How to Install an Aboveground Swimming Pool

Though aboveground swimming pools are considerably easier and cheaper to install than in-ground swimming pools, pool installers can charge anywhere from $500-$1000 to install them. If you would like to save money and are comfortable handling tools, you can probably install an aboveground pool yourself. Below is a list of the typical steps taken to properly install a pool, though procedures will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. It's important to read the instructions that come with your pool. This list is just meant to give you an idea how much work is involved before you commit to buying and installing an aboveground swimming pool yourself.


Installing Your Aboveground Pool

1. Read the manufacturer's installation instructions carefully before you start working.

2. Find out if you have buried utility lines in your backyard. You may need to have an inspector come out and mark these lines. If you don't take this precaution, you could be financially responsible for damages if you hit a line while digging.

3. Obtain proper building permits. Though aboveground pools are usually considered temporaryinstallations, they may still require building permits in your area, especially if you're going to add a permanent structure like a deck around the pool. Also check your local zoning laws.

4. Choose your site. Try to avoid overhead electrical wires and select an area that drains away from the pool. Also, to cut down on later maintenance (a.k.a. cleaning leaves out of the drains), try not to position your pool under trees. You'll also need to be close to a power source for the pool equipment.

5. Dig a level hole as deep as the manufacturer's instructions.

6. Put together the bottom rim and wall supports of the pool as per the manufacturer's instructions. After laying the bottom rim, you'll want to drive stakes into the ground every few feet outside the rim in order to keep it from moving as you put up the walls. In order to create a stable foundation for the pool's upright supports, bury 16X16 patio blocks for support.

7. Assemble the walls next, making sure to plan on where you're going to want to have the equipment pad. Note, it can take several people to support the pool walls as they tend to be heavy, and it can be a bit of a chore to guide them into their tracks.

8. Rake the sandy floor so that it is 2 inches deep. Your instruction manual will inform you how to form the wall cove, ensuring it doesn't have any sharp corners. You'll need a drumroller to compact the sand.

9. The next step is to hang the liner. Warm weather makes things easier as the liner becomes more flexible and less likely to form wrinkles.

10. Install the uprights and the top rail, following your manufacturer's instructions for guidance on the order. (With some pools, you install the uprights after the pool is filled with water.)

11. Fill the pool with water. Start slowly, then you can increase the water flow once you make sure the liner is not going to be damaged and that the wrinkles are smoothing out. Once you have about a foot to a foot and a half of water in the pool, pause to measure the depth in various places. If there is more than an inch of variation, you should probably drain the pool and re-level the structure. (It's definitely less work to measure correctly the first time.)

12. Lastly, you'll install the pool equipment based on the manufacturer's instructions. They will probably have you cutting holes in the liner where the skimmer and inlets go. You also have ladders, safety decals, etc. to install. Then you'll need to balance and sanitize the water before swimming (and you will need to maintain the chemical levels throughout the season).