A gunite pool is built in a defined sequence, and each stage depends on the one before it. Knowing that sequence is useful for two reasons: it tells you whether the project is progressing normally, and it tells you which questions to ask at which point.
1. Design, permitting and layout
Before anything moves, the design is finalized and the permit is obtained. In Guilford, Forsyth, Davidson and Randolph counties this involves setback verification, and on many properties an HOA review runs in parallel on its own timeline.
Layout is the moment the design meets the actual yard. The pool is staked out so you can see the footprint in place, and this is the last easy chance to adjust position. Take it seriously and stand in the yard looking at it from the house.
2. Excavation
The dig follows the design profile, shaping floor, walls, steps and benches. Access, spoil handling, rock and groundwater all show up here. On Piedmont clay, weather governs the schedule.
3. Steel
Reinforcing steel is tied into a grid throughout the shell, held at the correct position and cover by supports so it will sit properly within the concrete. This is structural work and the spacing, size and placement come from the engineering, not from convenience.
It is worth looking at. A well-tied steel cage is visibly consistent and properly supported.
4. Plumbing and electrical rough-in
Suction and return lines, main drains, skimmers, water feature lines, light conduits and any spa plumbing are installed. Lines are pressure tested to confirm integrity before anything is buried, and that test matters, since finding a plumbing leak after the shell and deck are in is a genuinely expensive problem.
Electrical bonding is installed at this stage, tying the steel, metal components and equipment into a common bonding grid. This is a code requirement and a safety fundamental, not an option.
5. Inspection
Local inspection typically occurs before the shell is placed, covering steel placement, bonding and plumbing. Work stops until it passes. A builder who schedules inspections promptly keeps the project moving; one who does not is where weeks disappear.
6. Gunite or shotcrete
Concrete is pneumatically applied over the steel to form the shell, then shaped and finished by hand. This is a single continuous operation and it is the day the pool becomes a structure.
Afterward comes curing, which owners frequently misunderstand. The shell needs to be kept damp for a period, typically involving watering it down regularly for several days. This is not optional and it materially affects the strength of the finished shell. If your builder asks you to water it, do it.
7. Tile and coping
Waterline tile and the coping around the pool edge are installed once the shell has cured adequately. This is detail work and it is highly visible in the finished pool, so the quality of the layout and the grout lines matters.
8. Decking and hardscape
Concrete, pavers or stone go in around the pool, along with any retaining walls, outdoor kitchen structures or other hardscape. Drainage is designed in at this stage, directing water away from the pool and the house, which on a sloped Piedmont lot is not a trivial detail.
9. Equipment set and electrical
Pumps, filters, heaters, automation and sanitization are installed at the equipment pad and connected. Final electrical work is completed and inspected, including GFCI protection and completion of the bonding.
10. Interior finish
Plaster, aggregate or a similar finish is applied to the shell interior. This is the surface you see and touch, and it goes on shortly before filling.
11. Startup
The pool is filled without stopping, since a stop line in a new plaster finish can leave a permanent mark, and then goes through a specific startup regimen over the first weeks. Frequent brushing and carefully controlled chemistry during this window determine how the finish looks for years.
12. Final inspection, orientation and restoration
Final inspection covers the barrier, gates, electrical and safety items. You get an orientation on operating the equipment, and landscape and access restoration completes the project.
Where schedules actually slip
Permits and HOA review, weather, inspection scheduling, and subsurface surprises like rock account for most delays on Piedmont pool builds. Ask your builder how each is handled, and expect an honest schedule with contingency rather than a best-case one.
Request a design consultation or call Oasis Pools at (336) 471-0103 and we will walk you through our sequence and timeline.