Pools · Fiberglass
Fiberglass pools, set in days and made to last
A one-piece shell with the steps, benches and tanning ledge molded in, set on a base prepared for your soil and finished with the deck around it.
Why choose a fiberglass pool?
Speed and upkeep. The shell is molded at the factory, so the steps, benches and tanning ledge arrive as part of the pool instead of being formed on site. Once the hole is ready, the shell is set within days, and filling can usually begin within a week, because there is no concrete to cure.
The gel-coat surface is smooth and non-porous. It never needs replastering, and it gives algae less to cling to, which means less brushing and a lighter chemical routine through a Tennessee summer.
What limits a fiberglass pool?
Shape, mostly. You choose from the shapes and depths a manufacturer molds: rectangles, freeforms and kidney styles, with or without a ledge. A vanishing edge, a raised spa that spills into the water or a depth no mold offers calls for a gunite pool. We build both, so the recommendation follows the yard.
Access is the other limit. A shell travels in one piece on a truck and is usually craned over the house or fence, so the site visit checks the route into the backyard before any shell is picked.
How is a fiberglass shell installed?
- The utility locate: Tennessee requires 3 working days’ notice to 811 before any dig.
- Excavation to the shell’s footprint and depth.
- A compacted, leveled base, sized for the soil the dig turns up.
- The shell set, leveled and plumbed to the equipment.
- Backfill brought up evenly around the walls while the pool takes on water.
- Coping, the deck and any hardscape, then the final walkthrough.
Does fiberglass work in Middle Tennessee clay?
Yes, when the base and backfill are done right. Clay swells as it soaks up water and shrinks as it dries, and a one-piece shell rides that movement better than a rigid structure does. A soft base or loose backfill is what hurts it, so that is where the time goes. Our Brentwood fiberglass article walks through the sequence on one lot.
What goes around the pool?
The deck you stand on matters as much as the water. Coping, pavers, steps and any retaining wall are built with the pool, and a kitchen, pergola or fire feature is planned at the same time so gas, power and drains run before the stone goes down. See custom hardscaping and outdoor living design.
Side by side
Fiberglass or gunite?
Both are good pools. The lot, the shape you want and how much upkeep you’ll accept decide it, and the site visit usually settles it in an hour.
| Fiberglass | Gunite | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is built | A one-piece shell molded at the factory, set in the excavation | Steel rebar and sprayed concrete, shaped and finished by hand on site |
| Shape | The shapes and depths the manufacturer molds | Any shape the lot and the plan call for |
| Steps, benches, ledges | Molded into the shell | Formed to your layout |
| Vanishing edge, raised spa, grotto | No | Yes |
| Build time | Shell set within days of the dig; filling can start within a week | Longer: the shell is formed and cured on site |
| Interior surface | Smooth gel coat; no replastering | Finish that will need renewing in time |
Built in the same plan
The rest of the backyard
Questions, answered
Fiberglass Pools: the questions people ask
How long does a fiberglass pool take to install?
The shell itself is set within days of excavation, and filling can usually begin within a week of setting, because there is no concrete to cure. The patio, coping, electrical and any hardscape around it add time, which we schedule in the design plan before the dig.
How long does a fiberglass pool last?
A fiberglass shell is built to last for decades, and its gel-coat surface never needs replastering the way a concrete pool’s interior does. What shortens its life is poor installation: a shell set on a weak base or backfilled carelessly can settle, so the base and backfill matter most.
Are fiberglass pools good in Middle Tennessee clay soil?
Yes, when the base and backfill are done properly. A one-piece fiberglass shell tolerates small seasonal movement in clay better than a rigid shell, and we check soil and drainage on every lot before choosing a shell, then compact the backfill to keep it from shifting.
What features come molded into a fiberglass pool?
Steps, benches and tanning ledges are molded into the shell at the factory, so they are part of the pool rather than add-ons. Lighting, water features, fire bowls and the deck around it are added on site, and we plan them with the shell so the coping and patio line up.
Can a fiberglass pool be any shape?
No. Fiberglass shells come only in the shapes and depths the manufacturer molds, which covers rectangles, freeform and kidney styles. If you want a vanishing edge, a custom depth or a shape that follows an unusual lot, gunite is the better choice, and we build both.
Is a fiberglass pool cheaper to own than gunite?
Usually, over the years. Fiberglass skips the interior resurfacing a gunite pool eventually needs, and its smooth surface holds less algae, which means less brushing and fewer chemicals. Which costs less up front depends on the shell, the site and the hardscape, so we price each yard after the visit.