Things You'll Need:
- A transit, story pole, stakes, string, rented excavator and shovel.
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Step 1
Excavation for a swimming pool is a very important job. The piece of property that you choose to put the pool on naturally needs to be a little higher than the rest to avoid drainage into the pool. The more level the property the better off you will be and the less you have to dig. If you are dealing with a slope, you may be looking at having to put in a retaining wall. You can do this with railroad ties for a simple wall. If you are dealing with a big slope, it may constitute more. This then becomes a job for a civil engineer. They can tell you the best way to handle the retaining wall
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Step 2
Ensure that the site is good for excavation, call your utility company to come out and mark all of your important underground lines. The last thing you want to do is dig up a line. They find each line and mark them with paint so you can avoid them.Once you are in the clear, stake out the perimeter where the swimming pool will go. Remember when doing this to keep in mind the style of decking that will go around the pool. This will make your measurements vary. For concrete decking, the top elevations needs to be at least 4” or higher.
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Step 3
Now you are finally ready to dig your hole. The hole that you dig must be bigger than the actual pool itself. The depth of the hole is to be 3 to 4 inches deeper than the actual pool size. The pool hole needs to be twelve inches longer and twelve inches wider as well. Take your rented excavator and begin moving the dirt. You will need to do some of the dig with a shovel but the main job is with the big piece of equipment that you rent.
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Step 4
Check your measurements. You need to have at least six inches over dig around the entire pool area. This is where a transit and story pole will be necessary. These tools will ensure a perfect hole. After you dig the hole comes the sand or rock dust to prepare the hole for the swimming pool shell.
