Our 12-Step Pool Design Build Process

Our swimming pool design process is built around your home, your lifestyle, and your vision. We start with an on-site consultation, take precise measurements, and create a detailed 3D design of your entire outdoor space, so you can see exactly how everything will come together. From pool layout and features to surrounding hardscape and outdoor living, every detail is thoughtfully planned. With our in-house team and experience, we design pools that not only look great, but function seamlessly for how you and your family will use the space for years to come. These renderings give you the opportunity to make revisions and fine-tune your space with confidence.

We provide detailed proposals that clearly outline pricing and scope, giving you a complete understanding of your project from the start, with transparency and clarity. We take the time to sit down with you and walk you through every line item, explain where your investment is going, and make sure you feel confident moving forward.

Once your design is approved and contracts are signed, we use that design to develop precise construction plans and begin the layout process, ensuring your project is built exactly as envisioned from start to finish.

Our pre-construction planning process ensures your project is set up for success before any work begins. We take detailed measurements, finalize design elements, and develop precise construction plans based on your approved 3D design. Our team coordinates engineering, permitting, and site logistics while planning for drainage, grading, and overall functionality.

From our experience, the pre-construction phase is one of the most critical parts of the entire project. Getting it right from the start sets the tone for everything that follows, and it's not a phase we ever cut corners on or overlook.

Once we've thoroughly completed the pre-construction planning phase, the real fun begins, and we're ready to move forward with construction.

Our excavation process is handled with precision and care to ensure a strong foundation for your project. This is the true "breaking ground" moment, where your vision starts becoming reality and sets the stage for all the work to follow. Our experienced team carefully digs and shapes your pool and surrounding areas according to the approved plans. We excavate to your pool's exact measurements and specifications.

You can expect excavators, skid steers, dump trucks, and in some project specific cases a conveyor belt system (if access restrictions require it).

A significant amount of earth is moved during this phase, and you'll begin to see your pool take shape. We account for soil conditions, drainage, and site access while keeping the jobsite clean, organized, and respectful of your property.

Our pool forms and rebar phase is where your project begins to take real structural shape. During this stage, we install the forming and steel reinforcement that defines the exact shape, depth, and integrity of your pool. Our team carefully follows the engineered plans, tying rebar to precise specifications to ensure long-term strength and durability.

This step is critical to the structural foundation of your pool, and it's not something we take lightly. With our experience and attention to detail, we make sure everything is placed correctly before moving forward. Proper steel placement now means a stronger, longer-lasting pool.

You'll start to clearly see the shape of your pool come together at this stage. As with every phase, we maintain a clean and organized jobsite while keeping you informed throughout the process, so you feel confident as your project progresses.

Our pool electrical and plumbing phase is where the functionality of your pool truly comes together behind the scenes. During this stage, our team installs all necessary plumbing lines, ensuring proper water flow, circulation, and efficiency throughout your system. The plumbing is then put under pressure and inspected to confirm everything is sealed and performing as it should.

At the same time, we complete the electrical work needed to power your equipment, lighting, and any additional features like water features, spas or automation systems. All electrical is installed per required city and state codes to ensure safety and compliance.

We follow all codes and engineered plans to ensure everything is installed safely and correctly. This phase is critical to how your pool performs long-term, and it's something we take seriously. With our experience and attention to detail, we make sure everything is done right before moving forward, so your pool not only looks great but operates exactly the way it should for years to come.

Gunite is an exciting milestone in the construction process. This is where your pool truly becomes permanent. During this stage, a specialized concrete mixture is applied at high pressure to form the solid shell of your pool, locking in the exact shape, depth, and structure.

Our team works closely with trusted crews to ensure the gunite is applied evenly and to engineered specifications for long-term strength and durability. Proper application and curing are critical, and we guide you through the curing and hydration process to ensure the shell reaches its full strength.

This phase transforms your project from framework into solid structure, bringing you one step closer to enjoying your finished pool.

During this stage, we install the masonry, stone, rock, and/or tile elements selected during the pre-construction phase. This is where your water features come to life. We offer different boulder types and sizes to create waterfalls, jumping rocks and grottoes.

Our team carefully installs pool tile, along with any natural or manufactured stone, rock features, or water elements along the pool walls and surrounding areas, bringing your design details to life. Each material is set with precision, ensuring clean lines, proper bonding, and long-lasting durability. Whether your vision is clean and modern or more natural and resort-inspired, this is the stage where those design elements begin to come together. It's where your pool starts to reflect your personal style and the overall feel you envisioned for your outdoor space.

We pay close attention to the details and craftsmanship in this phase, as these finishes are what you'll see and enjoy every day. With quality materials and experienced installation, we ensure your pool not only looks great, but stands the test of time.

Our custom drainage installation is a critical part of protecting your investment and ensuring your outdoor space functions properly year-round. Every property is different, so we design drainage solutions based on your specific grading, soil conditions, and overall layout.

Some clients opt for standard drainage to repair drain lines damaged during pool utility trenching and to connect the pool overflow line to the existing system. Others choose our fully custom-designed landscape drainage option, which provides more comprehensive solutions to manage heavier water flow, protect structures, and prevent long-term issues.

When clients choose the full landscape drainage system option, we use your project's 2D design to thoughtfully design and install a drainage system that meets your property's specific needs and directs water away from your pool, hardscape, and home efficiently. With our experience, we ensure drainage is done right the first time, because it's one of the most important elements you don't see, but will always benefit from, as it protects your hard-earned investment beneath the surface.

We design and tailor each hardscape plan to fit your home, layout, and overall vision, creating a cohesive outdoor space that ties everything together. Our concrete is customizable for each project, from standard broom finishes to stamped concrete and added color options. This allows our clients to personalize their hardscape and create a space that truly fits their home and overall design vision.

As a licensed C8 contractor, concrete is not just a service we offer. It's our specialty. We have extensive experience in concrete pool decks and cantilever applications, ensuring clean edges, proper elevations, and seamless transitions around your pool. Cantilever decks require a high level of precision, and our team understands how to execute them correctly for both appearance and long-term performance.

Concrete can truly make or break the look and feel of a backyard. We've all seen spaces where poor-quality concrete stands out, and not in a good way. In many cases, it comes down to a lack of experience and preparation, improper drainage and grading, incorrect mix design, or poor finishing techniques. Quality custom concrete takes a true commitment to the craft, attention to detail, and a strong understanding of proper methods. From precise formwork to placement and finishing, we focus on doing it right the first time, without cutting corners, so your concrete enhances your outdoor space rather than taking away from it.

Our pool plaster installation is the final step that truly brings your pool to life. Applying the plaster creates the finished interior surface, making your pool watertight and giving it its color and texture. There are many plaster products and color options available, allowing you to customize the final look to match your overall design.

We work with high-quality materials and trusted crews to ensure a smooth, consistent application. The plaster is applied to the gunite and carefully hand-troweled to achieve a clean, even, and beautiful finish.

After this step, we can begin filling your pool, and just like that, the stress from your long work day begins to fade and the relaxation begins.

Our custom outdoor living and landscape installation is where your outdoor space comes together and feels complete. While this phase is optional within our pool construction process, many clients are looking for a streamlined, one-team approach. By working with a single, coordinated team, you avoid the challenges that can come with multiple points of contact, where miscommunication can impact the final result. We provide a seamless, all-in-one solution to bring your entire outdoor vision to life.

When everything is handled by one team and thoughtfully designed from the beginning, it creates a seamless experience and a more cohesive final result. We are fully equipped to take on all aspects of outdoor living construction, including custom features such as shade structures, pavilions, outdoor kitchens, TV walls, fire pits, fireplaces, artificial turf, outdoor lighting & audio systems, planting and more, bringing your full backyard vision to life.

We work collaboratively with our clients throughout the design process to ensure the final landscape aligns with their vision, lifestyle, and overall goals for the space.

Our pool school and start-up process is designed to set you up for success from day one. Once your pool is filled and ready, we walk you through everything you need to know to confidently care for and operate your pool. During pool school, we go over equipment operation, water chemistry basics, maintenance routines, and how to use any automation features. We take the time to answer your questions and make sure you feel comfortable managing your pool moving forward.

We also guide you through the initial start-up process to protect your new plaster and ensure your pool is balanced correctly from the beginning. We connect our clients with a trusted pool service company and include the first month of weekly pool service at no cost, helping ensure your pool gets off to the right start with proper care, maintenance, and guidance from the very beginning. Our goal is to make pool ownership simple, stress-free, and something you feel confident about from the start.

CJR is always here for you, even after your project is complete. Our text thread remains open, and you'll always be able to reach us directly when questions come up. When you work with us, you're not getting passed around. You're working directly with the owners who are personally invested in your experience and your project. Our name and reputation are behind every job, and that means everything to us.