Paperwork comes before the first shovel
Design and permitting run first, before any work starts in the yard. We draw the pool on your survey, an architect or engineer signs and seals the plans, and we file them with the county or your city along with the electrical and plumbing sub-permits. Permit review in Miami-Dade often takes several weeks, and Broward cities move at their own pace. Our guide to pool permits in Miami-Dade and Broward covers what goes in that package. Nobody can promise an approval date, so we never print one.
How long each stage takes
Once the permit is on site, work in the yard follows a fixed order. Each stage waits for the one before it, and several wait for an inspector.
| Stage | Typical time | What you see in the yard |
|---|---|---|
| Layout and excavation | 1 to 4 days, longer with rock or groundwater | Stakes, string lines, an excavator and a pile of spoil for haul-off |
| Steel, plumbing and electrical rough-in | About 1 to 3 weeks, with inspections | A rebar cage, pipe runs to the main drain, skimmer and returns, a bonding grid |
| Shooting the shell | About 1 day | The gunite or shotcrete crew filling the cage |
| Wet cure | 28 days recommended before plaster | A gray shell kept wet by hose, with waterline tile and coping going on during or after it |
| Deck | After the tile and coping | A compacted base, then pavers or travertine around the edge |
| Interior finish and fill | A few days | White plaster going on, then the hose running nonstop |
| Start-up | 28 days of care | Filter running, daily brushing, water tests |
We explain who does each step, and how the inspections fit in, on our page about how we work from visit to start-up.
Why the cure sets the pace
Curing is the longest single block in a concrete pool, and cutting it short costs more later. Industry standards call for keeping the new shell continuously wet for at least 7 days, then wetting it daily through day 28. About 70% of the cement's hydration happens in that first week and around 85% by day 28. Each added day of wet curing in that first week pays off: moving from 3 to 7 days lowers surface shrinkage cracking by 10 to 20%.
Those weeks are not idle. Waterline tile and coping often go on while the shell cures or right after it, and the deck follows the coping. The shell itself, from steel to cure, is covered under shooting and curing the shell.
What can stretch the schedule
Most delays on a South Florida pool come from the ground and the sky.
- Limestone close to the surface means breaking rock rather than just digging soil, which adds days to excavation.
- Groundwater in the hole has to be pumped and discharged away from the dig, sometimes under its own permit. Our guide to building where the water table is high explains how we handle it.
- Heavy rain raises the water table fast and stops steel and deck work; the rainy season runs from about late May to mid-October.
- Inspections set the order. Miami-Dade wants each stage approved before it gets covered, so a rescheduled inspection holds the crew.
- HOA design approval, where you have one, comes before the city filing and adds its own review time.
When you can swim
You can swim once the plaster is in, the pool is full and the water is balanced and sanitized. There is no fixed day for that, and anyone promising a swim the morning after the fill is guessing. The first 28 days after plastering follow a start-up routine. The filter runs nonstop for the first week, the walls get brushed at least twice a day until the plaster dust is gone, chlorine waits 48 hours and salt waits 30 days. We walk you through that routine at handover.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a gunite pool take once digging starts?
Expect roughly two to three months of work in the yard for a typical gunite or shotcrete pool. The 28-day cure is the biggest piece, and rock or groundwater can add to the excavation.
Can the plaster go on before the 28-day cure?
Industry standards recommend the full 28 days of wet curing before a cement-based finish. Rushing it raises the risk of surface cracking, which shows up later in the plaster.
How long does the pool permit take in Miami?
Review times change by jurisdiction and by season, and the county or city sets them, not the builder. Plan on several weeks between filing signed plans and getting the permit in hand.
When can we turn on the heat pump after the fill?
Keep the heater off until the plaster dust is gone and the water is balanced. Start-up rules for new plaster put the heater on hold for those first days.
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