Retaining Wall? Huh?

[floatmaster2020]

Hi all,
We just had a 21' above ground pool installed. Our yard has a slight slope. They had to dig a bit past 6" and charged us $350 for that, but no big deal. Done.

Today, a different contractor came over to give us a deck estimate. He saw the pool and said we're going to need a retaining wall or the pool will wash away in heavy rain. What?!

The pool installer never mentioned this. At no point in the sales process did anyone mention it. If this other contractor hadn't have come over, we wouldn't have known...until our pool washed away I guess.

Q1: Could contractor #2 be overreacting?
Q2: Is this something our installer should have told us?
Q3: Do we need a retaining wall?

 

[bmoreswim]

Assuming that all of your pool is sitting on virgin soil, then you will be fine. That said, you don‘t want any of the soil downhill of the pool washing away, especially right by the pool. I’d grade out the hill smoothly. Then plant grass up until 2’ away from the pool. Then I’d use landscape fabric and place stone in that 2’ around the pool. Let’s see what others think.

 

[floatmaster2020]

Assuming that all of your pool is sitting on virgin soil, then you will be fine. That said, you don‘t want any of the soil downhill of the pool washing away, especially right by the pool. I’d grade out the hill smoothly. Then plant grass up until 2’ away from the pool. Then I’d use landscape fabric and place stone in that 2’ around the pool. Let’s see what others think.

Thank you! We heard back from the contractor who installed the pool and he basically said the same thing, that the other guy was really pushing it, and that with some basic landscaping we'd be fine. We're going to have our landscaper come look at it just in case, but feel much better.

 

[kellyfair]

That’s a nice looking pool! What brand?