5 Reasons I Would NEVER DIY A Pool

It’s absolutely no secret that if I can get it used, DIY it, or buy it on sale, I’m going to. I’ve always valued frugal and smart spending, and I’m a firm believer that most home projects can be done with a little learning and a lot of effort.

Keyword: most.

When I posted about starting our pool building process many of my followers assumed I was going to DIY-it, especially after I shared our pool quotes and the breakdown of pricing:

Design, Plans & Permits: $3,706
Excavation: $4,960
Steel: $5,520
Plumbing: $3,986
Gunite: $10,455
Electric: $3,150
Title: $2,857
Coping: $3,577
Masonry: $3,900
Decks: $5,883
Yard Restoration: $6,150
Plaster: $6,156
Equipment: $11,262
+profit for the pool company

GRAND TOTAL: $83,008

Despite the sticker shock and my “DIY everything” vibe, it never crossed my mind to DIY my pool. Plus, I’m currently expecting which makes the entire process not possible. Aside from being pregnant, here are the top five reasons I would never DIY a pool:

1. I could never dig the hole required for a pool.

I’m a firm believer that I can teach myself how to do anything, but just because I might be capable of doing something doesn’t mean I want to do it. To start, I would have no idea how to safely and efficiently dig my own pool hole. I know this is a really common DIY step to save money, but I felt it wasn’t worth it for me. We also had bar stools, a beach entry, and a tanning ledge - so it wasn’t just a simple hole.

2. Although above ground pools are easier to DIY, they aren’t what would be the best fit for my family.

If above ground pools are your vibe, I will 100% encourage you to go for it! We knew from the beginning that we weren’t above ground people. We have young children and a beautiful lake view we didn’t want to block. We knew this pool would be a long term investment, and we didn’t want to deal with having to replace an above ground in a few years.

3. We had a few custom additions to our pool that required expertise.

We really wanted a few custom features you can’t get in an above ground style or do on your own (like a beach entry and built-in bar stools). Similar to why I didn’t dig my own hole - I probably could have done parts on my own, but it would have been a massive waste of time. If I had DIY-ed something custom that would have ended in a costly mistake, I would have had to pay for the fix. We were already DIY-ing a back porch makeover, which was plenty of work to keep me busy.

4. Being your own contractor can lead to a number of issues, especially if something goes wrong.

This is another really common way people attempt to save money with pool construction. For a number of reasons, this wasn’t something I considered. It would have taken more time to research individual companies than I wanted to spend. My contractor already had a team of resources ready to hire, and he guaranteed quality work. Plus, when you hire a contractor to handle everything, that contractor backs the work of everyone they hire. When we filled our pool and realized there was a leak, they handled getting it fixed. When you individually hire out parts, it’s hard to get someone to take responsibility for mistakes.

5. Pools are too much of an investment to risk DIY-ing with no experience.

When people tell me they would never spend that much money on a pool, my response is simply “then don’t.” I recognize our pool was a major investment (and something we worked VERY hard to save for), and it wasn’t a decision we made lightly. I would never encourage anyone to build a pool on a whim or DIY a pool. You have to secure permits, avoid hitting water lines, electric lines, and gas lines, and you have to know and follow all city codes and pass inspection.

Building a pool was something we planned and saved for based on the needs of our family. In my area, pools usually devalue a home. We waited until we moved into our forever home to start the process.

Pools are a forever investment, not a temporary investment.

I’m an expert furniture flipper, but I still make mistakes. If I mess up a dresser mid-flip, I can start over pretty easily (or scrap the project entirely!). I’ve never come close to DIY-ing a pool. Mistakes would have been made, and they would have been costly. I’m grateful we were able to work hard, save, and invest in getting the pool construction completely taken care of.

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