Owner/builder SoCal

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Here is a pic from the weekend progress
44172e6893339b250b76df9230be7bd5.jpg
 
Hey that's a nice looking pool of water....which pool store do you use? Their advice is spot on....oh wait, I bet you pay for one of those high end pool service guys, right?? Do tell, who's your pool boy??
 
joanniern said:
A couple of days ago we pulled our permit for building a pool. I'm a little nervous.
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I want to read this whole thread but I have a question at this point. We live in the same state even if in different areas, so there might still be similarities.

How were you able to get the permits yourself? What kind of documentation did you provide? I tried to ask at the city what is required to do for a swimming pool and they pretty much said that is the responsibility of my pool builder. At that point I was not really ready for anything more (it was just a curiosity). Now we are in the process to receive quotes from several Pool Builders and I would like to investigate how it would work if I did the GC myself. Thank you very much. Sorry if this question is answered in the thread but it's REALLY long and it will take me days to read it all.
 
manoweb said:
I want to read this whole thread but I have a question at this point. We live in the same state even if in different areas, so there might still be similarities.

How were you able to get the permits yourself? What kind of documentation did you provide? I tried to ask at the city what is required to do for a swimming pool and they pretty much said that is the responsibility of my pool builder. At that point I was not really ready for anything more (it was just a curiosity). Now we are in the process to receive quotes from several Pool Builders and I would like to investigate how it would work if I did the GC myself. Thank you very much. Sorry if this question is answered in the thread but it's REALLY long and it will take me days to read it all.
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As long as you have a plan an owner can pull their own permits.
 
You'll need a site plan showing the house, any existing structures/ patios, location of the utilities, any easements, powerlines, layout of the pool with dimensions, pool equipment location, electrical and gas runs with wire and pipe size, etc. You will need the pool engineered and provide the structural details as well.

It's something a homeowner certainly can do but if you aren't experienced then it might be better to hire it out.

Here's an example:

IMG_20170307_140200625.jpg

I would entertain doing the plans for you but I'm a little too busy right now to take on one more thing. There are several people that do this sort of thing.... Shoot, Joannie could do it
 

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joanniern said:
As long as you have a plan an owner can pull their own permits.
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Hello joanniern,
yes I know about owner-builder and I've done that for minor stuff. However, how did you prepare all the documentation? Was the city OK to work with you or were they surprised? Did you get any help from them...? Were you guys able to come up with your drawings alone or you had to hire out licensed engineers, architects, draftsmen...?
This step might not be that hard once you have done it but to me now it seems almost impossible :D
 
bdavis466 said:
You'll need a site plan showing the house, any existing structures/ patios, location of the utilities, any easements, powerlines, layout of the pool with dimensions, pool equipment location, electrical and gas runs
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I had already done all of the above, I spent days (just for my own use) in using trilateration to take detailed measurements of the property and the curvy retaining wall.

with wire and pipe size, etc. You will need the pool engineered and provide the structural details as well.

It's something a homeowner certainly can do but if you aren't experienced then it might be better to hire it out.
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I consider myself a person with a number of competences but I do not think I can "engineer" a pool :D

Sorry to hijack the thread. Maybe further replies on this particular subject of hiring somebody for the plan, on my own "proto-build" thread? https://www.troublefreepool.com/thr...g-my-swimming-pool-system-before-construction
 
Brian's plans and designs almost always get rejected at the buildings dept because they are so darned detailed and good that no one there is educated enough to figure them out. Joannie, on the other hand, knows better and submits all of her plans on the back of a cocktail napkin...she gets her permits approved 100% of the time.

I'm sure the relative difference in good-looks has nothing to do with it.....

Check out PoolStudio and other pool design software. You might benefit from doodling a bit and getting a feel for what's possible. I don't remember the name off hand (I'm sure Brian does) but I believe there's an engineering company in CA that will supply you with all of the necessary engineering and site plan prep documents if you send them your pool design. I think the cost is under $1,000 and basically provides you with everything you need to supply to the building department.
 
All builders including me and Brian in California use the above to engineer our plans. I have a degree in design and have drawn several houses and other architectural plans. Brian and I both use chief architect for that. I've worked with the city before on other projects so they had no problem using my plans. But my drawings also look like a professional drew them. I use a structural engineer for details that weren't handled by pool engineering. The city would never be ok with you doing your own engineering, they expect it to be stamped by a licensed engineer. However, the drawings can be prepared by a five year old as long as an engineer comes in and shows the structural details to support the drawings
 

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