Building a 25-yard pool?

Construction of 25 Meter, two lane lap pool. 85K gallons.

Video here on your type of pool...Just click to watch on youtube...



Video is geared towards the pool construction enthusiast audience - might be a bit long-winded for the casual viewer - apologies.
Edit: For those viewers that are "pool nerds" like me - here are some fun specs on the pool.
Length: 82’
Width: Main pool area: 19’
Bench / Baja / Spa sections: 33’
Depth: Baja Shelf / back bench: ~22”
Around spa: 3’
Shallow end lap lanes: 4’
Centerline of pool: 4’6”
Deep end: 10’
Excavation: 600 cubic yards volume in ground 72 x 12-yard-trucks hauled off (3 work days - 5 guys)
Steel: ~18,000 LF #4 rebar (1.5 work days - 4 guys)
Plumbing: ~300 LF 3" PVC ~1,300 LF 2" PVC ~350 LF 1.5" PVC (6 work days - 3 guys)
Gunite: 190 cubic yards (probably more like 160 in place after rebound loss and shot compression) 10" walls top to bottom, 9" floors (1.5 work days ~ 18 guys)
1st clean-up: 30 cubic yards (0.5 work days - 4 guys)
Tile & Coping: 400 SF glass 220 SF split-face 330 LF 5cm coping (10 work days - 4 guys)
Flatwork: 32 cubic yards (3 work days ~12 guys)
Plaster: 7 cubic yards of Wet-Edge Southern Lights (0.75 work days ~30 guys)
Total Construction Time without flood would have likely landed between 4 and 6 months (depending on how much we hired out vs doing ourselves.) With the flood and rebuilding the house though, it stretched to about 3 years - with long breaks in-between phases of the pool project post-flood.

Equipment package:
2 x Pentair Intelliflo VS Pumps
2 x Pentair Quad DE 100 Filters
2 x Pentair MasterTemp 400K BTU Cupro-Nickel Heaters
1 x Pentair Intellitouch i10+3D
1 x Pentair Mobile-touch Wireless Control
1 x Pentair Screen Logic 2 Wireless Interface
5 x Pentair Intellivalve Actuator
1 x Pentair Intelliflo XF Booster Pump (Spa)
3 x Pentair Intellibrite 5g spa lights
4 x Pentair Intellibrite 5g pool lights
1 x QT 2HP Blower (Spa)
4 x Color Match Superflo 360 Drains
1 x Paramount ParaLevel Auto-Fill
4 x Paramount Venturi Skimmers
3 x 30 gal Stenner Chem tanks/pumps

From the description:

"A lot of folks are asking about price in the comments section It's easier for me to explain it here and it makes more sense to provide a range. (2017 dollars) That range is dependent on several variables including regional pricing for labor and materials, engineering requirements due to soil conditions, how much work is contracted out vs. done by the home owner, water features, deck equipment selection and the quality of the materials / equipment used.
Low-end: If engineering requirements were minimal, soil conditions were ideal, regional pricing was average, standard plaster (non-aggregate finish) were selected, less expensive tile were used, water features were minimal and the home owner built a lot of the non-technical parts of the project themselves (IE: landscaping), a project like this could reasonably run around $200K.

High end: If the engineering design called for additional structural components (thicker walls, piers under the shell, etc), regional pricing for labor and materials were higher than average, the property sat atop bedrock, premium selections on plaster, tile, equipment and water features were selected, and all aspects of the project were run through contractors, it could easily run up into the $300k-$400k range or more. This pool came in towards the lower end of the pricing spectrum due to favorable soil conditions (no rock for excavators, no engineering requirements for structural piers), favorable material and labor market and doing much of the non-technical work on our own.

Another question several people have asked in the comments section is what the monthly maintenance cost is. The short answer is that it varies quite a bit month to month. To get it to a stable monthly value, the annual cost /12 would probably be the easiest method. (These are approximate numbers)
Annual: (Updated for 2023 pricing)
200 gallons Sodium Hypochlorite 12.5%: $600
60 gallons Muriatic Acid 31.45%: $280
200# sodium bicarbonate: $100
110# boric acid: $240
150# tri-chlor: $600
60k gal water (evaporation assuming no rain): $390 (Surprisingly, this is less than half the amount of water it took to keep grass alive per year before the pool)
250 MMBTU natural gas: $3,000
Mechanical maintenance: $2,000
8,300 kWh Electricity: $1,162
There are some other random items like calcium chloride, diatomaceous earth, pool brushes, etc that come up periodically but they can probably be wrapped up in that $1k mechanical maintenance figure.

$8,372/ 12 = $698/mo We do the maintenance ourselves. Otherwise the labor would likely be the highest cost."
 
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That’s the kind of pool you build when you are able to not care about spending money … I can’t imagine anyone eventually looking at a house like that during a real estate showing and not fainting on the spot … or the real estate agent will dupe them by saying, “85k gallons … no, that’s a totally standard size residential pool!! You can just hire a pool service company, easy-peasy!
 
Construction of 25 Meter, two lane lap pool. 85K gallons.

Video here on your type of pool...Just click to watch on youtube...



Video is geared towards the pool construction enthusiast audience - might be a bit long-winded for the casual viewer - apologies.
Edit: For those viewers that are "pool nerds" like me - here are some fun specs on the pool.
Length: 82’
Width: Main pool area: 19’
Bench / Baja / Spa sections: 33’
Depth: Baja Shelf / back bench: ~22”
Around spa: 3’
Shallow end lap lanes: 4’
Centerline of pool: 4’6”
Deep end: 10’
Excavation: 600 cubic yards volume in ground 72 x 12-yard-trucks hauled off (3 work days - 5 guys)
Steel: ~18,000 LF #4 rebar (1.5 work days - 4 guys)
Plumbing: ~300 LF 3" PVC ~1,300 LF 2" PVC ~350 LF 1.5" PVC (6 work days - 3 guys)
Gunite: 190 cubic yards (probably more like 160 in place after rebound loss and shot compression) 10" walls top to bottom, 9" floors (1.5 work days ~ 18 guys)
1st clean-up: 30 cubic yards (0.5 work days - 4 guys)
Tile & Coping: 400 SF glass 220 SF split-face 330 LF 5cm coping (10 work days - 4 guys)
Flatwork: 32 cubic yards (3 work days ~12 guys)
Plaster: 7 cubic yards of Wet-Edge Southern Lights (0.75 work days ~30 guys)
Total Construction Time without flood would have likely landed between 4 and 6 months (depending on how much we hired out vs doing ourselves.) With the flood and rebuilding the house though, it stretched to about 3 years - with long breaks in-between phases of the pool project post-flood.

Equipment package:
2 x Pentair Intelliflo VS Pumps
2 x Pentair Quad DE 100 Filters
2 x Pentair MasterTemp 400K BTU Cupro-Nickel Heaters
1 x Pentair Intellitouch i10+3D
1 x Pentair Mobile-touch Wireless Control
1 x Pentair Screen Logic 2 Wireless Interface
5 x Pentair Intellivalve Actuator
1 x Pentair Intelliflo XF Booster Pump (Spa)
3 x Pentair Intellibrite 5g spa lights
4 x Pentair Intellibrite 5g pool lights
1 x QT 2HP Blower (Spa)
4 x Color Match Superflo 360 Drains
1 x Paramount ParaLevel Auto-Fill
4 x Paramount Venturi Skimmers
3 x 30 gal Stenner Chem tanks/pumps

From the description:

"A lot of folks are asking about price in the comments section It's easier for me to explain it here and it makes more sense to provide a range. (2017 dollars) That range is dependent on several variables including regional pricing for labor and materials, engineering requirements due to soil conditions, how much work is contracted out vs. done by the home owner, water features, deck equipment selection and the quality of the materials / equipment used.
Low-end: If engineering requirements were minimal, soil conditions were ideal, regional pricing was average, standard plaster (non-aggregate finish) were selected, less expensive tile were used, water features were minimal and the home owner built a lot of the non-technical parts of the project themselves (IE: landscaping), a project like this could reasonably run around $200K.

High end: If the engineering design called for additional structural components (thicker walls, piers under the shell, etc), regional pricing for labor and materials were higher than average, the property sat atop bedrock, premium selections on plaster, tile, equipment and water features were selected, and all aspects of the project were run through contractors, it could easily run up into the $300k-$400k range or more. This pool came in towards the lower end of the pricing spectrum due to favorable soil conditions (no rock for excavators, no engineering requirements for structural piers), favorable material and labor market and doing much of the non-technical work on our own.

Another question several people have asked in the comments section is what the monthly maintenance cost is. The short answer is that it varies quite a bit month to month. To get it to a stable monthly value, the annual cost /12 would probably be the easiest method. (These are approximate numbers)
Annual: (Updated for 2023 pricing)
200 gallons Sodium Hypochlorite 12.5%: $600
60 gallons Muriatic Acid 31.45%: $280
200# sodium bicarbonate: $100
110# boric acid: $240
150# tri-chlor: $600
60k gal water (evaporation assuming no rain): $390 (Surprisingly, this is less than half the amount of water it took to keep grass alive per year before the pool)
250 MMBTU natural gas: $3,000
Mechanical maintenance: $2,000
8,300 kWh Electricity: $1,162
There are some other random items like calcium chloride, diatomaceous earth, pool brushes, etc that come up periodically but they can probably be wrapped up in that $1k mechanical maintenance figure.

$8,372/ 12 = $698/mo We do the maintenance ourselves. Otherwise the labor would likely be the highest cost."
Wow, that is incredible. Great find.
 
We had a friend that built a pool similiar to what you describe. They sold the home last year so I yanked the photos from redfin. It was freeform with a traditional play end and a long finger that shot out. The contractor did a good job of making it not just look like a lap pool. 210010443_2_6.jpg210010443_24_6.jpggenMbmob.220001810_1 (1).jpg210010443_26_6.jpggenMbmob.220001810_40_1.jpggenMbmob.220001810_42_1.jpggenMbmob.220001810_38_1.jpg
 

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Taking all of the feedback here into consideration, we’ve done some more brainstorming…

That construction video that was posted did not help in this regard (😭), but I think I am coming around on not going all-out for a 25-yard pool that is built for legitimate swim training (in addition to fun)… mostly due to long-term cost of ownership (not as worried about initial install cost, resale value, etc., though those things aren’t necessarily total non-factors).

But I’m still having a hard time with the idea of spending a bunch of money to build a pool that I really can’t “swim swim” in at all (without crashing into the opposite wall in 3 seconds), so I’ve been considering how to get a 60’ (20-yard) pool down to a volume that is more manageable while still having a deep end that could accommodate a diving board or platform. (This wouldn’t allow for true swim training, but it would at least allow me to get up to speed and do some light swim exercise right outside my back door… and drive down the road once or twice a week for a real competition pool, etc.) To that end, I’ve attached a rough mock-up of a 60’x18’ pool with less than 44,000 gallons.

Any thoughts on this design? Is it feasible to get a reasonable pump/SWG/heating set-up at this size?

1675657227516.jpeg
 
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Does your design meet these standards for a diving pool?


 
To that end, I’ve attached a rough mock-up of a 60’x18’ pool with less than 44,000 gallons.

Any thoughts on this design? Is it feasible to get a reasonable pump/SWG/heating set-up at this size?
Nice compromise. You have adequate pool to play in and a reasonable swim lane as you have noted.
You can get a Pentair IC60 SWCG which will work for the 44k gals.
 
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Does your design meet these standards for a diving pool?


As far as I can tell, yes. Do you think I am missing something?
 
As far as I can tell, yes. Do you think I am missing something?
Dunno, I can’t tell what the profiles will be.

You will need a custom set of engineering drawings thst certify it meets diving pool standards. The engineer will decide during the drafting.
 
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I'd take 8.5' all the way to the end to assure a safe diving area. I see no reason to downsize the end to 7'??
It’s just another 500 gallons of volume, and I’d rather use that somewhere else, as I don’t see a depth of 7 ft at the wall as a safety hazard at all. If you’re diving into the pool, you’re not reaching the bottom until at least 5 (probably more like 10) feet off the wall. To the safety point, I’d rather think about extending the 8.5 ft in the opposite direction, but that does start to eat into the shallow more. (Actually, just thinking about it now, I’m curious if anyone here has ever heard of doing a deep “bench” along that diving end — maybe 12-15” at about 4.5-5’ depth — so that it wouldn’t interfere with swimming laps, but similar idea to a typical bench, just for standing, not sitting.)

I was trying to get as close to 40k gallons as I reasonably could, but if people think I could reasonably go up to 45k gallons, etc., I could modify further — maybe add some more depth, maybe shrink the tanning ledge a bit, and/or maybe even modify to be a 60’x17’ rectangle (instead of 18’) with the tanning ledge bumping off of the main rectangle (L style).
 
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Yiu are going in the wrong direction adding gallons. You are 10% over the target 40K gallons.
 
It’s just another 500 gallons of volume, and I’d rather use that somewhere else, as I don’t see a depth of 7 ft at the wall as a safety hazard at all. If you’re diving into the pool, you’re not reaching the bottom until at least 5 (probably more like 10) feet off the wall. To the safety point, I’d rather think about extending the 8.5 ft in the opposite direction, but that does start to eat into the shallow more. (Actually, just thinking about it now, I’m curious if anyone here has ever heard of doing a deep “bench” along that diving end — maybe 12-15” at about 4.5-5’ depth — so that it wouldn’t interfere with swimming laps, but similar idea to a typical bench, just for standing, not sitting.)

I was trying to get as close to 40k gallons as I reasonably could, but if people think I could reasonably go up to 45k gallons, etc., I could modify further — maybe add some more depth, maybe shrink the tanning ledge a bit, and/or maybe even modify to be a 60’x17’ rectangle (instead of 18’) with the tanning ledge bumping off of the main rectangle (L style).
It’s legal if it follows the minimum requirements in the SR smith specification above. Note that no step of features are allowed in the “diving zone” so your standing ledge may not be allowed if it’s within the slope angle on the drawing.
 
Continuing to tweak… other than the extra 1,000 gallons (which is indeed going the wrong direction, but still under 45,000), I think I like this concept better. Any thoughts on this compared to the simple 60’x18’ rectangle?

I’m assuming this might be harder to cover, but not even sure how important that is.

I also don’t love the narrower deep end (16’), but obviously that deep water just adds volume so fast.

CCB24D43-2721-4FBF-B866-8FF96F5FE571.jpeg
 

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