Things to consider before building a pool

  • Many people think it is difficult to build a pool, but if you are reasonably handy, you can manage it and save up to 50%. Even though you do not need either a building permit or groundworks permit when building a pool, a certain amount of common sense is still required.

    • The first step may be to consider the pool’s location and size
    • Check for any cables and pipework on the website ledningskollen.se
    • Talk to neighbours in the area who have built a pool about the ground conditions / groundwater level
    • Consider whether you have the time to build the pool yourself or whether to hire a shared or turnkey contractor
    • Read about the different pool constructions, their advantages and disadvantages
    • Request a quote and speak to a pool expert
    • Book a home visit
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Who is responsible for a pool construction project?

  • If you are building a pool , the customer always has the ultimate responsibility regarding the pool’s placement and for checking that there are no utility lines (water, electricity, gas, fibre, etc.) on the plot where the pool is to be placed. It is also the customer’s responsibility, once the pool construction is completed, to protect the pool with fencing or to purchase approved pool covers.
    During the construction period, the person building the pool is always responsible for cordoning off the pool area from unauthorised persons so that children, animals, or other people are not injured by falling into the excavation.

Pool placement

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  • The placement of the pool is always a topic of discussion, where the homeowner knows the area best and has often already suggested a location. A pool is a feature that should not be hidden away. Things to consider when choosing the location:

    • Where does the sun rise and set? You want to be able to see the sunset from your pool while sitting on the steps or the bench seat
    • The pool is beautiful to look at even in the evening when the lights are on, so it is good if the pool is also visible from the living room
    • It is most natural if the pool’s location follows the positioning of the house.
    • The pool lights should always be placed on the same side as the house so that the lights shine away from the house
    • Always allow at least 2.20m behind the pool so that the pool enclosure can be pushed away (the recommendation is 3m)
    • Consider where the filtration system should be placed (up to 10 m from the pool). Attefall houses, storage sheds, or other buildings are good places to locate the pool’s filtration system.

    To help you see what the garden will look like, Pooltime offers 3D visualisation.

    Read more 

Choosing the Right Pool

There are many different pool constructions on the market:

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    Wooden frame with liner fabric (kit)

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    Steel frame with liner fabric (kit)

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    Thermal pool with liner membrane (kit)

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    Glasfiberpools (one-piece shell)

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    PP Pools (full tub)

Many pool constructions are outdated, which is why at Pooltime we focus exclusively on two pool constructions: PP Pool (one-piece shell) and Thermopools (kit).

PP Pool is delivered as a complete shell, offering premium materials and the very latest technology in pool construction. Thermopool is delivered as a kit, which you assemble yourself and line the inside with a pool liner.
Read more about PP Pool Read more about Thermopool

How long does it take to build a pool?

When building a pool, time is an important factor, as you usually have a deadline to meet and want to be able to swim as soon as possible. If you build a pool in the spring, Midsummer is often the critical date by which everything must be completed.
How long does it take to build a pool?

  • PP Pool – build time 1-3 weeks

    PP Pool is delivered as a complete shell, which is why the actual construction time is 2-3 weeks from when excavation of the hole begins until you can swim in the pool. The excavator operator usually starts preparing the ground 2-10 days before the pool is delivered. In cases of high groundwater or unstable ground (such as sand), a concrete base slab must be poured. The reason is that groundwater carries material away from beneath the pool, which can cause settlement if there is no poured slab. If a slab is being poured, excavation begins about one week before the pool delivery, the base and drainage are prepared, the slab is formed and reinforced in preparation for the concrete truck’s arrival. The base slab should then stand for about one week to cure.
    If the ground consists of firm clay without groundwater, a base layer and crushed stone as a foundation, together with drainage, is usually sufficient. In that case, excavation begins about 2-3 days before pool delivery.

    Once the pool has been lifted into the hole, the lights, skimmer, and inlets are connected. After that, you can immediately begin filling it with water while simultaneously backfilling the sides with dry concrete mix. The dry mix is watered and turns into concrete once it has cured. If you have access to two hoses, backfilling the pool can be completed in 1-2 days.

  • Thermopool – construction time 8-12 weeks

    With a Thermopool, you start by preparing the base, drainage, forming the slab, and reinforcing it ahead of the concrete truck’s arrival. You should then allow the base slab to cure for approximately one week. After that, you begin building up the walls and reinforcing them. Openings are cut for the skimmer, lights, and inlets, and the walls are braced to prepare them for casting. Once the concrete truck has filled the walls with concrete, you must allow the walls to cure for 4–6 weeks before starting to install the liner and filling the pool with water.
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When is the best time of year to build a pool?

  • Building a pool in the fall

    Autumn is a very popular time to build a pool. The reason many people choose to build a pool in autumn is that everything else is completed during the autumn, and when spring arrives, you can enjoy the pool for an entire season. Builders are also often more available during the autumn, and many pool companies offer special discounts.

  • Building a pool in spring

    Spring is usually a hectic period for the pool industry. Many people start thinking about a pool when the sun comes out, and by then it is often far too late to expect to have the pool finished by summer. Those who build a pool during the spring may possibly have the pool construction completed by summer, but many things around it still remain. The lawn that has been torn up by machines needs time to grow back, the decking or paving needs to be laid, etc. Most people who build a pool during the spring can only use the pool for half a season that same year.

Which pool size is the most popular?

  • The standard depth for pools is 1.5 m. This allows you to swim in the pool while also playing in it with the children.

    By far the most popular pool sizes are 4 x 8 m for larger plots and 3 x 6 m for smaller plots. There is also a size in between at 3.5 x 7 m, but in most cases this pool size is closer in cost to 4 x 8 m than to 3 x 6 m, and many therefore choose 4 x 8 m instead.

    You should pay attention to how the pool size is measured. PP Pool and thermopools measure the pool size on the INSIDE of the pool, while many in the fiberglass pool industry state the dimensions based on the outside of the pool. Fiberglass pools also have an edge of approx. 10 cm and the walls slope inward, meaning that a pool measuring 3.5 x 7 m may have a swimming area of approx. 3 x 6 m.

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What does it cost to build a pool?

PP Pool is a premium material that is also approved for food containers, which means the material is much more expensive than for Thermopools. The shell itself for a PP Pool costs approx. 130 000 kr for a 4 x 8 pool, compared with the Thermopool, where the walls cost only approx. 30 000 kr. There is then an additional cost for a filtration system, stairs, a heat pump, and pool enclosure.

  • Approximate cost of a 3 x 6 m pool

    Thermopool 3 x 6 complete package with pool enclosure and heat pump: approx. SEK 150,000

    PP Pool 3 x 6 complete package with pool enclosure and heat pump:
    approx. SEK 252,000

    General contract work for Thermopool: SEK 187,000 + transport:
    approx. SEK 5000
    General contract work for PP Pool: SEK 134,000 + transport:
    approx. SEK 20000


    Total cost for 3 x 6 m Thermopool: SEK 350,000
    Total cost for 3 x 6 m PP Pool: SEK 410,000

  • Approximate cost for a 4 x 8 m pool

    Thermopool 4 x 8 complete package with pool enclosure and heat pump:
    approx. 190,000 kr
    PP Pool 4 x 8 complete package with pool enclosure and heat pump:
    approx. 300,000 kr

    General contract work for Thermopool: 207,000 kr + transport:
    approx. 5000 kr
    General contract work for PP Pool: 154,000 kr + transport:
    approx. 20000 kr


    Total cost for 4 x 8 m Thermopool: 410,000 kr
    Total cost for 4 x 8 m PP Pool: 480,000 kr