Purchasing a pool is a huge investment and we here at Royal Pools and More understand that you need to be confident in your purchase. We want to make the process as smooth as possible, but to do that we need a few things from you before our first meeting. It is important for us to have some documents and photos of your property so we can begin planning the installation process.
Below, you can find a detailed explanation of the FIVE THINGS that we will need from you prior to our first meeting.
1. Plat of Property or Plat of Survey
The plat of your property is essential to the building process because it will include the legal property lines on which your pool will be built as well as all existing structures. As we examine the plat, we will be able to note any easements, non-building lines, and any unusable space per town code or law.
If you have recently built or purchased your home, you most likely already have the plat, so you may just send us a copy of that document.
If you do not have a copy of the plat of your property, you will need to contact your local or county Building and Planning department to obtain a copy. In the event that you cannot obtain a copy from your local Building and Planning department, you will need to have a new survey of your property completed. A surveyor will examine your property and construct a new document like the one you see here. These typically cost between $500-$2,000.
This is an essential document for both yourself and our crew as it is needed to obtain the correct building permits. Without it, we will not legally be able to begin the installation process of your pool.
2. Photo of Property Entrance/Driveway
Photos have become much more important to us as the age of technology has evolved. The photos you provide from your cellphone will allow us to make the planning process quicker as we can begin tackling certain obstacles.
The first photo that you will need to take is that of the entrance to your property. Potential entrance points for construction could be:
- Your Driveway
- Vacant Side Lots
- Side Streets
We will use this photo to determine the length and width of said entrance/access points as well as the access points to your property for any equipment, trucks, trailers, or the pool itself. We will also be able to see if any surroundings like trees, power lines, or other objects may obstruct any point in the installation process.
To take this photo, we ask that you stand several car lengths away from the entrance of your driveway to include it in its entirety as well as any surroundings. Turn your camera or cellphone sideways (landscape mode) as it allows for a greater area of the property to be accounted for in the photograph.
3. Photo of Front of Home
We ask that for this photo, you stand in front of your home and far away enough to include the side yards. This will allow us to determine if they will be wide enough to transport an excavator, the pool shell, and in some cases, a crane if your yard is not wide enough, to the desired location.
For entrance points, the minimum width we are looking for is 10 feet. If you are getting a fiberglass pool, we would like a foot longer than the shell itself (for example, 17 ft. for a 16 ft. wide shell).
4. Photos of the Backyard Where the Pool Would Be Located
For this photo, we ask that you walk out of your backdoor onto your backyard or deck to photograph the area where your pool would be located. This will be a set of THREE photographs to show the entirety of your backyard and will include:
⦁ One photograph taken to the right of your backyard.
⦁ One photograph taken of the middle of your backyard.
⦁ One photograph taken to the left of your backyard
Please DO NOT use the panoramic feature that is available on most modern smartphones. This may skew some of the land and will not provide us with an accurate layout of your backyard. Instead, please take three separate photos as we’ve requested.
5. Photo of Slope of Backyard
Almost every backyard has a slope to allow water to run off away from the house, but every backyard is shaped differently. Some may have just a slight slope whereas others may have a slope that runs the whole length of the yard. Nonetheless, it is important for us to be aware of how much of a slope your backyard contains to determine whether or not your pool will need a retaining wall built into the design, which are relatively rigid walls used for supporting soil laterally so that it can be retained at different levels on the opposing side of a wall.
To take a photo that accounts for the slope of your backyard, we ask that you stand on one side of your backyard. Please align the highest point of the yard (likely your home itself) at one edge of the photo and the lowest point at the other edge.
To allow us to scale the photo, we suggest that you place an object, like a basketball, in the yard. You may also have another individual stand in the yard while you are taking the photograph.
So, to review, we have assigned you a bit of homework before our first meeting:
⦁ Obtain a copy of the plat of your property
⦁ Take a photo or video of your entrance/driveway
⦁ Take a photo of the front of your home including side yards
⦁ Take THREE photos of the left, middle, and right of your backyard
⦁ Take a photo of the slope of your backyard
Once you have each of these documents and photos, you may send them to your sales rep. These documents and photos will allow us to complete some homework of our own to get an idea of the layout of your property and prepare for any questions you may have about the process of building your pool!
