How We Build
The Swim Inc. Build Process:
From First Appointment
to First Swim.
4 to 5 months from your first appointment to your first swim. All done in 8 steps. Here’s what you should expect.
Our Difference
Your Pool, Designed at Your Kitchen Table.
Your designer comes to you. They bring a laptop with professional 3D pool design software. Together, at your kitchen table, they build your pool design in real time while you watch. Want to move the spa? Done. Prefer a free-form edge over geometric? You see the change instantly.
An hour later, you leave with photographs of YOUR pool in YOUR backyard. No generic renderings sent a week later. No “we will get back to you with a design.” The design is done before you leave the room.
This meeting serves as a preview to what your pool could look like. That way, you can see it all before spending a dime or committing to anything.
Most builders schedule a site visit, take measurements, and send you a rendering a week or two later. We bring the design to your home and build it in front of you.
All 8 Steps at a Glance
4 to 5 Months Total
01
Personal Callback
Within 24 hours
02
3D Design at Home
Our Difference
03
Design Refinement
1-2 appointments
04
Pricing Proposal
Full cost, on paper
05
Contract & Materials
In-person selections
06
Engineering & Permits
8-16 weeks typical
07
Pre-Construction
Walk the site first
08
Construction & Swim
4-5 months total
Step by Step.
Personal Callback Within 24 Hours
After submitting a contact form or calling, a real person (not an automated response) from Swim Inc. calls you back within 24 hours. A direct callback to schedule your design appointment. In a market where unresponsive contractors are common, specificity is the trust signal: 24 hours means 24 hours.
In-Home 3D Design Appointment
The centerpiece of the process. Your designer comes to your home with professional 3D pool design software. They build your custom pool design live, at your kitchen table, while you watch and direct. The design adjusts in real time. You leave the same day with photographs of your pool.
A property survey is required at this stage - Swim Inc. can arrange it or guide you through the process. Design before commitment, always.
Design Refinement (1-2 Appointments)
After the initial design, one to two follow-up appointments refine the vision. Changes to features, layout, or finish selections happen here. This is not an upsell step. It is built into the process because getting the design right before construction begins is what prevents regret later. Changes of mind are expected and accommodated.
Detailed Pricing Proposal
A written proposal with all costs specified. Every element of the project is priced before you sign a single page.
You will know the full cost before you commit. If the number is not right for your budget, you are under no obligation. The proposal exists so you can make a fully informed decision, not so you can be held to a number you did not understand when you signed.
Contract Signing and Material Selection
Contract is signed at the Swim Inc. office. Material selection happens at this same appointment: finish materials, tile, coping, and other selections are made in person with the actual samples in front of you. Seeing and touching the materials before construction prevents the “that is not what I expected the tile to look like” moment after the fact. Every selection is confirmed and documented before work begins.
Engineering and Permitting
Swim Inc. handles all permitting through their own licensed engineers and a private municipal permitting provider. You will not have to navigate county permit offices. The pool construction timeline in Sarasota and surrounding counties includes permitting that typically takes 8-16 weeks, depending on the county. This is built into the 4-5 month estimate, not hidden after the fact.
If your property is in an HOA community, Swim Inc. provides all documentation needed for architectural review. They have navigated every HOA in the service area and know what each review board requires.
Pre-Construction Meeting at the Job Site
Before any ground is broken, Swim Inc. meets with you at your property. The team walks through what construction will look like: access routes, equipment staging areas, what the yard will look like during excavation, expected noise levels and activity schedule. This meeting converts construction-phase anxiety into informed readiness. It is also the final opportunity to confirm scope before work begins.
Construction and Completion
Construction begins. The major phases proceed in sequence: excavation, gunite shell, plumbing and equipment installation, tile and coping, interior finish, water fill and startup, final walkthrough.
From first appointment to your first swim: 4-5 months on average. This is the pool construction timeline in Sarasota that Swim Inc. has delivered consistently over two decades. Weather, material delivery, and county permitting backlogs affect timing, but the in-house permitting management removes the most controllable variable.
Your pool is ready. Your first swim is the only appointment left.
The Difference
Most pool builders follow a similar pattern.
Here is what we do differently.
Swim Inc.
Conventional
Live 3D design at your kitchen table - you leave with photos the same day
Generic CAD renderings emailed days or weeks later
Full pricing proposal with every line item before contract signing
Vague estimates with placeholder line items and post-signing surprises
Material selection at contract signing with actual samples in hand
Finish selections deferred until mid-construction
Swim Inc.-managed permitting through private provider - you do nothing
Homeowner navigates county permit offices independently
Pre-construction site review to walk through what construction looks like
Construction begins without a site orientation for the homeowner
Process Questions
Common Questions
Do I see the design before I commit?
Yes. The in-home 3D design appointment happens before any contract is signed. You leave with photos of your pool design. No commitment is required to see the design. This is standard in every Swim Inc. project.
Who handles permits and engineering?
Swim Inc. manages all permitting through their own licensed engineers and private municipal permitting provider. You do not need to interact with county permit offices. Permitting typically takes 8-16 weeks depending on the county.
What if I want changes during construction?
Minor changes during construction are handled through a formal change order process. Major design changes are addressed in the design refinement phase (Steps 2 and 3) before contract. The pre-construction meeting at Step 7 is the final opportunity to confirm the scope before ground breaks.
How long does it actually take?
From first consultation to your first swim: 4-5 months on average. This includes the design phase, permitting (8-16 weeks), and construction. Factors that affect timeline include county permitting backlogs, material availability, and weather. Swim Inc.'s in-house permitting management minimizes preventable delays.
Have a question about renovations instead of new construction? The process for renovations follows the same design-before-commitment structure.
See How Renovations WorkReady to Start
You Know How It Works. Now Let's Build Something Remarkable.
Tell us about your project. We will be in touch within 24 hours to schedule your in-home 3D design appointment.
Commitment and Pressure Free. Just a Conversation about Your Backyard's Potential.