Do it Yourself Inground Pool

Preliminaries

• First, pick a spot for your pool. The spot should be fairly level and have good sun exposure. Once you know where you want it, figure out your dimensions and mark the ground with white spray paint. The last thing in the preliminary stages is to get a building permit. Contact your local building inspector.

Dig the Hole

• Before you dig, you'll need to call the local utility companies to make sure there are no buried power or water lines where you plan to build your pool. Once they've given the go-ahead, you'll need a back hoe, which you can rent. It's probably wiser to hire out a local contractor to do the digging if you have no experience. Use the dirt from the hole to bring up the yard around the pool so you don't have to dig as deep as expected.

Purchase a Pool Kit

• Inground pool kits can be purchased online. Look for a pool kit that provides the basics, including a wall system with bracing, all pumps and filters, steps and a ladder, a liner and installation instructions. Once your hole is dug and flattened, you can install your pool walls.

Install the Pool Walls

• Once your pool kit arrives, you can go about the process of putting up the main structure of the pool. The walls and supports should be level with the ground. Anything that falls below the wall line and on the floor of the surface will have to be covered with concrete.

Install the Filter System

• It's important that you hook up the filtration and pump system before you pour the concrete because you'll have to run all the wiring and have pre-established spots for the various intakes, pumps and filters. This can be a fairly technical electrical job and should be left to a qualified electrician.

Pour the Concrete

• The bottom and lower sides of your pool should be concrete. Have a concrete provider come over and do the concrete. You can do it yourself, but the amount you need for the lower sides and bottom of the pool could be too much. The contract provider also can set your bracing on the side of your pool so that when you fill in along the sides, the walls don't cave in.

Back Fill

• After the concrete has had time to cure, do the back fill around the outer edges of the pool using some of the dirt you took out to make the hole in the first place. After you have backfilled, you may way to have the concrete contractor pour additional concrete around the outer edge of the pool to keep dirt out. You should prearrange this with the contractor when you bid out the other parts of the pool.

Add the Liner

• You should have gotten a liner with your pool kit. Now, all you need to do is drape the liner over the outer shell and concrete base of the pool. Once the liner is properly adhered to the inside of the pool, fill it with water and start splashing around.