Building a swimming pool in a garden in Ireland

Concrete pools, built with sprayed concrete or blockwork and a rendered, tiled or lined finish, can take any shape and size and last for decades, but they take longest to build and cost most. Prefabricated pools come as one-piece shells, usually glass-fibre, or as panel systems with a vinyl liner. A one-piece shell is quick to install but needs crane or lorry access to lift it into place, which many back gardens do not have. Panel and liner pools can be carried in by hand and suit awkward sites.

Above-ground and semi-sunken pools avoid much of the excavation. Indoor pools in an extension or outbuilding are a different kind of project: the building has to handle humidity and condensation, which needs a dehumidification and ventilation system designed from the start.

Gas boilers and solar heating are alternatives. Whatever the heat source, a cover makes the biggest difference: an uncovered pool loses a great deal of heat from its surface, above all through evaporation. Automatic slatted covers are convenient; bubble covers are cheaper but must be taken on and off by hand.

Running costs include heating, electricity for the pump and filtration, chemicals, water top-ups and annual opening and closing. Ask the builder to estimate these for the season length you want, and to state the assumptions behind the estimate. Some water companies also have rules about filling a pool from the mains; check yours before the first fill.

• pool type, internal dimensions, depth profile and finish
• excavation, spoil removal and ground conditions allowed for
• filtration system, pump, and water treatment method
• heat source, its output and the expected season
• cover type and whether it is included
• electrical work and who certifies it
• planning position, in writing, and any enclosure
• warranty on the shell or liner and on the equipment

Older pools often need a new liner, retiling, new pipework or a modern filtration and heating plant. A survey should find leaks before anything is refinished, because a new liner over a leaking pipe only hides the problem. Replacing an old gas heater with a heat pump and adding a good cover are common upgrades that change the running costs more than any cosmetic work.

Whether the garden project needs planning permission depends on what is built and where. Many small works on a house are exempted development within set limits, but that exemption does not apply everywhere, for example to protected structures. Ask your county or city council's planning office before you commit if you are unsure.

Electrical work in homes is carried out by Registered Electrical Contractors, and gas work by Registered Gas Installers; ask to see the registration before work starts. Check whether the quote includes VAT, which Revenue charges at different rates depending on the goods and services involved.

Source: revenue.ie

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