A PoolCraft pool goes through seven stages: a yard visit, a design and written price, permits and layout, excavation with steel and plumbing, the gunite shell, tile and coping with the deck, and finally plaster, fill and start-up. The owner, David Craft, designs the pool and the same company builds it.
Seven stages, start to swim
01Walk the yard
David comes out, measures, checks access and drainage, and asks how you actually plan to use the pool. Laps, kids, parties, a spa in January.
02Draw the design
You get a design with the shape, depths, steps, benches, spa and decking, plus a written price. Changes are cheap now and expensive later, so this is the time to make them.
03Permits and layout
We pull the permit with your city (Bellaire, West U, Houston or wherever you are) and the pool's outline is marked on the ground so you can stand in it before anyone digs.
- 04
Dig, steel and plumbing
Excavation, then a cage of rebar shaped to the design, then the plumbing for drains, returns, the spa and any water features.
05Gunite shell
Concrete is sprayed over the steel to form the shell. It cures for a while before anything else happens, which is why gunite takes longer than a fiberglass drop-in.
06Tile, coping and deck
Waterline tile, coping stones and the deck go on: concrete, pavers or travertine, laid to drain away from the pool and the house.
07Plaster, fill and start-up
The interior finish goes on, the pool fills, and the equipment starts up. We walk you through the pump, heater and controls before we leave.
Process questions
Who designs the pool?
The owner, David Craft. He has been in the pool industry for more than 30 years.
Do you handle permits?
Yes. PoolCraft takes care of the pool permit with your city, whether that is Bellaire, West University Place, Houston or another city in the area.
Why does gunite take longer than fiberglass?
A gunite shell is built and cured on site, then tiled, decked and plastered. A fiberglass pool is a factory shell set into a hole. The extra time is what lets a gunite pool take any shape.
What happens after start-up?
We walk you through the pump, filter, heater and controls before we leave, and you can call us with questions after the pool is built.
Tell us what you are picturing. David will call you back to set up a visit, look at the yard and give you a written price before any work starts.
- Phone
- (713) 660-7728
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Based in
- Bellaire, TX 77401