Pool plans are comprehensive blueprints that detail every aspect of a swimming pool’s construction. In this article we describe what’s included in a set of pool plans, and how well-engineered plans can make a big difference for homeowners in terms of quality, durability, maintenance, energy efficiency, and permit processing speed.
Who Creates Pool Plans
The development of a new swimming pool plan set typically involves professionals from different disciplines, including:
- Pool designer
- Geotechnical engineer
- Structural engineer
- Mechanical engineer
- Electrical engineer
- Permit specialist
Most pool builders in South Florida outsource the entire pool plan development, as they have no in-house engineering staff. Most also outsource the permit application and management, as they typically don’t have a permit specialist who understands the different requirements of each city for the various swimming pool plan components.
This lack of in-house engineering and permitting knowledge often creates gaps in the coordination of the disciplines involved, which in turn translates to errors, omissions, permit processing delays and overall lower-quality plans.
AQUAVIX Pools stands out as a pool design and construction company founded and run by engineers. We have our own pool designers and our own permit specialist.
By having critical pool design and engineering skills in-house, a pool builder can streamline the entire pool engineering process and create differentiators in pool quality and permit processing speed, as we’ll illustrate below for each aspect or component of the pool plans.
What’s in a Pool Plan Set
Listed below are the typical components of a swimming pool plan set, along with their impact on overall pool quality, durability, maintenance, energy efficiency, and permit processing speed.
Site Plan
The site plan provides a bird’s-eye view of the property, highlighting the pool’s proposed location and orientation within the overall landscape. It typically includes details such as property boundaries, existing structures (like a house, patio, or garage), distances (setbacks) from the pool to property lines and structures, placement of landscaping features and trees, utility lines or underground structures and more.
Impact: A detailed, well-drawn site plan ensures the pool location complies with zoning regulations, setback requirements, easements, and perviousness ratio requirements. Lack of knowledge of specific requirements for swimming pool plans for each city or neighborhood often results in plan review rejections that delay the entire project.
Pool Layout and Dimensions
This is the dimensional plan showing the pool’s specific design and measurements, including its shape, dimensions, and depth; steps, sun shelves, benches and spas; patio and walkways; and placement of any features like waterfalls, slides, or diving boards.
Cross-section views are included to offer a side view of the pool and patio, and provide essential details about the depth profile and slope of the swimming pool floor and the placement of waterline tile and coping.
Impact: A detailed dimensional plan allows the pool builder’s construction team to avoid misinterpretation, helping prevent costly errors, corrections and delays that are unfortunately common in the pool building industry.
Structural Plan
The structural plan specifies the details of the swimming pool foundation, including soil compaction requirements based on the geotechnical analysis; the concrete shell structure, including the thickness of the pool walls and the steel reinforcement details; retaining walls, when necessary, and patio construction details.
Impact: A good structural plan ensures the pool is safe and durable. Engineering for unique soil types, groundwater conditions, and grading can prevent issues like settling or water intrusion, particularly in challenging sites. Additional reinforcements based on pool shape, depth, and load factors increase durability.
Plumbing and Hydraulic Plans
The pool plumbing plan maps out, in diagrams and tables, the pool water circulation and filtration system. This includes pipes, valves, pumps, filters, skimmers, drains, and water features such as hydrotherapy jets and waterfalls.
Impact: The specification of energy-efficient pool pumps and heaters, along with a well-designed pool plumbing plan by an experienced mechanical engineer, ensures that water flows efficiently, minimizing energy consumption and preventing issues like water stagnation. It also ensures ease of maintenance and longevity of pool equipment.
Electrical Plans
The electrical plan for a swimming pool specifies the pool control panel and circuit breakers; the wiring of pool pumps and heaters; the placement and type of pool and spa lights; and the pool/spa control and automation system, when applicable. It also deals with the equipotential grid for the pool and patio, which in an important code requirement.
Impact: Well-designed electrical plans help ensure that the pool is safe to use and meets local codes, minimizing the risk of electrical hazards.
Drainage Details
Rainwater drainage is a serious concern in South Florida. Most cities in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties now require that new swimming pool plans contain provisions for swales designed to prevent rainwater runoff to adjacent properties or to the street. Requirements vary from city to city.
Impact: Plans containing adequately designed swales or other acceptable drainage methods based on rain criteria that vary from city to city avoid delays in permit approval resulting from required plan revisions.
Dewatering Details
If a dewatering is expected to be required during pool construction based on the expected groundwater level, most cities in South Florida will require a dewatering plan. The Cities of Miami, Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale have particularly strict requirements regarding the dewatering setup and dewatering permits.
Impact: Plans containing adequately designed dewatering setups that vary from city to city will avoid delays in permit approval resulting from required plan revisions.
Code Compliance Details
Pool plans must address swimming pool building code and safety features such as swimming pool barriers, fencing and alarms, as well as indicate compliance with energy-efficient requirements.
Impact: A well-prepared set of pool plans including all necessary code references makes the permitting process faster and hassle-free, preventing delays in construction.
Conclusion
Pool plans are more than just drawings; they’re the road map to a successful pool project. Each component serves a unique purpose. Well engineered plans ensure that your pool will structurally sound, efficient and safe — and that your pool permit is issued without unnecessary delays.