Planning Your Pool Project
Building a custom pool is exciting, but some of the most important decisions happen before excavation ever begins.
The right planning process should help you answer several questions early: What can realistically be built on your property? How do you want to use the space? What features matter most? What level of investment makes sense? And perhaps most importantly — who do you trust to actually build it?
A beautiful design is only the beginning.
Start With Your Property
Before designing a pool, you need to understand the property where it will be built.
Canyon Oak Pools requires a current property survey, and one of our Design Consultants meets with you at your home before developing the design. During the site visit, we take measurements and elevations, evaluate access and look at the existing conditions that may affect the project.
Proper planning starts with designing for the actual property — not trying to make the property fit a design later.
Think About How You Will Use the Pool
Before deciding what your pool should look like, think about how you want to use it.
Do you entertain frequently? Do you want a spa? Is the pool primarily for your family? Do you have young children or grandchildren? Do you want a tanning ledge, water features, an outdoor kitchen or additional entertaining space?
There isn't one perfect pool design.
The best design is the one that works for your property, your lifestyle and the way you expect to use the space for years to come. That's why our design meetings are conversations rather than simply choosing a pool shape from a catalog. Custom pool design and features walks through the options.
Establish a Realistic Budget
Having an honest budget conversation early in the design process is helpful.
A custom pool can vary significantly in price depending on size, site conditions, access, materials, decking, elevation changes, water features, spas, outdoor living components and other design choices.
Knowing the general investment you're comfortable making allows our Design Team to create something that makes sense for both your property and your budget.
Our goal isn't to design a pool you fall in love with and then discover it is far outside what you intended to spend. It's to create the best project we can within the parameters that matter to you.
Comparing Pool Proposals
Comparing pool proposals can be difficult because two bids that appear to describe similar pools may actually represent very different finished products. How to read and compare pool bids line by line goes through this in detail.
Homeowners often ask for a line-by-line breakdown so they can compare one proposal to another. We understand why — but a detailed list of components doesn't necessarily tell you what you're actually buying.
Think about it like baking a cake.
Two people can start with the exact same ingredients. One may produce an incredible cake, while the other produces something you wouldn't want a second bite of. The difference isn't the ingredient list. It's knowing how to put those ingredients together.
Building a pool is much the same.
Two proposals may list similar equipment, the same type of steel, the same gunite, similar plumbing and comparable finish materials. But those specifications don't tell you whether the elevations are right, the plumbing is properly designed, the steel is correctly installed, the equipment is properly sized, the gunite is shot correctly, the drainage works or the hundreds of construction decisions made along the way are the right ones.
Those things come from experience and execution, not a line-item spreadsheet.
That doesn't mean homeowners shouldn't compare proposals. You absolutely should understand what is included, what isn't included and the major specifications of the pool you're purchasing.
But don't mistake a longer or more detailed proposal for proof of a better-built pool.
Ultimately, you're not just buying the ingredients. You're hiring the person responsible for putting them together.
Ask What's Not Included
Sometimes the most important part of a pool proposal is what isn't on it.
Ask what happens if additional electrical work is needed. What about gas? Drainage? Access? Retaining conditions? Unforeseen soil conditions? Permitting or additional engineering?
Not every one of these items applies to every project, but you should understand what is included in your proposal and what circumstances could result in additional costs.
A reputable builder should be willing to explain the proposal clearly. You shouldn't have to guess what you're buying.
Understand the Payment Schedule
Before signing a pool contract, understand when payments will be due.
Pool construction typically involves progress payments tied to major stages of the build. The exact structure can vary by builder.
Read the payment schedule along with the rest of the contract so you understand what construction milestone triggers each payment. The payment schedule is only one part of the contract, but it should never be a surprise after construction begins.
Understand Change Orders
Changes can happen during construction. Sometimes homeowners decide to add or change something after the project begins. In other situations, unforeseen site conditions may require additional work.
Before signing, understand how your builder handles changes to the contracted scope and how additional costs are communicated. Your contract should explain how these situations are handled so everyone understands the process before construction begins.
Understand the Timeline
There are two very different timelines involved in a custom pool project: pre-construction and construction. How long it really takes to build a pool covers both.
Pre-Construction
Before contract, much of the timeline is controlled by the homeowner. Some clients finalize their design quickly. Others prefer to take their time exploring different layouts, features and materials before making their final decisions. We don't rush that process. We want you to be comfortable with the pool we're about to build. Once a Canyon Oak Pools project is under contract, it moves into plans and engineering and, when applicable, HOA and municipal approval. We keep the portions within our control moving forward, but HOA and municipal review times ultimately depend on those individual entities.
Construction
Once excavation begins, experienced scheduling and active project management become incredibly important. Pool construction is sequential. Every phase affects what happens next, and trade partners, inspections, materials, weather and site conditions all have to be coordinated throughout the entire build. How a custom pool gets built, phase by phase lays out the sequence.
This is one of the areas where experience matters most.
Ask Who Will Actually Build Your Pool
This may be one of the most important questions you ask before choosing a pool company:
Who is actually going to build my pool?
At Canyon Oak Pools, the answer is Larry Parnell.
Larry has more than 30 years of experience building swimming pools, and he personally runs every Canyon Oak Pools build from excavation through final punch-out.
That means exactly what it sounds like. Larry isn't simply stopping by the jobsite to check on progress. He is actively running the construction — overseeing elevations, excavation, plumbing runs, steel, equipment, gunite, masonry, deck forms, paver installation, plaster and the countless details and decisions that happen throughout the build and final completion.
Larry also works with the same trusted, specialized trade partners on every Canyon Oak pool. These are long-standing relationships with people who understand exactly what he expects.
That combination gives us something we believe is incredibly important in custom pool construction: consistency.
The same experienced builder runs every project from the first day of construction through the final punch-out, working with the same trusted teams and following the same construction standards from pool to pool.
It's also why Canyon Oak Pools deliberately limits the number of projects we accept. We cap both the number of pools we build each year and the number we have under construction at any one time based on what Larry can personally manage.
We would rather turn away work than hand a Canyon Oak Pools project to someone else to run.
Look Beyond the Sales Process
The design and sales experience matters, but building your pool is what happens after the contract is signed.
Before choosing a builder, find out what happens next.
Who schedules the project? Who coordinates the trade partners? Who makes construction decisions? Who handles problems when they arise? Who is responsible for keeping the project moving? Questions to ask a pool builder before you sign has more of these.
A pool company isn't just a design company.
It's a construction company.
Choose accordingly.
Don't Choose a Builder on Price Alone
Price should absolutely be part of your decision. But it shouldn't be the only part.
You're hiring someone to excavate your property, construct a permanent gunite structure in your backyard, install underground plumbing and electrical systems, coordinate numerous specialized trades and ultimately deliver something your family may use for decades.
Experience, construction standards, scheduling, communication, reputation, financial stability and warranty support all matter.
Sometimes two proposals are different prices because you're actually buying two very different things.
Check the Builder's Track Record — and the Business Behind It
Before signing a pool contract, do some homework on both the builder and the company behind the builder.
Start with the obvious things. Look at completed projects. Read independent reviews — including the negative ones. Find out how long the company has been operating, who owns it and who is actually responsible for construction.
Then dig a little deeper.
Who Owns the Company?
A pool company may be locally owner-operated, owned by a larger investment group, or owned primarily by someone whose background is in sales or design rather than construction.
None of those things automatically makes a company good or bad. But they can create very different experiences for the homeowner.
If the company is investor-owned, find out who is actually accountable for your project at the local level. Who makes construction decisions? Who manages quality? Has leadership changed? And if there is a problem, who has the authority and experience to solve it?
If the owner comes primarily from a sales or design background, ask who provides the construction expertise. How long has that person actually been building pools? Are they running the projects, or are multiple project managers responsible for construction?
The title “owner” doesn't necessarily tell you who is building your pool.
Research the Company Itself
Look beyond the name on the website.
In Texas, homeowners can research business entities through public records maintained by the Texas Secretary of State and Texas Comptroller. Look at when the current company was formed, its status, its filing history and the people associated with it.
If the company appears relatively new but advertises many years of experience, ask what that experience represents. There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation. Perhaps the owner spent many years working for another respected builder before starting the company. But it's worth understanding the distinction between years someone has worked in the pool industry and years the company you're contracting with has actually been in business.
Research the people behind the company as well. Have they owned other pool companies? Have those companies operated under different names? Are those businesses still operating? If not, what happened to them?
A previous company isn't automatically a red flag. Businesses change names, ownership structures and legal entities for many legitimate reasons. The purpose isn't to assume the worst. It's to understand the history of the people you are trusting with a major construction project and a significant amount of your money.
Look at the Company's Online History
In today's world, an established builder should generally have an online footprint that gives homeowners a meaningful history to review.
Look beyond the company's own website. Search the company name, the owners and the people who will actually be responsible for building your pool.
You should be able to find evidence of the company's work and history over time — completed projects, independent reviews, customer experiences, business listings, professional involvement or other information that helps establish who they are and how long they have been doing what they say they do.
A limited online presence doesn't automatically mean there is a problem, particularly for a newer or smaller company. But when you're considering a significant construction investment, very little independent information about the builder should give you a reason to ask more questions.
The internet has made it easier than ever to look beyond a polished website or sales presentation. Take advantage of it.
The purpose isn't to search for something wrong. It's to make sure the company you're considering has a history you can actually evaluate.
Financial Stability Matters
This part isn't as exciting as choosing tile, but it matters tremendously.
During a pool build, homeowners can pay a builder significant amounts of money in phases before the project is complete.
The builder, in turn, has to responsibly manage that money while paying trade partners, suppliers, employees, taxes, insurance and the many other expenses involved in operating a construction company.
That requires far more than knowing how to sell or design a beautiful pool.
It requires sound business practices, accounting systems, financial management and enough stability to meet the company's obligations throughout your project and afterward.
A busy pool company is not necessarily a financially healthy pool company.
Selling a large number of pools means very little if the business isn't being managed responsibly behind the scenes.
Homeowners don't need to become forensic accountants before building a pool. But when you're preparing to entrust a company with a significant amount of money, it's reasonable to ask some basic questions.
How long has the company been operating? Who owns and manages it? Who handles construction? Does the company have an established track record of completing projects? And has it been around long enough to demonstrate that it stands behind its work after the final payment has been made?
Look for Consistency
Reviews are valuable, but don't focus only on the star rating.
Look for patterns.
What do homeowners repeatedly say about the construction experience? Was the project actively managed? Did communication continue after the contract was signed? Did the company complete the work? How did it respond when something didn't go perfectly? Was the company still there when warranty service was needed? Our reviews are all in one place if you want to read ours that way.
The goal isn't to find a builder who has never encountered a problem.
Construction doesn't work that way.
The goal is to find a builder with the experience, systems, financial stability and accountability to handle problems when they occur.
You're trusting a pool builder with your property and a significant amount of your money.
It's reasonable to know who you're doing business with.
Be Comfortable With the Contract
A pool contract should be read before it is signed. Understand the scope of work, payment schedule, homeowner responsibilities, change-order provisions, warranties, exclusions and how unforeseen conditions are addressed. If you don't understand something, ask. A good builder should be willing to explain the contract you're being asked to sign.
The Most Important Decision
Homeowners naturally spend a lot of time choosing the fun things — pool shape, tile, coping, decking, plaster colors and water features.
Those things matter.
But the most consequential decision you will make happens before any of them are installed:
Choosing who will build your pool.
The best design in the world still has to be constructed correctly. Someone has to run the build, coordinate the schedule, manage the trade partners, make construction decisions, solve problems and take responsibility for the finished project.
At Canyon Oak Pools, that person is Larry.
It's why we intentionally limit our volume. It's why we use the same trusted trade partners from project to project. And it's why we would rather turn away work than change the way Canyon Oak Pools builds.
Because when we say WHO YOU BUILD WITH MATTERS®, we mean it.
We build across North Texas and would be glad to walk your lot. Quotes are built to your exact specifications with no obligation. Start here, or see where we work.
