Hear from Our Customers
Most pool problems start underground. Georgia’s clay-heavy soil shifts, settles, and moves with the seasons. If your pool isn’t built to handle that, you’re looking at cracks, leaks, and expensive repairs down the road.
Gunite construction gives you the durability other pool types can’t match. The concrete is engineered specifically for your lot, accounting for soil composition, drainage patterns, and how your property sits. That means fewer surprises during construction and a pool that stays structurally sound year after year.
You’re not just getting a place to swim. You’re adding a feature that increases your home’s value by up to 7% while giving your family a private space for exercise, relaxation, and those summer evenings that actually feel worth remembering. Georgia’s extended warm season means you’ll use it more than you think—spring through fall, sometimes longer.
We’ve been building inground pools across Douglas County since 2014, but the experience behind every project goes back much further. Over 30 years of hands-on pool construction means we’ve seen what works in Bickley’s soil and what doesn’t.
You won’t get a sales pitch. You’ll get honest advice about what your property can handle, what your budget allows, and what design actually makes sense for how you’ll use the pool. We handle permitting, inspections, and the construction process from excavation to finish—so you’re not coordinating between multiple contractors or wondering if something got missed.
Bickley homeowners deal with specific challenges: soil that holds water, properties with elevation changes, and county regulations that require specific safety features. We’ve navigated all of it hundreds of times. That local knowledge keeps your project on schedule and prevents the delays that come from contractors learning on your dime.
First, we walk your property. Not to sell you anything, but to understand your lot’s drainage, soil type, and how a pool would actually fit your space. You’ll get a realistic assessment of what’s possible and what it costs—broken down by excavation, construction, equipment, and finishing.
Once you’re ready to move forward, we handle the permit process with Douglas County. Georgia requires specific barrier heights, self-closing gates, and safety compliance—we manage all of that so you’re not dealing with inspectors or paperwork.
Excavation happens first. We’re looking at soil conditions as we dig, adjusting the engineering if needed. Then comes the gunite application—sprayed concrete that forms the shell of your pool. This isn’t a pre-formed insert. It’s custom-shaped to your design and reinforced to handle ground movement.
After the shell cures, we install your filtration system, plumbing, and electrical. Then comes finishing: tile, coping, decking, and whatever surface you’ve chosen. You’ll see progress weekly, and we’ll tell you if weather or inspections push the timeline. Most projects in Bickley take 8-12 weeks from excavation to completion, depending on size and features.
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Every inground pool installation includes full excavation, engineered gunite shell construction, filtration and circulation systems, and your choice of interior finish. You’re also getting the barrier fencing and safety gates required by Georgia law—48-inch minimum height with self-closing, self-latching gates positioned at least 54 inches off the ground.
In Bickley, most builds range from $35,000 to $65,000 depending on size, features, and what your property requires. That includes permit fees, site prep, and the equipment needed to keep your pool clean and safe. If you want a shallow area for kids, a deeper end for diving, or an attached spa, those get designed into the shell from the start—not added later as afterthoughts.
Concrete pools give you flexibility other types don’t. Want a custom shape that follows your property line? A bench seat along one side? A tanning ledge? All of that gets built into the gunite structure. And because we’re local to Douglas County, we know which designs work best with Bickley’s soil and which ones create drainage headaches.
You’ll also get a pool that’s built for Georgia’s weather. Our construction accounts for freeze-thaw cycles, heavy summer rain, and the soil expansion that happens when clay gets saturated. That engineering prevents the cracking and shifting that cheaper builds deal with after a few seasons.
Most inground pool installations in Bickley take between 8 and 12 weeks from the day we start excavation to the day you can swim. That timeline depends on your pool’s size, how complex the design is, and whether we hit any unexpected soil conditions during the dig.
Weather plays a role too. Heavy rain can delay excavation or push back concrete work, and Georgia’s summer thunderstorms are unpredictable. We’ll give you a realistic schedule upfront and update you if inspections or weather shift the timeline.
The permit process with Douglas County usually takes 1-2 weeks before we can break ground. We handle that entire process, so you’re not waiting on paperwork or dealing with the county yourself. Once permits are approved, we schedule excavation and move through each phase—shell construction, plumbing and electrical, finishing work, and final inspection.
Georgia soil—especially around Bickley—is clay-heavy and prone to shifting. When the ground gets saturated, it expands. When it dries out, it contracts. That movement is tough on pool structures, and it’s why you see fiberglass pools crack or vinyl liners pull away from walls after a few years.
Gunite is sprayed concrete that’s reinforced with steel rebar. It’s not a pre-formed shell dropped into a hole. It’s engineered specifically for your lot’s soil composition and shaped to handle ground movement without cracking. The concrete bonds to the rebar framework, creating a monolithic structure that flexes slightly with soil changes instead of breaking apart.
That durability means fewer repairs over the life of your pool. You’re not replacing liners every 7-10 years or patching fiberglass cracks. Gunite pools regularly last 30+ years with basic maintenance, and they hold up better in Georgia’s freeze-thaw cycles and heavy rain seasons. For Bickley properties, it’s the construction method that makes the most sense long-term.
Inground pool construction in Bickley typically runs between $35,000 and $65,000, depending on the size of your pool, the features you want, and what your property requires. A basic rectangular pool with standard finishes and equipment sits closer to $35,000. Add a spa, custom shape, upgraded tile, or additional depth, and you’re moving toward the higher end of that range.
Your lot’s condition affects cost too. If we need to remove trees, level a slope, or address drainage issues before we dig, that adds to the total. Same with access—if we can’t get equipment into your backyard easily, we’re looking at more labor hours.
We break down every cost in your estimate: excavation, gunite shell, plumbing, electrical, filtration system, finishing materials, decking, fencing, and permits. No line items labeled “miscellaneous” or surprise charges halfway through the project. You’ll know what you’re paying for and why, and that number stays fixed unless you change the scope of work.
Yes. Douglas County requires permits for all inground pool construction, and the process involves submitting site plans, engineering specs, and safety compliance documentation. Georgia also has specific requirements for barrier fencing—your pool area needs a barrier at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates positioned at least 54 inches above ground level.
We handle the entire permit process. You’re not filling out forms, scheduling inspections, or dealing with county officials. We submit the plans, coordinate with inspectors, and make sure everything meets code before we move to the next phase of construction.
Permits typically take 1-2 weeks to get approved, and that happens before we start any excavation. Once we’re building, the county will inspect at specific stages—after the shell is formed, after plumbing and electrical are installed, and before we fill the pool. Those inspections are built into our timeline, so they don’t delay your project. Skipping permits isn’t worth the risk. If the county finds out, you’re looking at fines, mandatory removal, or expensive retrofits to bring everything up to code.
Gunite pools need regular chemical balancing, filtration system maintenance, and occasional surface care—but less than most people expect. You’ll test and adjust your water chemistry weekly during swim season, checking pH, chlorine, and alkalinity levels. That keeps the water safe and prevents algae growth.
Your filtration system needs attention too. Backwash or clean your filter every few weeks depending on use, and check your pump and skimmer baskets for debris. Most of this takes 10-15 minutes and becomes routine once you’ve done it a few times.
The gunite surface itself is durable, but it will need resurfacing eventually—usually every 10-15 years depending on your water chemistry and how well you maintain balance. That’s a multi-day process where the old surface gets stripped and a new finish applied. Between resurfacing, you’re just brushing the walls occasionally and keeping an eye out for any calcium buildup or staining. Compared to replacing vinyl liners every 7-10 years or repairing fiberglass cracks, gunite maintenance is straightforward and less expensive over the pool’s lifetime.
Yes, but it requires more planning and often more cost. Sloped lots need retaining walls, additional drainage work, and sometimes more extensive excavation to create a level area for the pool. The engineering has to account for water runoff, soil stability, and how the slope affects the pool’s structure long-term.
We’ve built pools on plenty of sloped properties in Douglas County. The key is designing the pool to work with your lot’s natural grade instead of fighting it. Sometimes that means a raised pool with decking that steps down to ground level. Other times it means cutting into the slope and building a retaining wall on the uphill side.
Your estimate will reflect the extra work a sloped lot requires—more excavation hours, additional materials for retaining walls, and engineering to ensure everything stays stable as the ground shifts seasonally. But a sloped lot doesn’t disqualify you from having a pool. It just means the design needs to be smarter from the start, and that’s where experience with local properties makes the difference.
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