New Pool Construction

Project Guide

Welcome to Liquid Luxe. We're glad you chose us to build your backyard. This guide explains what happens next, how long each step takes, and the few things you can do that genuinely keep your project moving.

30–45 days
Signed contract to permit in hand
3–5 months
Construction, counted from the permit
22 steps
From pre-site to your final walkthrough
4 weeks
Fire-up, the month that sets your finish
01 · Your project at a glance

Two clocks, not one

Every backyard is different, but almost every project walks the same path. Here is what to expect, based on our current averages.

30–45 days
Signed contract to permit in hand — engineering, HOA approval and the building department.
14 weeks
Our working schedule from dig day to final walkthrough, when nothing stalls.
3–5 months
The construction window. The clock starts the day the permit is issued, not the day you sign.
Where the time goes

The light bar is approvals and permitting — 30 to 45 days, mostly waiting on other people. The dark bar is construction, and it only starts once the permit is issued. Three months is a clean run; five is the outside edge.

Signed
contract
Permit
issued
Dig day
Gunite
Pool
deck
Plaster
Swim
day
StartMonth 1Month 2Month 3 Month 4Month 5Month 6
Approvals & permitting — engineering, HOA, building department Construction — excavation through final walkthrough
How long each phase takes

Working ranges, in weeks from the day you sign, taken from the schedule we actually build to. The first three run before the permit is issued; the rest are our crews in your yard.

Engineering — plans to stamped set
2–3 wks
HOA approval — you apply, they answer
2–3 wks
Permit — application to issued
3–4 wks
Dig day → gunite
2–3 wks
Gunite → perimeter piping complete
2–3 wks
Perimeter piping → pool deck poured
3 wks
Pool deck → coping and tile
2–3 wks
Tile → plaster, fire up and walkthrough
3 wks
…when a department or an inspection stalls
up to 5 mo
04812162024 weeks
Every timeframe here comes from our own build schedule and moves with your municipality, the weather, inspection scheduling and material availability. Thirty to forty-five days of approvals, then three to five months of construction. Permitting is the single biggest variable — the next section explains how to shorten it.
02 · Permitting

Permitting, Answered

These are the questions we get asked most. Five minutes here will save you weeks later. Tap a question to open it.

1How long does permitting take?

Plan on 30 to 45 days from signing to permit in hand — that covers engineering, your HOA and the building department together. It depends on your municipality: some departments move far faster than others, and the slowest can push past 45 days on their own. We submit the same day the engineered set is stamped, every time.

2What do you need from me?

A current survey of your property — every permit submission requires one. If you don't have a survey, tell us and we'll refer you to a surveyor. Some cities also ask for a soil report, a topographic survey, a form board survey or an elevation certificate. We'll tell you right away if yours does.

3What about my HOA?

If you have an HOA, applying for approval is your responsibility — and it is the single biggest thing you can do to avoid a delay. Most HOAs want the pool plan with dimensions plus the pool drawn on your survey. We send you both as soon as engineering is complete, usually 2–3 weeks after your plans go to the engineer. Apply the day you receive them — an HOA that sits on your application is the most common reason the 30–45 days becomes 60.

4Once the permit is issued, how soon do you start?

Within days. The permit is what the schedule waits on, and the moment it lands your project goes on the build calendar — three to five months from that day to your walkthrough, fourteen weeks when nothing stalls. A few days before we start, our team walks your property for the pre-site — access, staging and where the equipment will sit. Then we meet you on site on excavation day to lay out the pool together with the steel crew, so its exact position is confirmed on the ground with you.

5Where do you build?

Palm Beach County, Broward County and Martin County. If you are outside those three, we'll tell you honestly rather than take the job.

Get ahead while we're in permitting

  • Submit your HOA application the day you receive the engineered plans — see question 3.
  • Fence access. If a section of fence has to come down for equipment, have it removed while the pool is in permitting. Removing and reinstalling fence is not part of our scope.
  • Sprinklers. Have your backyard irrigation lines cut and capped at the corner of the house before we start. It won't delay the dig, but it protects your system.
  • Financing. Finish all funding paperwork now. If you are financing, we cannot begin construction until your lender issues the clear-to-start.
  • Choose your finishes. Come to the showroom and see the tile, coping and pergolas in person while there is still time — book at showroom.liquidluxe.com.
03 · Construction, step by step

Your Pool, Step by Step

Once the permit is in hand, this is the order of work. The time next to each step is for that step; the phase header is the total for the stage. Tap the step you are on and we'll mark where you are — it stays saved on this device.

About washouts. Heavy rain can wash soil back into an open excavation. We clean it out — sometimes more than once — before gunite. Concrete crews are also short-handed across South Florida, so this is the phase where patience pays.
04 · The build, in pictures

What Each Phase Looks Like

Real photographs from a Liquid Luxe build. When your backyard looks like one of these, you know exactly where you are on the list above. Tap any photo to enlarge it.

05 · Life on an active job site

What to Expect During Construction

For a few months your backyard is a construction site. Knowing how it behaves makes the whole thing easier.

1Activity, dust & noise

Expect dust, dirt and noise throughout the project, especially during excavation, gunite and deck work. We keep the site as organized as we can, but it stays an active construction zone. On the busier days, keep nearby windows and doors closed.

2Access & parking

We'll need your help coordinating access. There has to be room for work trucks, deliveries and dumpsters — clear access is what keeps your project on schedule.

3Work schedule

Your project moves in phases. Some days nobody will be on site, which is completely normal and usually means we're waiting on an inspection or on curing time. Even on the quiet days, your project is still moving forward.

4Safety — read this one

Your family's safety comes first. Never remove or relocate the orange safety fence. It marks hazardous areas and has to stay in place for the whole build. Keep children and pets away from the work zone.

5Utilities & water use

We may need temporary access to your water and electrical supply for tools and for filling the pool. Both are used responsibly and only when necessary.

6Communication

Reach out any time with a question or a concern — we would rather explain something twice than have you wondering. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. After-hours messages are answered the next business day.

Next steps

So we can get started, please confirm two things with your Project Manager:

  • Your preferred parking and staging location for trucks and deliveries.
  • Any access restrictions we should know about — gate codes, HOA hours, neighbors, pets.
06 · Things to know

Things to Know

A few things that make every project go smoothly — including what sits outside the pool contract.

Not included in our scope

  • Landscaping. Planting, sod, irrigation and grading are not part of the pool contract. Book your landscaper and pick your trees and plants while we're building, so the landscaping goes in as we finish and you get a completed backyard.
  • Tree removal. Many cities require a separate permit. If a tree is in the way of the pool or the equipment path, check with your city early.
  • Landscape lighting. Often needs its own permit unless it's low-voltage. Confirm with your city or your lighting installer.
  • Fence removal and reinstallation for equipment access.
  • Sprinkler cut-and-cap at the corner of the house before we start.

The most common causes of delay

  • Labor shortages. Subcontractor crews, concrete above all, are stretched thin.
  • Weather. Heavy rain can wash out an excavation or stop a pour.
  • Material shortages and shipping delays.
  • Late payments. If a payment is late, production is held until the account is current.

Good to know

  • Every pool needs a barrier around it unless you have a screened enclosure. A barrier is required to pass final inspection, so plan your fence or enclosure while we're building.
  • Fiber-optic lines. We do everything we can to avoid cutting them, but they are often buried so shallow that excavation equipment reaches them. If it happens, contact your provider for the repair.
  • Quiet days between steps are normal. Each step has to pass inspection before the next trade can begin, and inspector availability drives several of the waits above.
  • Your equipment is covered. Jandy pumps, filters, heater and automation, with a 3-year parts and labor warranty.

Before we break ground

0 of 8

Your ticks are saved on this device only — nobody else sees them.

The most important month of your pool's life is fire-up. The four weeks after plaster decide how your finish looks and how long it lasts. The next section is entirely about it.
07 · Fire-up

Your Pool Fire-Up Has Started

The four weeks that turn fresh plaster into a finish that lasts for decades.

Fresh plaster is alive for about a month. It keeps releasing minerals, so the water chemistry moves around a lot before it settles. For the next four weeks a certified technician is at your pool twice a week testing, adjusting and brushing, so your finish cures smooth, even and stain-free — and stays inside the plaster warranty.

Your next four weeks
Week 1
Plaster wakes up

Brushing, constant circulation and the first big chemistry corrections. Levels swing the most.

Week 2
Fine-tuning

The finish is still releasing minerals. Chemicals stay elevated on purpose, to protect it.

Week 3
Settling down

The water starts holding its balance and readings begin easing toward normal.

Week 4
Pool is open

Salt added, chlorinator activated, water handed over balanced — and it's yours to enjoy.

Please don't swim just yet. Chemical levels are much higher than normal and the plaster is still soft. Getting in the water now — people or pets — can leave permanent marks, etching or staining on a brand-new finish. Four weeks of patience buys you decades of a perfect surface.

Please do

  • Leave the equipment running on the schedule we set.
  • Keep the water level at the middle of the skimmer.
  • Keep the hose running without stopping until we say the pool is full — a stop-and-start fill can leave a permanent ring.
  • Tell us right away about cloudiness, a stain, or a drop in water level.

Please don't

  • Swim, or let children or pets in the water.
  • Add any chemicals or salt yourself — our team handles all chemistry until fire-up is done.
  • Run a robotic or automatic cleaner on the new plaster.
  • Turn the pump off, flip the breaker, or change the timer settings.
  • Drain or lower the water for any reason.

This is normal — don't worry

  • Cloudy water and plaster dust. Fresh plaster sheds a fine dust for the first two weeks. Brushing and filtering clear it.
  • Shading and color variation. Plaster is a hand-applied cement finish; light and dark areas are natural and soften as it cures.
  • Chemistry that moves around. Curing plaster pushes pH up daily — that's exactly why we test and adjust so often.

What happens at the finish line

  • We add salt, if applicable, and activate your chlorinator.
  • We recommend a new filter cartridge — curing clogs the original with plaster dust.
  • We send a quote to keep the pool on weekly service.
  • Your pool moves from curing to ready, around day 28.

Questions at any point?

Call the office or reply to any of our emails. No question is too small — your Project Manager is your point of contact at every step.

(561) 866-5913