settings[8].
Starting without the permit is expensive. Lower Salford Township, Pennsylvania, doubles its fees if work begins before the permit is in hand[10], and in Santa Clarita, work that continues after a stop work order exposes the owner to fines and a lien on the property[9].
Common questions
What are the steps to build an inground pool?
Site check and design, permits, layout and excavation, steel and plumbing, the steel and bonding inspection, the shell, perimeter bonding and the deck, the barrier and its inspection, then the interior finish, filling and the final inspection. Columbia, South Carolina, lists the same inspection order.
When can I fill a new pool?
After the barrier passes. Columbia, South Carolina, inspects the barrier before the pool is filled, and Pleasanton, California, requires the enclosure to be installed and working before any water goes in, typically at the pre-plaster inspection.
What is pool bonding?
Connecting the steel, the water, the equipment and nearby conductive surfaces into one equipotential grid. Columbia, South Carolina, requires a bare solid copper conductor of at least #8 AWG around the pool, 18 to 24 inches from the inside walls and 4 to 6 inches below the finished surface, attached at four points or more.
Can I build a pool myself?
The permit rules still apply, and some cities require professionals. Chicago requires plans by a licensed architect or structural engineer for private pools deeper than 48 inches, and electrical permits there are pulled by a licensed electrical contractor.
We handle the permit. You build your inground pool.
- Your city's rule, for your addressThe code section, its link and the date we checked it.
- Site plan and dimensioned drawingsDistances to your property lines, ready for the application.
- The form, where to file it, and the published feePlus the documents list and an HOA request template.
- Reviewed, then revised until approvedWith All-in, after every comment from the city, for up to 6 months.
Sources
- City of Columbia, South Carolina, Planning and Development Services, Permit Requirements for Residential Pools. Checked October 13, 2026.
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings, Guidance on Private Outdoor Pools (revised 8/18/2020). Checked October 13, 2026.
- City of Midland, Michigan, Swimming Pool Requirements (rev. 7/25). Checked October 13, 2026.
- City of Des Moines, Iowa, Permit and Development Center, Pool Barrier Requirements Checklist (2015 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code). Checked October 13, 2026.
- NYC311, Swimming Pool Installation Rules. Checked October 13, 2026.
- City of Pleasanton, California, Building and Safety, Pool Enclosures and Drowning Prevention Measures. Checked October 13, 2026.
- City of San Diego, California, Development Services, When is a Permit Required? (February 2025). Checked October 13, 2026.
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC Report Highlights Persistent Risk of Childhood Drowning (June 24, 2026). Checked October 13, 2026.
- City of Santa Clarita, California, Building and Safety, Stop Work Order Information. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Lower Salford Township, Pennsylvania, 2026 Permit Fee Schedule, Common Residential Project Fees. Checked October 13, 2026.