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Your Swimming Pool Questions, Answered
Building a swimming pool isn't something most people do very often. So it's perfectly reasonable to have a lot of questions.
We've been building swimming pools since 1999. Here we've answered some of the questions we're asked most often — from costs and construction to heating, planning, maintenance and choosing the right type of pool.
Do I need planning permission for a swimming pool?
Many outdoor pools can be built without a separate planning application, but there are exceptions — particularly for listed buildings, conservation areas and more complex projects. It's always worth checking with your local planning authority before work begins.
Where is the best place to position a swimming pool?
Consider sunlight, wind, privacy, views, ground levels, access and how you'll move between the house and pool. The best position should make the pool feel like a natural part of the property, rather than something simply fitted into the available space.
What size swimming pool should I build?
It depends on how you'll use it, the available space and your budget. A family pool for relaxing and playing may need very different proportions from one intended for swimming lengths. With reinforced concrete, you're not restricted to predetermined factory sizes.
How deep should a swimming pool be?
Depth should reflect how you'll use the pool. Shallower areas work well for children, relaxing and seating, while deeper areas suit different activities. Bespoke concrete construction also allows steps, benches and varying depths to be incorporated into the design.
How much space do I need around a swimming pool?
Allow space not just for the water, but for safe movement, seating, maintenance, landscaping and any pool-cover system. We prefer to consider the pool and its surroundings together rather than designing the water first and fitting everything else around it.
Do I need a plant room for a swimming pool?
Yes. Your filtration, circulation, heating and water-treatment equipment needs a suitable home. This doesn't necessarily mean a large building — a properly designed plant room or other suitable space can work. Planning its location early helps simplify pipework and future maintenance.
How long does it take to build a swimming pool?
It depends on the pool, site access, ground conditions, finishes and surrounding works. A straightforward pool on an accessible site is very different from a complex project involving retaining structures or difficult ground. Once the design and scope are established, we can provide a realistic programme.
How can I make a swimming pool safer for children and pets?
Safety should be considered from the start. Secure access, suitable steps and depths, non-slip surfaces and an appropriate pool-cover system can all help reduce risk. No design feature replaces responsible supervision around water, but thoughtful design can make a pool easier to manage safely.
How much does an outdoor swimming pool cost?
There isn't one price for a bespoke swimming pool. As a broad guide, a professionally built outdoor pool can typically represent an investment of around £80,000–£150,000+, depending on its size, specification, site and surrounding works.
What affects the price of a swimming pool?
Size is only one factor. Ground conditions, access, excavation, finishes, heating, covers, plant equipment, landscaping and the complexity of the design can all affect cost. Because these choices interact, two pools of identical dimensions can have very different overall budgets.
How much does a swimming pool cost to run?
Running costs depend on pool size, water temperature, swimming season, electricity tariff and how effectively heat loss is controlled. Modern heat pumps, efficient circulation equipment and a good pool cover can make a significant difference to the energy required.
What are the main ongoing costs of owning a swimming pool?
The main costs are typically electricity for circulation and heating, water treatment, routine maintenance and the eventual replacement of components such as pumps, covers or liners. Good design and correctly specified equipment can help keep these costs predictable and manageable.
What is the best way to build a swimming pool?
There isn't one construction method that's right for every project. For bespoke pools, reinforced concrete offers exceptional structural strength, design freedom and longevity, which is why it's the construction method Orbro specialises in.
Why does Orbro build swimming pools in reinforced concrete?
Reinforced concrete creates a strong, permanent structure that can be designed around the property rather than choosing from predetermined factory shapes. It allows considerable freedom over size, depth, steps, benches and other structural features.
Concrete or fibreglass swimming pool?
Fibreglass can look like the quicker, easier option — but a short-term solution can create long-term limitations. Factory-set shapes and sizes, difficult repairs, restricted alterations and problematic end-of-life disposal all need considering. Reinforced concrete provides design freedom, structural permanence and the ability to repair, renovate and update the pool throughout its life.
How long does a reinforced concrete swimming pool last?
A properly designed reinforced-concrete pool shell is built for the long term — measured in decades, not years. Liners, tiles, pumps and other components can all be renewed as technology and tastes change, while the concrete structure remains. It's not a pool designed to be replaced; it's a permanent structure designed to be renovated and enjoyed for generations.
Does a swimming pool need insulation?
Insulation can reduce heat transfer through the pool structure, although evaporation from the water surface is often a major source of heat loss. Good pool design therefore considers the complete system — including insulation, heating and, importantly, an effective pool cover.
Can a swimming pool be repaired or renovated in the future?
Yes. One advantage of a permanent concrete structure is that finishes, fittings and plant equipment can be repaired, replaced or upgraded as they age. A well-built shell can therefore remain while other elements of the pool evolve over its lifetime.
What's the best way to heat an outdoor pool?
For most modern outdoor pools, an air-source heat pump is an efficient solution. Rather than generating heat directly, it extracts energy from the outside air and transfers it to the pool water, making it particularly well suited to maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the swimming season.
What temperature should I heat an outdoor swimming pool to?
Around 27–29°C is comfortable for many domestic pools, with 28°C a common target. Ultimately, it's personal preference — but every additional degree requires more energy, so finding a comfortable temperature and maintaining it consistently is usually more efficient than repeatedly heating and cooling the pool.
How important is a swimming pool cover?
Extremely. A large proportion of heat can be lost from the water's surface, particularly through evaporation. A good pool cover dramatically reduces this loss, helping the water retain heat, reducing heating demand and keeping debris out of the pool.
Do I need an automatic swimming pool cover?
Not necessarily, but they're extremely convenient. An automatic cover makes it much easier to keep the pool covered whenever it isn't being used — which can reduce heat loss, keep the water cleaner and, depending on the system specified, provide additional safety benefits.
How long is the outdoor pool season in the UK?
For many owners, a typical season runs from around April to September, although weather, location, water temperature, heating and the pool cover all influence this. A well-designed heated pool can comfortably extend the usable season beyond the warmest summer months.
Can I use an outdoor swimming pool all year round?
Yes. Modern air-source heat pumps can make year-round outdoor swimming entirely possible, and many of our customers choose to use their pools throughout the winter. Good insulation, an effective pool cover and correctly specified heating are important — but with the right design, your swimming season doesn't have to end in September.
What happens to an outdoor pool during winter?
You don't necessarily have to close it. Some owners winterise their pool until spring, while many of our customers continue swimming throughout the year. Modern heating and filtration systems allow either approach, so the pool can be designed around how you want to use it, rather than assuming it must close for winter.
How much maintenance does a pool need?
Modern pools don't need to be difficult to look after. Correctly designed filtration, circulation and water-treatment systems can automate much of the routine work. You'll still need to check water quality and keep the pool clean, but good plant-room design can make ownership surprisingly straightforward.
INDIVIDUAL BY DESIGN
Design & Finishes
This is where a bespoke pool really becomes your own. Size, shape, depth, steps, seating and finishes can all be designed around how you want to use the pool and how it should sit within your property — rather than being dictated by a factory-made shell.
Steps and Seating
Custom steps, benches and shallow areas for family use,
Pool Finishes
A choice of high quality liners or stunning tiled finishes.
Cover and Details
Matching covers and bespoke details for a seamless finish.
Can I choose any size or shape of swimming pool?
Within the practical constraints of the site, yes.
Reinforced-concrete construction gives enormous design freedom, allowing the pool to be designed around your property and how you want to use it.​
You're only limited by your imagination.
Can a swimming pool have steps, benches or different depths?
Absolutely.
Steps, submerged seating, shallow areas and varying depths can all be incorporated directly into the structure as part of the original design.
What is the best finish for a swimming pool?
There isn't one finish that's right for every pool. Reinforced PVC liners, ceramic or glass tiles and rendered aggregate finishes such as PebbleTec can all be used with reinforced-concrete pools. Each offers a different appearance, cost, feel, maintenance requirement and lifespan, giving you considerably more freedom to create the finish you want.
Liner or tiled swimming pool?
Both can create beautiful pools.
Liners offer a wide choice of finishes and straightforward future replacement, while tiles provide a premium, highly customisable and long-lasting finish.
How long does a swimming pool liner last?
A quality liner can provide many years of service. When it eventually needs replacing, the reinforced-concrete structure remains — allowing the pool to be refreshed without replacing the pool itself.
Can my swimming pool be designed around my house and garden?
Yes — and we believe it should be. Position, proportions, levels, materials and sightlines can all be considered so the finished pool feels like part of the property.
WHEN ORDINARY ISN'T ENOUGH
Difficult Sites & Specialist Pools
Not every swimming pool is built on a flat, open site. Sloping ground, retaining structures, restricted access, unusual shapes and basement projects require a different level of construction expertise — and this is where reinforced concrete really comes into its own.
Can you build a swimming pool on a sloping site?
Yes. Sloping sites can create spectacular pools, but the structure must be designed around the ground conditions and changes in level. Reinforced concrete allows the pool shell and any associated retaining structures to be engineered as part of the overall project.
Can you build a swimming pool where access is restricted?
Yes. Restricted access doesn't necessarily rule out a swimming pool. Because our reinforced-concrete shells are constructed on site rather than delivered as a complete one-piece pool, materials can be brought in progressively — opening up possibilities where installing a large factory-made shell may be difficult or impossible.
Can Orbro build a basement swimming pool shell?
Yes. Orbro can construct the specialist reinforced-concrete pool shell for basement and indoor projects as part of wider building works. We don't undertake complete indoor pool installations, but we can work alongside your architect, structural engineer and main contractor to deliver the structural pool shell.
Can a swimming pool wall also act as a retaining wall?
Potentially, yes. Where properly designed and engineered, reinforced-concrete pool walls can form part of a retaining structure. This can be particularly useful on sloping sites where the pool is partially above the surrounding ground or incorporated into changing landscape levels.
Can you build an unusually shaped or deep swimming pool?
Yes. Reinforced concrete gives us considerable freedom over shape, depth and structure. Curves, unusual dimensions, deeper pools, integrated steps and complex layouts can all be designed and constructed specifically for the site rather than dictated by a factory mould.
How much access do you need to build a swimming pool?
Surprisingly little. Because we construct our reinforced-concrete pools on site, we don't need to manoeuvre a complete pool shell into the garden. If we can get through a side gate and get a mini excavator onto the site, we can build a pool. Materials and equipment can then be brought in progressively as construction takes place.
Can I build my own swimming pool?
You don't have to choose between doing everything yourself and handing over the entire project. We offer three different ways to build your pool, depending on how involved you'd like to be.
Do I have to build the entire swimming pool myself?
No. Self-build doesn't have to mean doing everything yourself. You can take on the parts you're comfortable with and bring in trades or Orbro for specialist stages of the project.
What parts of a swimming pool can I build myself?
That depends on your experience and how involved you'd like to be. Some customers manage most of the project themselves, while others use local trades for excavation, concrete, plumbing or finishing.
Can my builder construct part of the swimming pool?
Yes. We regularly work with builders, landscapers and other contractors. ClipBlox allows the reinforced-concrete shell to become another manageable part of the wider construction project.
Can Orbro just construct the reinforced-concrete pool shell?
Yes. That's our middle option. We can construct the reinforced-concrete shell and then hand the project back to you or your contractor to complete.
What is included in Orbro's pool shell construction service?
This depends on the project, but the principle is simple: we take responsibility for constructing the reinforced-concrete pool shell, leaving you or your contractor with a solid structure from which to complete the pool.
THREE WAYS TO BUILD
How involved
would you like
to be?
You don't have to choose between doing everything yourself and handing over the entire project. We offer three different ways to build your pool, depending on how involved you'd like to be.
BUILDING FOR GENERATIONS
Swimming Pools & Sustainability
Every swimming pool has an environmental impact, but how it's designed, constructed, heated and maintained can make a significant difference. We look beyond energy use alone — considering the materials, structure, service life, repairability and eventual end of life of the pool.
Are swimming pools environmentally friendly?
A swimming pool inevitably uses materials, water and energy, so it would be misleading to describe one as having no environmental impact. What matters is designing it responsibly — reducing unnecessary materials and energy use while creating a structure with a long and useful life.
Can the environmental impact of a swimming pool be reduced?
Yes. Efficient air-source heat pumps, effective pool covers, modern circulation equipment and sensible temperature control can all reduce energy demand. Construction choices matter too, particularly the quantity and type of materials used and how long the resulting pool is expected to last.
Does the way a swimming pool is constructed affect its environmental impact?
Absolutely. Different construction methods use very different materials and manufacturing processes. Orbro's ClipBlox system forms a 150mm reinforced-concrete structure using lightweight permanent recycled polypropylene shuttering, reducing the need for conventional temporary formwork while creating a permanent, incredibly strong pool shell.
Is concrete really a sustainable choice for a swimming pool?
Concrete has an embodied carbon impact, and we don't pretend otherwise. But sustainability also involves how much material is used, how efficiently it's used and, importantly, how long the resulting structure remains in service. A well-designed reinforced-concrete pool shell can remain for generations while finishes and equipment are renewed around it.
What happens to a swimming pool at the end of its life?
This is often overlooked. Pumps, covers, liners and finishes will eventually need replacing, but a reinforced-concrete shell doesn't have to be discarded with them. It can be repaired, renovated or repurposed, avoiding the need to remove and dispose of an entire prefabricated composite pool shell. Every part of a ClipBlox pool shell can be recycled.
Can Orbro prove the environmental benefits of its pool construction system?
Yes. We believe sustainability claims should be supported by evidence. The ClipBlox system has independently documented environmental data, and we've used published construction data to compare its material use and environmental impact with alternative pool-building methods.
