In our 35+ years of business, we’ve come across all sorts of backyards. From yards with old barns buried beneath the surface, to yards made of primarily ledge rock, we’ve seen it all. There are several factors that go into determining if your backyard is suitable for an inground swimming pool.
Setbacks. The main setbacks are septic, well, and property. In the state of Connecticut, the pool’s edge (water) must be at least 25’ from the well head, and 25’ from any part of the septic (tank or leaching fields). Property setbacks (front, side, rear) vary by the town you are located in, and what zone your property is in. These setbacks generally range 20’ - 50’. Your best bet is to phone your local zoning department to clarify your specific property setback requirements.
Wetlands. Wetlands such as rivers, streams, ponds, marshes, or lakes, require additional setbacks to be met. Regulatory standards are set by the state. For CT, if the pool is to be within 150’ of wetlands, you must obtain Wetlands sign off via a Wetlands Permit. Litchfield County Pools works with you and submits this permit on behalf of your property.
Slope. Yards come in all different slopes. Some yards are as level as a lacrosse field, while other yards make for an ideal sledding hill. The slope, or grade, of your yard factors into the design of the pool and it’s surroundings. If there is a slight slope, we typically will have the elevation of the pool (top of coping) inline with the higher side of the yard and use the excavated material to fill in and level off around the lower end of the yard. If there is significant grade, retaining walls will need to be erected in order to achieve a level area around the pool.
Ledge (Rock). In Connecticut and NY State, pockets of ledge rock are fairly common. A yard may have no rock, some rock, or be full of rock. It is very difficult to have any idea of the rock situation without digging, which makes it hard to know heading into your pool project. If rock is hit during the excavation of the pool, the decision will be made to either blast the rock with dynamite (via a professional blasting company), or hammer the rock with an excavator attachment. Every scenario is different, and depends on how much ledge exists and what type of rock it is. Hitting ledge during the project will add to the overall cost.
High Water Table. If your yard is often damp and wet, it’s likely you have a high water table. A high water table comes into play when we are digging the swimming pool, and hit ground water rather quickly. It could appear as soon as we dig 2 feet. To mitigate the issue of a high water table, we install a “de-watering pit”, which serves to route the groundwater to an area that is away from the swimming pool site. This ensures the construction site stays dry.
Previously Buried Structures or Stumps. Occasionally we will come across old structures, stumps, or other debris when we are digging the swimming pool. We remove the debris, and dig down until we meet virgin ground, as it’s important to build a swimming pool on virgin ground and not “fill”. If the virgin ground is deeper than the base of the swimming pool, footings must be poured in order to ensure the pool is properly stabilized.
Access To The Site. Where there is will, there is a way! Whether it be making an access road through the woods, removing a section of stone wall or fence, or carefully using you driveway, we should be able to make it to the pool site. The main piece of heavy equipment needed is the excavator. Besides that, we are building with mostly pickup trucks. The heavy gunite trucks, plaster trucks, and water trucks are typically able to utilize hoses to reach the site.
