We just signed a contract last Thursday for an inground, gunite, 420 SQ FT, 15,000 Gal pool. HOA approval came in two days, loan closing is tomorrow and I just got word that the layout is tomorrow also. We interviewed three builders before choosing one we thought had the best idea/value. We also get to keep almost all of our existing trees/landscaping. I'm curious to see tomorrow how they plan to access the site. We back up to a greenbelt, so that would be the obvious choice, and limit damage to the yard. We'll see tomorrow. Excited and nervous at the same time!

Here we go.

Well congrats on the pool start... I am in the same boat as you. We are supposed to start the dig tomorrow. My property also backs up to the greenbelt so they will need to access from one side and through the front of the house. Check out my pool build thread (link at the end of the signature).

Best of luck and keep us posted on the progress.

Third time I've seen the word greenbelt. I gotta know what it is. A road? A parkway? Is it green? Or is it more belty?

lol what's a greenbelt?

LOL... A greenbelt is like a walking trail within a community.. In other words, my backyard does not have a Wood fence in the back, instead it is an iron fence that you can see into the trail.

I am attaching a pic of my yard with the greenbelt in the back.

That's interesting!

So is there a gate that you can use to access it? Are you allowed to build your own fence there, for privacy? Do people walk/bike through there a lot?

I know I have so many questions, sorry. Learn something new every day, eh?

In the neighborhood I live in there is A LOT of traffic within the greeenbelt (walking or biking). And because that part is managed and regulated by the HOA, you can not modify the fence in ANY WAY. It does have it's pro's and con's though.

Hey Adeller, sorry to hijack your thread.

I live on a golf course and we have 4 foot wrought iron fences too. It didn't take me long to get used to golfers going by while being in the pool. However sometimes I do feel like a caged animal while outside...

Curious as to what the pros and cons are.

Not to hijack the thread but from my backyard the pro and cons

Pros: Awesome view morning, noon and night, No backyard neighbors (nearest neighbor is more than 400+ feet behind me and most are further), get to golfer watch certain type of cute golfers, all kinds of wildlife

Cons: No privacy at all, no privacy from nosy neighbors which is my biggest complaint, wildlife in my pool, golf course leaves end up in my pool as they use huge blowers, always watching out for golf balls

Not much chance for skinny dipping either.

My parents have a houseboat in a subdivision where every lot backs on to water. Across the way they have a pool. As a young man/boy I kept a sharp eye on the pool for wayward bikini tops, and occasionally my dreams came true.

I guess they had a greenbelt too (bayou water tends to be dominantly green). Yeeha!

Adeller, you hoping that having them start digging a big hole in your back yard will keep the fires away from your house . One of the outbreaks was only a couple of blocks from my house; gotta get a pool soon so the FD can hose my house down! (The FD actually asked us to put signs in our front yards if we had pools. Interesting...)

Anyhow, what pool builder did you go with? My search has been disheartening. I thought the very first guy was bad because he only got 50% of my requirements into his proposal. Well, its gone downhill from there, where the last one just got two points: geometric + 8' deep. Come on! Why do they even bother having a conversation?

Actually, in our case greenbelt is a euphemism for drainage area. It is a large area that funnels water downstream. It has walking trails on each side, and when we don't have a drought, there is grass in the middle.

Pros: I know nothing will be built behind us. I don't have to look at the neighbors yard.

Cons: Can't hide anything in my yard either. The fence is metal. Privacy foliage will be a priority after the pool is done.

After interviewing three builders, we chose Cen-Tex Oasis Pools. They listened to us and had some good ideas about placement and equipment that we liked. The others were good also and have seen their work. All had mostly good references.

Layout happened yesterday. Found out we can't go through the back fence and use the greenbelt access. It seems the stone columns at the ends of the trail are too narrow for their equipment to fit. So, we will have to go through the front yard and all the way around the house, so there goes the yard. I keep telling myself, it is only temporary.

Hope your place is safe. Actually we were hoping starting construction might bring some rain

I kept trying to convince myself that it is temporary also, but when you see it all destroyed, it hurts.. hehehe... Check out my build site in my signature to see the before and after pics of my front yard.

The Dig has started!

Before -

- see the "greenbelt" (the ditch behind the house)
The Plan -

Digging -

More digging -

And more digging -

Lawn damage (UGH!)

PB realized he had a "problem" today. They had not accounted for the elevation of the yard completely and the end of the deck would be about 30" out of the ground. Uh-oh, that would call for some changes since code would require a fence. That wasn't in the plan. They made it right by putting a planter on the end if the deck and some stairs:



Day one complete - so far so good. Looks like excavation might be mostly complete tomorrow. Of course it "could" rain. We saw clouds here today for the first time in about 6 months it seems. That would be my luck, conjur up rain in the middle of construction during a drought. Actually' I'd welcome the rain.

Looking really good. That tree is going to give you a great shade. Good thing they caught the elevation issue soon and found a quick solution. you will see once they start going, the process goes really fast. We completed day 7 since excavation started, and it looks like they will be installing the tile and coping tomorrow. If that is the case, I hope to be swimming in a couple week.

keep us posted of the progress.

It looks like that tree might fall over the pool...

Here is a better picture of the modification to the deck that includes the planter box and the steps. Not bad, huh?

Hey adeller and welcome to the forum

Things are coming along nicely and, yes, the planter and steps look good!

Keep the pics coming