The single most common question we hear from families across the Illawarra and Southern Highlands is, “If we want to swim this summer, when do we need to start?” The honest answer is earlier than most people expect. A considered pool and landscape project moves through design, approvals, construction and planting, and each stage takes time. Here is how the year tends to unfold.
Autumn: design and approvals
Autumn is the ideal time to begin. The pressure of summer has passed and you have a clear memory of how you wanted to use your yard. This is when we develop the concept, finalise the landscape design and prepare documentation for council or a private certifier.
Approvals are the stage clients most often underestimate. Pool fencing, setbacks and stormwater all need to be resolved properly, and securing a sign off can take several weeks. Starting now keeps you ahead of the queue.
Winter: construction begins
Winter is genuinely a great time to build a concrete pool. Trades have more availability, the ground is workable, and shell installation is unaffected by cooler weather. While nobody is swimming, the heavy, disruptive work of digging, steel, concrete and the mess gets done while the yard is out of use anyway.
This is also when we coordinate the landscape structures: retaining, drainage, paving levels and the bones of the planting areas. Getting these right now means the softer finishes drop neatly into place later when ready. Generally a standard sized pool say 6 x 3 would be installed into the ground within 2 weeks, with the right access. After the concrete shell is installed it needs 4 weeks to cure, this is where we get to work on the landscaping.
Spring: finishes and planting
As the weather warms, the project comes together. Pool interiors are finished, coping and tiling completed, and fencing installed. Crucially, spring is the second best planting window, establishing gardens before the summer heat gives them the gentlest possible start.
A well planted surround is what turns a pool into an outdoor living space and ties everything together. Screening for privacy, soft greenery to cool the area and a few feature plants do more for the feel of a backyard than any single hard element. Time to get the pool filled and started up.
Summer: enjoy it
Plan in autumn and you are swimming by summer, in a space that already looks established rather than raw and new. As the saying goes, summer pools are built in winter. Worth noting: a simpler pool may still be possible later in the year, so if you’re considering a pool project, give us a call to see how we can help.
A realistic timeline
- Design and approvals: 6 to 8 weeks
- Construction: 8 to 12 weeks depending on scope and pool type and how much landscaping is involved
- Planting and establishment: ongoing through the first season
Every site is different, and Southern Highlands cooler winters or a tight coastal block can shift these windows. The principle holds: the earlier you start, the calmer the build.
Ready to map out your project? Talk to us or call 0403 916 290 and we will give you a realistic timeline for your build.
