Whether you are a homeowner that typically does smaller household projects or if you have no mechanical experience at all – we have a way for you to install an inground swimming pool at an affordable price, while still utilizing a very experienced inground pool kit consultant.

Randy Wilcox has installed over 1,000 in-ground vinyl liner pools in his career and has confronted just about every possible snag you can imagine. He is available to work with our customers, to help them install their own inground pools, at a fraction of the cost of local pool installers. We call it the Rent-a-Randy Program.

Build an Inground Swimming pool for $13000

Step 1:

Order the 12’x24’ deluxe inground pool kit from us at Specialty Pool Products and have the pool kit shipped directly to your home.  Once the pool kit is ordered it takes approximately 7- 10 business days to arrive at your home, the trucking company will call you to arrange a delivery.  The cost for this 12’x24’ rectangle Deluxe pool kit is $4800. See all 34 items in our Deluxe inground pool kit . For those that have the space, and want to go big, our rectangular pool kits are available up to 20’x40′, complete – for under $6600 (prices subject to change, see our current sample pricing).

You can pay for the pool on any major credit card in full or you have the option of paying for the pool in up to 6 monthly installments with no interest on the credit card.  Call for Details (800) 983-7665.

Step 2:

Once you purchase the pool kit from Specialty Pool Products, you mail Randy a $500 deposit to reserve a week on his schedule. Upon your satisfied completion of the job (water in the pool) you pay him the remaining balance of $4000 (current Rent-a-Randy pricing). For pools west of the Mississippi, the cost is higher, due to increased travel days. Randy works independently from SPP; he is not our employee, but works for you as a General Contractor, managing the work of sub-contractors, and two workers that you provide.

Here is the brief summary of our Rent a Randy program and how it works:

Randy and his son, Nate drive or sometimes fly to your home and are on-site for 4-5 days to help you get your inground pool built. His travel and hotel cost is included. When Randy and Nate leave your home, you have water in the pool and are ready to swim and enjoy your new inground pool.

You arrange to have 2 good workers to help during the entire installation, and Randy takes care of the rest. You will also, with Randy’s help and advice, secure the local building permit in advance, from your city or county, and after you plan a schedule together – call to schedule a location excavation company to deliver a trac-hoe and operator for Day 1.

On Day 1, Randy helps you layout the area to be dug and oversees the excavation sub-contractor, to make sure he digs the hole correctly. The average cost for excavation of this size inground pool kit would be $1200. You’ll pay this directly to your local excavation company.

On Day 2, the team (Randy & his son, Nate + 2 workers provided by you) assemble the frame of the pool, making sure the pool is square. After the walls are erected, inground pool steps, pool light and the coping are added.  Then comes a concrete collar, which is poured all around the panels to about 8-10” deep and 2 ½ feet wide. This beam of concrete locks the steel wall panels in place.  Randy will make sure this gets done correctly and the homeowner pays the approximate $500 fee for about 5 yards of 3000 lb. concrete mix, delivered by a local concrete company.

On Day 3, Randy and team will install a 2″ thick pool base along the floor of the pool. For this size pool kit, we need approximately 40 bags of premixed pool base material. This will add another $750 to materials expense. For a lower cost, a mixture of 1 bag portland cement to 4 bags masonry sand can be substituted. As the floor is poured and smoothed, the other half of the crew begins to connect the pool inlets and outlets to the filter equipment, with pvc pipe (included in the deluxe pool kit package).

An electrician is scheduled for Day 3 to make sure the pool is correctly grounded, and in certain states bonded.  We also will need the electrician to run power from the main breaker panel of the house, to a subpanel at the pool equipment pad, to power the pumping, lighting or heating equipment. The price for the electrical work varies but the average cost for this is around $1000.

On Day 4, Randy and team will install the inground vinyl liner and finish up all of the plumbing. If something unexpected occurs such as bad weather, or ground water problems, there is an additional day allowed to finish up. If not, the pool begins to fill with water as soon as the vinyl liner is in place.

The total cost for everything listed above would be the low price of $12,750. This cost does not include a pool deck around the pool, of concrete or wood, which is usually added later, after the fill dirt around the pool has had a chance to settle. You can see how easy it is to build an inground pool for under $13,000. If you have space for a larger pool, the material costs will increase proportionately, as will the cost of the pool – but only a little bit! Even if you installed an 20’x40′ inground pool kit, your final cost is still quite affordable. And still under $15,000 – for your own inground swimming pool!

Randy is a perfectionist and he builds the pool like it is his own; he does not rush through the job like most pool installers so he can move onto the next job, nor does he drag out a pool installation for months. You can be another satisfied Rent a Randy customer, and when your neighbors see his work they too will want one in their own backyard.

Step 3:

Now that the pool is completed for half the price it would have cost to have local builders install it;  it’s time to enjoy the many hours of enjoyment in your new inground pool – that you built. Our Rent-a-Randy program is unique and quite popular. Call us today for details on how you can install your own inground swimming pool, with guidance and expert advice along the way.

Chris Low
SPP Pool Expert

Here is a list of the 10 most popular questions customers ask about our do it yourself inground steel or polymer wall pool kits.

1. Is your pool a one-piece fiberglass pool?

No, we do not sell fiberglass pools – our pool kits are shipped with your choice of either Galvanized Steel or Polymer walls. Fiberglass pools are more expensive and – there is a chance they could crack in the colder climates during the winter. With a fiberglass pool you need a crane to pick up the pool and place it into the hole that is dug out; very expensive. Also once the pool is in the hole you only have once chance to make sure pool is completely level so you have to be extremely careful.

2. What type of inground pools do you sell?

We sell primarily a 14 gauge galvanized steel wall panel with G235 galvanization (the best!).  Our steel wall panels have 2 ¾ oz. of rust retardant per square foot on the panel. This will help prevent any corrosion or rusting. Another option we have available is polymer walls. These are made from a non-corrosive Polymer material. We sell both steel and polymer, but the majority of pools sold ship with the steel wall. Each pool is sold with everything needed to get started and have a fully operating swimming pool.

3. Do you have different shapes to choose from?

Yes we have 14 different shapes and about 4 sizes with in each shape. You can view all the different pool shapes at our website. If you don’t see the shape you like give us a call we can configure any shape or any size pool. Just give a call to (800) 983-7665 .

4. Do you install the pool?

Unfortunately, we do not install the entire pool for you where you can just write a check, pay for the pool and be done with it.  Our pools are typically a do it yourself project or you can hire a local contractor to install the pool for you. We do, however have our Rent a Randy program, explained below – question # 9.

5. Can I really build this myself?

We have been helping customers build their own pools since 1994. Many customers have absolutely no mechanical experience, whereas others are more mechanically inclined. If you have some patience and can follow a set of simple instructions you can install your own pool.  I am not going to tell you it is easy; it is hard work but not complicated work.

The steel wall panels weigh about 60 lbs. each, so moving all of those panels is somewhat tiresome. We provide you with all of the digging specifications for the excavator and also a panel layout for you to follow. During the entire project we are here to answer any questions from start to completion. Whether we talk to you once or a hundred times, there is no extra charge. All of our inground pool experts have many years of experience and we can answer any possible questions you might have.  There is nothing that we have not seen or experienced in the thousands of backyard pools we have helped homeowners build.

6. Do you have financing?

We do offer a program called EZ Pay where you can pay for the inground pool kit in up to 6 monthly installments on your credit card, with no fees paid to us. The other options for payment are to use a credit card and pay for pool in full, send a bank check or wire transfer.

7. Do you have shipping charges?

There are never any shipping charges – we pay all of the freight and the trucking company will call 24 hours in advance to arrange delivery.

8. Is the pool shipped to my house?

Yes, the pool is shipped directly to your home by a truckline shipping company. We do not deliver to the trucking terminal and have you pick it up like our competitors. When the pool arrives, you do need to have at least 1 or 2 people there to help the truck driver take the pool off the truck. You will want to inspect the boxes before you sign for it; any damage should be noted on the Bill of Lading. Although this rarely happens, if you notice any damage to the box at all, simply write this on the driver’s form, as you sign, then give us a phone call – so we can take care of it for you.

9. How does our Rent a Randy Program work?

For those who are not completely comfortable building their own inground pool, we offer our Rent a Randy program. Even using our Rent a Randy program you can still save thousands of dollars compared to a local installer. Randy and team are scheduling now for 2012 installations. For less than $5000, they will schedule a week to come to your home, and manage the sub-contractors. When he leaves, 4-5 days later, you have water in the pool. For more information on how this program works, see our recent blog post on the topic.

10. What else do I need to purchase and how much does it cost?

Our inground pool kits have everything you need to build the pool with the exception of concrete for the floor, the collar, and the surrounding pool deck. Consult our lengthy list of what’s included in our inground pool kit packages.

And the water of course! You’ll need to provide enough water to fill the pool, and to mix the vermiculite or concrete pool floor mixture. If your household water comes from a small well, it may be advisable to fill the pool with trucked-in water. Aside from that, everything else is included in our DIY pool packages.

I hope that this list of the top 10 pool kit questions we receive has answered yours. If you have any other question, big or small, give our pool building experts a call!

Chris Low
SPP Pool Expert

Can we Build it? Yes, we Can!

Are you thinking of buying an inground swimming pool? If so, you have a choice to make. Do you hire a local contractor and just write a check, or build the pool yourself and save thousands of dollars? I think the answer is simple – build it yourself – you’ll be happier with the results, proud as a peacock.  The homeowner pool builder pays more attention than the contractor. Measurements are more accurate and the builder [you] really puts his or her heart into it.

SPP Is There for You!

If you are a handy homeowner familiar with household projects or even if you have no mechanical experience at all – we have a way for you to build your own inground pool at an affordable price. During the installation process our team of Pool Experts are with you from start to completion. We can answer any question or concern that you can throw at us. Our hands-on customer service – after the sale; helping you get that pool kit in the ground, is what sets us apart from websites that also sell pool kits, but know very little about them.

Rent-A-Randy

If you like the idea of building your own pool, but are still feeling less than confident – we have an intermediate solution. SPP’s exclusive Rent-a-Randy program allows our pool customers to book a week on Randy’s schedule, and he will come to your house for 3-5 days, to help you install your own inground pool. You do scheduling and arranging for some earth moving equipment and concrete delivery, and of course order your pool kit, and some other supplies. Plan to take the week off of work, and provide another helper. When the week comes, Randy and his son will fly or drive to your town and when they leave at the end of the week, your pool has water in it.

Choose a Size for your Inground Pool Kit

Our inground pool kits are available in many different sizes from 12’x24′ to 20’x42′, and lap pools up to 60′ long. In order to find out what pool sizes would fit best in your yard, head outside with a measuring tape and make a sketch of the available space. Most cities have at least a 10′ setback from the property line, check with your local building permit office or local government website. On your sketch, try to pin down the maximum width and maximum length pool that could be installed.

When choosing the right size swimming pool and it’s placement, also consider visibility of the pool from the house, while restricting access from too many sources. Consider where you might put the pump and filter. Closer to the main house electrical panel will be cheaper. If you are installing a gas heater, closer to the meter will be cheaper, and if you would like to mount solar heating panels, having the equipment closer to a southern facing roof will make the installation cheaper and easier.

Choose a Shape for your Inground Pool Kit

Our most popular pool shapes change from year to year, but the biggest seller is usually rectangle, grecian or roman. We also have a number of free-form shapes, and ovals to choose from. Once you know the maximum width and length that your backyard can accommodate, think about what shape pool would best complement the house shape, the landscaping or the terrain.

From a difficulty standpoint, installation of one of the shapes shown above is about the same as a freeform shape. Freeform pool shapes, such as our Lagoon, Tahiti or Oasis style, will take a little more time leveling the walls and installing the pool liner, but no more than a few hours difference. Some costs are higher with freeform pools, such as a winter safety cover, solar blanket or liner replacement, all of which can be much cheaper for rectangular pools. Rectangular pool shapes are also the best shape if you are considering an automatic pool cover. If you are looking for the least costly style to build, look to the rectangular or Grecian pool shapes.

Choose a Wall Type for your Inground Pool Kit

We offer steel walls that are 14 gauge galvanized wall and also polymer walls.  Steel outsells polymer walls in most parts of the country. You may consider polymer if you are in a salty ocean environment, or are in an area with very wet ground, close to sea level. For more information on the differences between steel vs. polymer walls, we let them fight it out in a previous blog post.

Choose your Inground Pool Kit

We have 2 different Pool Kits that are available to choose from our Deluxe kit and or Deluxe-Plus kit.  Both kits include everything you need to build the pool. Not just a pool and liner, but the complete equipment package, with Jandy valves, PVC piping, skimmers, lights. We even include cleaning tools and chemicals to start you off. It’s so complete that the only materials you may need to purchase is concrete delivery when you pour the collar and the floor.

The two kits are quite similar, in fact the only difference between the Deluxe and the Deluxe-Plus is an upgraded pool liner, robotic pool cleaner and a salt chlorine generator. Both of our pool kits are completely customizable however. If you’d like to add dramatic effects such as water features, LED lighting, sliding or diving equipment or even an attached slide, our internal software makes it easy to create an instant custom quote for your inground pool kit.

How Much Does it Cost to Build an Inground Pool?

OK, now that we’ve asked the question, let’s talk about pricing. A lot of websites don’t want to talk about pricing for an inground pool kit. We think it’s a valid question, and we will help you budget out every line item of cost in your pool installation project.

Pool Cost: Once you choose your shape and size of pool we can easily figure out your exact costs. For this example, let’s take a medium size pool – a 16’x32′ Rectangle pool. The price for our Rectangle Deluxe kit with 2ft radius corners would cost $5,850.00. Our Deluxe Kit has everything you need to install the pool. Shipping? Free.

Concrete Collar Cost: Most cities have at least one local concrete delivery company. You can purchase the cheapest concrete mix you can find – normally this is called 2500 lb. mix.  This is installed around the outside of the panels about 8-10 inches deep and 2 ½ feet wide, all the way up to the over dig. For our 16’x32’ size example pool, you would need 7-9 yards of concrete and the approximate delivered cost would be $900.00.

Pool Floor Material: Next would be the material you will need for the bottom of the pool floor. There are a few options you can use – a mixture of Sand with Portland cement, Vermiculite or just a Sand bottom. Cost for this size pool, to install a hard base of Sand/Portland Mix or Vermiculite would be about $1150.00 in materials. Sand would be about half as much, but is I believe the benefits of a hard pool bottom is worth the additional money spent.

Earth Moving Expense: If you own your own excavator or trac hoe – you are all set for the digging of the pool, but most homeowners do not. You can either rent the equipment or hire someone to dig the pool for you. Renting may be cheaper, but not always. In either case, the rough cost for excavation and backfill should be in the neighborhood of $1250.00. When you are checking prices, keep in mind that you will need the equipment twice. First to dig the pool, and move the piles of dirt out of the way. Then a second time, as soon as 2-3 days later, to back fill the dirt up against the walls, after the concrete collar has been poured around the pool footers.

Concrete Deck Expense: You can put the standard 3′ concrete slab around the pool, with crack joints every 8 feet or so, or you can integrate to an existing pool deck. Having a contrasting pool deck  – half wood / half concrete is a nice design. Some of our customers keep it natural on one side, and incorporate planter areas or waterfalls on part of the available deck area. Pouring and finishing your own standard size pool deck, for our 16’x32′ pool can cost around $1000.00 in concrete cost, or you can obtain quotes from experienced finishers to come and set up the forms, on a gravel base, with wire mesh for strength. A broom finish deck is standard. Options include stamping, coloring or exposed aggregate finishes.

Electrical Expense: You also need to have an electrician to ground the pool and all metal equipment. The electrician will also be required to bring power out to the equipment pad. They will connect to the main electrical panel (breaker box) of the house, and run a trench to where the pool pump and filter will be located. At the pad they will install a sub-panel, with at least 50 amps of power to run the pool pump, pool light and a GFCI electrical outlet. Electrical cost will vary by area and by how far of a run it is from the main panel to the sub-panel, but assuming a 50 ft run, and an average cost contractor, we can expect a bill of around $1100 for time and materials. When checking prices, tell them that you need to have the pool bonded, and a sub-panel installed at a location XX feet away from the main house panel.

The total cost for the Rectangle 16’x32′ pool kit, with a 3′ concrete deck would cost $11250.00. And that’s everything – except for the water of course.

After reviewing the actual costs above, this should give you a good idea of what the pool kit would cost along with the extra expenses of building your own swimming pool.  You can review your quotes from the local installer and you will see the price of our pool is half the cost of what it would cost for a local pool dealer to install your pool. Now it is your decision to make – do you pay someone to install it for you or do you do it yourself? I built my own pool and I saved about $10,000.00. You can do the same, and with the extra money you save, you can afford to add some fun options to your pool, and still have money left over for landscaping and outdoor furniture.

Give us a call – we love to talk about building inground pools!

Chris Lowe
SPP Pool Expert

Randy Wilcox

Are you a handy homeowner thinking about building a DIY inground pool, but would like to hire a professional to manage the entire operation?

Rent-A-Randy is exclusive to Specialty Pool Products customers, and no other online swimming pool kit company has such a service.

Q: How Much Does the Rent-A-Randy Pool Kit Installation COST?

A: There is a $500 deposit made to reserve the pool installation date, with the balance due on completion. Current Rent-A-Randy fees are shown below. It’s a very small amount to pay for the expertise, and in being able to complete the job in just 3-5 days!

Q: What’s Included in the Rent-A-Randy Pool Kit Installation?

A: When Randy and his team arrive at your home early on the first day they layout the pool in the area that you wanted and they oversee the excavator to make sure the excavator digs the hole correctly, or to the specifications. Randy has built over 1200 pools, and can handle any unexpected problems from water, boulders or other underground surprises. Randy is not just sitting back pointing fingers either, he and Nate do the work as well, right alongside you and your helper(s).

Day 1 – Randy’s son Nate, compacting the shallow end floor after excavation

On the second day, Randy and his team, with help from the workers you provide, assemble the steel or polymer walls of the pool kit. They also install steps and seats, the pool coping, pool light, and make the sure the pool is level and square. After these steps are completed, you are ready for the concrete collar to be poured around the outside of the pool walls. Randy will work with the concrete truck with the team to be sure that the foundation for your inground pool is poured perfectly.

Day 2 – Assembling the Walls and Steps

For the third day Randy will install the pool floor, using pool base or a sand with Portland cement mixture. The plumbing for the pool is started, and pipes are run to the equipment pad. The pool equipment is assembled and connected to power provided to the pad by your electrician. Randy will work with your electrician to coordinate the bonding of the pool and grounding of the equipment.

Day 3 – Randy and team installing the vermiculite pool floor bottom

Day 4 is normally the final day unless there were some delays because of weather or unforeseen circumstances. On this day Randy and crew will install the vinyl liner, and begin to fill the pool. When the pool is full, the plumbing is flooded and the equipment can be tested.

Day 4 – Installation of the vinyl liner and begin filling the pool!

Q: What Items Will I Have to Complete on My Own?

A: When the pool is shipped to your house you need to be home to accept the delivery and make sure there is no damage to any of the products. The trucking company will call to arrange the delivery to your home when it is convenient for you.

Our inground pool kits are normally shipped on 3-5 shipping palettes and may be more than one shipment. Once the pool kit and all of your equipment arrives, Randy will ask that you inventory all of the components. Randy will contact you ahead of time to confirm that everything has been received in good condition.

Obtaining your pool permits for the pool construction from your local government agency. When filling out the permit, you will use your name as the Contractor (not Randy), pay the fees and have all of the printed permits necessary. See an earlier post we did on how to obtain pool permits.

About a week before Randy’s arrival, contact your local Dig Safe, or Miss Utility in your area to have your property marked for underground utilities. This is a free service, and very important to have done before you dig the pool. There is now a National Dig Safe phone service, just call 811.

You will also need to hire an excavator to dig the pool. We normally recommend using a Trac hoe to dig your pool. See our other blog post on hiring an excavator to dig a pool.

On day 2 or 3 of your pool kit installation, you need to have an electrician on site to bring power to the equipment pad, connect the pool light, and to ground, bond or both according to the local codes.

Day 3 is also the day to install the floor material along the bottom of the pool, either Pool Base or sand with cement depending on what you decide to use. Have the floor material purchased and delivered prior to Randy’s arrival. Store it in a dry location, or wrap it tightly with plastic if left outside. See our earlier post on the types of pool floor material you can use with an inground pool kit.

Backfilling the pool. This can be done by a return trip from your excavator, or you can rent a skid-steer loader and a tamper to compact the soil. See our earlier blog post on how to backfill an inground pool kit.

Another item to be homeowner performed is the pool fence. This should be reconstructed or built new immediately after the pool is full. If a fence around the backyard is new for you, it can be installed mostly complete before Randy’s arrival, leaving a span of 15 ft or more to bring in heavy equipment. Of course, we also have an earlier blog post on inground pool fencing options!

The pool deck will be added later. We generally recommend allowing the backfill to settle for 30 days prior to installing a pool deck around the pool. There are numerous pool deck options that can be used around our inground pool kits.

To sum it all up, the DIY pool builder (you) is responsible for hiring the Electrican and Excavator, arranging for delivery of Concrete and Floor Materials, Backfilling the pool, installing a Pool Fence and adding a Pool Deck.

Q: How Does Scheduling for Rent-a-Randy Work?

A: Randy’s schedule fills up very quickly he has 3 weeks in March already booked. The best way to contact Randy or to check on scheduling availability is to send an email to randy -at- randythepoolguy.com or fill out the form on his website. Or, call us here at SPP, and we can give you his cell phone number.

During the day, Randy is building inground pools so it is difficult for him to answer the phone; you wouldn’t want him on the phone all day if he was at your house building your pool. Randy normally returns all of his voicemails and emails later in the evening once he gets back to his hotel.

Randy and his son or 2 of his workers will come to your house and help you with installing your inground swimming pool. You provide 2-3 workers that are able to work with Randy’s crew for for the 4- 5 days he is at your house. When Randy leaves you will have water in the pool.

Compared to local pool builders, when you use the Rent-a-Randy program you can still save over $10,000 – and, still be able to say that you built your own inground pool!

Chris Low
SPP Pool Expert

Q:  How long have you been in the business – and how many inground pools have you built?
A:  I started in the pool business in 1983 and have built approximately 1000 plus inground pools in the United States, Canada and the Virgin Islands.

Q: How do you schedule your work? Do you get completely booked up? What is your “season”?
A: Scheduling is normally done based by geographical location on a first come first serve basis. That is to say,  those customers who sign contracts and pay their deposits – we try to accommodate them first. Yes, we are completely booked at times but the norm is a 3 – 5 week waiting period. Our season can run from the first of March to the first of December because we do work all over the country.

Q: How do you work with homeowners, trying to build their own pool?
A: We try to walk the homeowners through the process from A – Z from answering their permit questions to hiring competent contractors such as experienced excavators; electricians knowledgeable with swimming pools; soil conditions; accessibility to the backyard for equipment and figuring out what to do with extra fill dirt.

Q: What exactly do Randy and/or Nate do, and what specifically is left for the homeowner?
A: Randy and/or Nate (Randy’s son) oversee the pool layout for the dig; oversee the actual dig by the excavator; assembles walls and braces with homeowner’s help; oversees concrete pour for footings; installation of pool bottom; liner placement; plumbing of pool and filtration system.  Homeowner is responsible for finish work; i.e. backfill, patio, deck and fencing if required and any inspections required in their area.

Q: How much pre-arrival planning is done, what does the checklist look like?
A: Many hours of planning are done by Randy and Joanne (Randy’s wife).  The more time spent planning and the more questions asked and answered the smoother the job goes. A thorough checklist outlines responsibilities of homeowner and contractor, and we go over it several times before we even arrive on the site.

Q: What sort of disclaimers do you have in the contract?
A: We have no disclaimers in our contract as we stand behind our workmanship and product. If a problem arises we are readily accessible to our customers to work with them to correct the problem or their concerns. Of course, there are things we can’t warrant, like Acts of God or unforeseen underground circumstances, but our contract is pretty simple and straight forward.

Q: How does payment work, are you paid in advance?
A: A $500 to $1000 deposit is required before scheduled to cover travel expenses depending on geographical location. Balance is paid upon completion of install.

Q: Funny, peculiar or odd pool construction stories to share?
A: Built a pool in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on the side of a mountain with no excavating equipment. Everything was labor intensive and done by hand…..jackhammering ledge, digging, mixing concrete. Enjoyed myself immensely working with the homeowner and his laborers and because of the intensity of this build I made a friend in the islands, and we keep in touch to this day.

Q: Fastest pool build? Slowest pool build?
A: Fastest pool build was 3 days, start to finish, of an 18’ x 36’, 8’ deep pool in Quincy, IL – thanks to the exceptional advanced planning by the homeowner, and the spectacular knowledge and efficiency of the excavators hired. The slowest was an install in Wolcott, CT.  One of the nicest customers we’ve had, but the poor guy had problem after problem starting with rocks, stump holes; bad weather conditions; to a water table issue when digging started. The yard was also very small giving us little to no room to maneuver which slowed us down…October 2011 to March 2012 to be exact! This customer could just not catch a good break but was very pleasant, patient and understanding throughout the whole process.

Q: When you leave a typical job site, what is typically left to complete?
A: Backfill around pool; pool deck and/or patio; pool fencing if required, and any final inspections required in their area.

Q: What is most important for the DIY pool builder to focus on, for a smooth process?
A: Obtaining permits, checking soil conditions; water tables; ability to remove extra fill. Obtaining the proper equipment with experienced operators and an efficient way to fill their pool with water.

Q: Final words of advice for the DIY pool builder?
A: Never be afraid to ask questions.

Randy has been great to work with on our end as well. He’s not an employee of SPP, but someone that we trust immensely. If you have some extra funds in your pool budget, consider giving Randy and team a call – it’s worth it, just for the peace of mind, in knowing that anything unexpected can be handled quickly and properly. Plus, it really puts your inground pool kit construction on the fast track – an SPP Inground Pool Kit built in just 3-5 days, in most cases. More information on Rent-A-Randy.

Chris Low
SPP Pool Expert

One of the most common asked questions of our customers is how long it does really take to build an inground pool myself? My answer to them is that it depends on how many people you have building the pool with you and how much time you plan on devoting to the pool project. I have some customers that take a week off from work and build the pool like a normal work shift; start at 8am and finish at 6pm – those customers can normally build the pool in 5-7 days. The other extreme is when  the customer works on it a few hours in the evening when they get home and also a little on the weekends – doing it that way can take a month, or two.

Why Use Rent-A-Randy?

Building an in ground pool can be very stressful so in order to better manage your time, use our Rent A Randy installation program. When you hire Randy he will arrive at your home with a helper, and help you install your inground swimming pool. Randy will typically be at your home for 4-5 days, depending on how long it takes to complete the pool installation. When Randy leaves your fair city, you have water in the pool and are ready to swim.

It might cost a little more to do it this way but you know the job will be completed within a week ~ not a month like it takes some customers to complete the pool installation.  By taking off just 1 week of work and being there to assist Randy (he does need 2-3 people provided by you), the job is complete and you can quickly enjoy your new backyard paradise. You will still save half of what it costs to have the pool installed by a local contractor.

Randy Wilcox

Randy is a perfectionist – he helped me install my inground pool (10 years ago) and in my opinion there is not a better installer out there. I talked to a customer last week who told me he saved himself $12,000 compared to a local installer, using our Rent A Randy program and he could not have been happier with the finished product. Time is money ~ and in just 4-5 days your pool can be built with our Rent A Randy program. Why tie yourself up on the weekends and evenings; if you can afford the extra expense for Randy he is well worth the five grand.

Planning for Randy’s Arrival

It doesn’t just all happen by magic, you are still the General Contractor with a lot of responsibility for the project. The first thing you will need is to obtain a residential building permit. Visit your town hall and talk to your local building inspector and fill out all of the necessary paperwork to receive your building permit. Secondly, you’ll need to order your pool kit, with the help of the SPP Pool Experts. Your pool kit will be shipped directly to your house, typically in 2 shipments; the pool liner and coping in one and another shipment of all of the accessories for the pool kit. The trucking company will call you to arrange delivery when it is convenient for your schedule; you do need to be home to assist the driver and to inspect the delivery to make sure there is no damage.

Once the pool has arrived, call Randy to begin making plans. First, he wants to make sure the pool kit is complete, so there are no delays when he arrives at your home to install your pool.  The next task for you is to contact and contract with a few local contractors. Before Randy arrives at your home he does give you a detailed list of supplies, tools and equipment he needs on site to get your inground pool built.

Randy is there to oversee the excavation to make sure the pool is dug correctly. Once the panels are installed you will have a local concrete company deliver concrete so you can pour it around the outside of the pool panels 8”-10” deep and 2 ½ feet wide.  I will explain below in detail what Randy and his team does but some of the other contractors you will need to hire and schedule in advance would be an electrician to do all of the necessary wiring for the pool and equipment, and someone (if not yourself) to erect the pool fence and pour your pool decking.

During the building process you will need to have inspections most likely a structural and electrical inspection Randy will tell you the day he needs the inspector to arrive at your home. He will also help you order the floor material or pool base, and advise you on how much concrete and gravel to order, and when to have it delivered. Randy does not get involved in any of the backfilling of the pool, finished patio or fence but when he leaves you have water in the pool and you are ready to swim.

Inground Pool Construction Timeline

Randy will layout the swimming pool area of where the pool is going to be located (string out the area)

Oversees the excavation process of the pool.

 

Randy (and helpers) will assemble the swimming pool, stairs, pool light and pool coping and check to make sure the pool is level and square.

Randy (and helpers) will help to make sure the concrete collar is poured correctly 2500-3500 mix (the customer is responsible for this expense).

Randy will supervise pouring of the concrete collar around the pool walls, and the structural inspection from the county/city.

Randy (and helpers) will install the pool base or sand with cement mixture and start the plumbing for your pool.

Randy will supervise your electrician for wiring, grounding and bonding, according to your local electrical code.

Randy (and helpers) will install the pool liner and finish up the plumbing of the pump and filter equipment.

Randy (and helpers) will finish the liner installation, fill the pool and start up the equipment.

 

This is an additional day allowed for possible carryover due to weather or any unforeseen circumstance that might arise during the installation process.

Randy is a very busy person and his schedule fills up quickly so I would recommend contacting him via email or we can provide you with his telephone number. In order to reserve an installation date you need to mail Randy a deposit of $500 – $1000, with the balance due upon completion. Scheduling for the installation is done on a first come – first served basis, typically from March to December.

The Rent A Randy installation assistance program is an exclusive program only offered to Specialty Pool Products customers and this program has been available to our customers since we first started selling online pool kits – in 1994.  The way this program works is that you purchase your inground pool from Specialty Pool Products and Randy will assist you in building your inground pool. Many people ask Randy if he we will assist with a pool purchased elsewhere, don’t waste your breath – Randy only builds pools that are purchased from Specialty Pool Products.

The current Rent A Randy 2014 rate is $5000 for customers east of the Mississippi for pools 18’x36’ and smaller and 20’x40’ or larger $5500. For those customers that live west of the Mississippi River; pools up to 18’x36’ are $6000 and 20’x40’ or larger pools $6500. If you are building a True L shape or Lagoon pool, contact randy for the current installation cost.

We even have general contractors that are certainly qualified to build their own inground pool, hire on Randy for their own pool. Once they see how the pool is built by watching Randy, some of these contractors start building pools themselves for extra income. As mentioned earlier you can still Save Tens of Thousands compared to a local contractor but still have the same quality pool you have been dreaming about. The money you saved by using Randy instead of a local contractor can be used for landscaping and a larger patio around the pool.

Randy has helped build nearly 1000 inground pools for our customers in the last 20 years. I highly recommend this program to all DIY pool builders, if you can afford the extra expense it is well worth it – you will not be disappointed.

Chris Low
SPP Pool Expert

Related Posts:

SPP’s Inground Pool Kit Installation Assistance Program
Rent-a-Randy: How to Build an Inground Pool for Under 13K
Interview with our Inground Pool Kit Expert

There may still be snow on the ground, but February is here and it’s the perfect time to begin building your own inground pool!

At SPP, we specialize in homeowner installed, DIY swimming pool kits. You become the general contractor, organizing the workflow and with the help of your dedicated SPP Pool Experts (like me!) – you can build your own inground pool.

If you want to be swimming by Memorial Day you should start now – and here’s 5 reasons why ~

1. Choosing Pool Options: For many people, it can take some time to choose the best size, shape and style of inground pool for the backyard. And once you settle on that, you’ll choose a liner pattern, which hopefully won’t result in any (big) arguments with your significant other! All of our inground pool kits are available in 3 packages: Basic, Deluxe and Deluxe Plus. The Basic pool kit is our bare bones kit, and the Deluxe Kits are full-featured, with the Plus version having an upgraded pool cleaner and a saltwater chlorinator. Once you make this decision, you may want to carefully consider other upgrades, such as adding an attached spa, slide or diving board, pool heater, or even an automatic cover. And, you’ll have to decide on your pool deck type upfront, so we know which type of pool coping to include with your pool kit. A phone call to our SPP Pool Experts can often help shorten the time frame on these decisions.
2. Pool Plans & Permits: It can take a few days to a few weeks to get a pool permits approved, but always less time when submitted during colder months. Once warm weather arrives – permit application submissions jump up dramatically at most Building & Zoning Departments. Having made your pool choice decisions above will allow you to fill out all of the questions about the pool, and allow for faster approval. They’ll want to know exact placement, and what type of filtration is used, and if the pool will be heated – and lots of questions about your plan for a pool safety fence. Many Building Depts. have a “pool packet”; information to assist you in completing the permit application properly, to avoid delays, and in many cases you can find this on your local government agency website.
3. Hiring Pool Sub-Contractors: Unless you are the owner of a large construction company, you’ll need to hire some trades to help you build your own inground pool. First on the list is an excavator to dig the pool, matched with a dump truck to cart off excess dirt that won’t be used for backfilling. Secondly is an electrician, to bring power from the main house panel to a sub-panel, located at the pool equipment pad. You may want to hire a pool deck contractor, and perhaps a pool fence contractor, although many of our customers will manage this with their team of workers. Finally, you’ll need some deliveries – concrete delivery to pour the concrete collar around the pool, and the pool equipment pad, and also you will need some gravel, for placement under the pool deck and equipment pad. Once the pool is filled with water, you’ll need a way to backfill dirt around the pool, up against the pool wall, and to grade the land around the pool, so that rain will flow around the pool and drain off the property – properly.
4. Time to (Re)Landscape the Pool: Another reason for starting a pool construction project early in the year, is to allow time to restore what used to be your beautiful backyard! As Larry said when he built his pool “it looked like a bomb went off in the backyard!”. Late spring is the perfect time to landscape the pool; to lay sod or replant grass, add bushes or ornamental trees. It may not be perfect at first, or normalize until next year, but having time before summer to start the process has benefits.
5. Pool Deck and Fencing: In order to prevent problems with the perimeter pool deck settling, it is recommended to wait 2-4 weeks after backfilling to pour a concrete deck, or sub deck if you’re using deck pavers or stone. Again, getting an early start to the pool construction process will allow you to have a beautiful new pool deck placed in time for summer fun. And before you can use the pool, temporary pool fencing will need to be removed and permanent pool fencing installed, so the pool inspector can give you the final approvals, and sign off on the last of the pool inspections – just in time for summer!

Start to finish – building your own inground pool can take 2 – 8 weeks. If you want to Fast Track the pool project and use our exclusive Rent-a-Randy service, booking now will ensure a spot on his calendar, and ensure that your pool construction can go from excavation to backfill in just one week. Even if you do hire Randy as the General Contractor, you still have a lot of decisions to make and a lot of preparation, to lay the groundwork for his arrival.

So you see – Now really is the best time to start your inground pool project. You can build your own inground vinyl pool, and we can show you how! And you’re never alone; when you buy an inground pool kit from SPP – you get unlimited and totally free support from start to finish, with your own dedicated SPP Pool Expert (like me!) to guide the way, and answer any questions along the way.

Sheryl Somers
SPP Pool Expert