One of the COOLEST things about a fiberglass pool happens before it ever reaches your backyard.
Your pool is already a POOL.
The shape is there.
The steps are there.
The benches are there.
The tanning ledge, if your model has one, is already there.
The curves, seating areas, lounging spaces and other built-in features have already been formed as part of the pool itself.
Unlike a concrete or gunite pool that has to be constructed piece by piece in your backyard, a fiberglass pool is manufactured as a complete, engineered one-piece shell in a controlled factory environment.
Then we bring the whole thing to YOU.
Yep. That giant swimming pool you sometimes see riding down the highway on a trailer?
Somebody’s backyard is about to get REALLY exciting. 😂💦
Your Fiberglass Pool Is Built BEFORE We Dig Your Backyard
This is one of the biggest differences between fiberglass and other types of inground pools.
With a concrete or gunite pool, much of the actual pool has to be constructed at your home.
A fiberglass pool is different.
The pool shell is manufactured at the factory using a mold that creates the pool’s exact shape and design.
That means when you choose a fiberglass pool with features like:
☀️ A tanning ledge
👣 Wide entry steps
🪑 Built-in benches
💦 Shallow lounging areas
🏊 Deep-end seating
🐾 Areas that are great for kids and pets
those features aren’t being individually constructed in your backyard.
They’re already part of the pool.
The steps are molded into the shell.
The benches are molded into the shell.
The ledges are molded into the shell.
The curves and contours are molded into the shell.
It’s all ONE integrated pool design.
Built in a Controlled Factory Environment
Here’s another BIG fiberglass advantage.
Your backyard is the installation site.
It doesn’t have to become the pool factory. 😂
Fiberglass pool shells are manufactured in a controlled factory environment using established manufacturing processes rather than constructing the primary pool structure outdoors at the job site.
With Latham fiberglass pools, the shell is built as an engineered composite structure designed for strength, durability and long-term performance.
Latham’s current fiberglass construction incorporates multiple materials and reinforcement technologies, including its Crystite Gel Coat, vinyl ester resin and BiMax radius reinforcement as part of its Advanced Composite Technology.
The result?
A complete pool shell that’s already been manufactured, inspected and prepared before it ever starts its journey to your home.
One Piece. One Trip. One REALLY Big Delivery.
Once your fiberglass pool shell is complete, it’s transported to the job site as ONE PIECE.
And yes…
It looks pretty awesome coming down the road. 😎
If you’ve ever seen one of our Gary’s Pool & Patio trucks pulling a giant swimming pool down the highway, you’re seeing one of the biggest differences between fiberglass and traditionally constructed pools in action.
When that truck arrives at your home, we’re not unloading a bunch of materials so we can start building the actual pool from scratch.
We’re unloading THE POOL.
The shape you selected?
There.
The steps?
There.
The benches?
There.
The tanning ledge?
Already there.
Your pool has arrived. 💦
Now it’s time to put it in the ground.
Then Comes POOL-SET DAY
This is one of our favorite days.
And judging by how much you guys love our pool-set videos, we’re pretty sure it’s one of YOUR favorites, too. 😂
Before the pool arrives, our team excavates the backyard according to the specifications of the fiberglass shell being installed.
Then it’s time for the set.
Depending on the property and access, we may use a crane to lift the entire pool from the trailer, sometimes even taking it right over the HOUSE, and carefully lower it into the prepared excavation.
Other properties require a hand set because of access, power lines or other site conditions.
Either way, the goal is the same.
That complete fiberglass shell goes into the ground as ONE PIECE.
The pool is carefully positioned and leveled. Plumbing, backfill and other installation work continue, and water begins going into the pool.
And suddenly…
That giant pool that arrived on a trailer is starting to look VERY much like your new backyard paradise.
Built-In Features Without Building Them One by One
This is something that’s easy to overlook when you’re shopping for a swimming pool.
Look at today’s fiberglass pool designs and you’ll find some pretty incredible features.
Huge tanning ledges.
Full-length benches.
Wide entry steps.
Shallow lounging areas.
Deep-end seating.
Integrated seating.
Multiple entry and exit points.
And depending on the model, combinations of several of these features in ONE pool.
With fiberglass, these features can be designed directly into the mold and manufactured as part of the shell itself.
They’re not separate structures that have to be individually built in your backyard.
That has some pretty important advantages.
You get the precision of a repeatable pool design.
You know what your steps, benches and ledges are going to look like before construction begins.
And much of the labor required to physically create the pool and its built-in features has already happened before the pool ever reaches your property.
That’s One Reason Fiberglass Can Be Installed SO Much Faster
Now we’re getting to one of the BIG benefits.
TIME.
A concrete or gunite pool has to be constructed through a series of stages at the property.
Excavation.
Steel reinforcement.
Plumbing.
Gunite or shotcrete application.
Curing.
Construction and finishing of features.
Interior finishing.
Filling.
Startup.
And additional surrounding work.
Each stage requires time, labor and coordination before the next stage can move forward.
Fiberglass changes that process dramatically because the actual pool shell has already been manufactured.
Instead of building the pool structure in the backyard, we’re primarily installing a completed pool structure.
That’s a BIG difference.
From DIG to WATER in About 1 to 2 Weeks
At Gary’s Pool & Patio, many of our fiberglass pool installations can go from DIG TO WATER AND RUNNING in approximately 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the pool, property, weather, site conditions and features included in the project.
Read that again.
DIG. TO. WATER. 💦
That means from the beginning of excavation until the pool has water in it and the equipment is installed, set up and running.
There can still be finishing work afterward, including concrete or decking, grading, landscaping and other project features.
But the pool itself?
It’s in.
That’s one of the biggest reasons homeowners LOVE fiberglass.
You didn’t decide to buy a swimming pool because you’ve always dreamed of having a construction site in your backyard.
You bought it because you want to SWIM. 😂💦
Want to see what that installation process actually looks like? Take a look at How Long Does It Take to Install a Fiberglass Pool in San Antonio?.
Less On-Site Construction Can Mean Better Overall Value
Time isn’t the only advantage.
Building a swimming pool on site requires labor.
And every additional construction stage requires additional time, materials, coordination and skilled trades.
Because a fiberglass shell arrives as a completed structure with many of its features already built in, it eliminates many of the labor-intensive, on-site construction stages required to create a concrete or gunite pool.
That can mean:
⏱️ A dramatically shorter installation timeline
👷 Less on-site construction labor
🏗️ Fewer stages of structural construction in your backyard
☀️ Less time living with a major construction project
💰 Excellent overall value for the finished pool
And perhaps most importantly…
You get to start enjoying your investment sooner.
Of course, every backyard and every pool project is different, so total project costs will always depend on the pool, property, equipment and features selected.
But when you’re comparing pool types, it’s important to look beyond the shell itself and understand how the pool actually gets built.
Factory Precision + Experienced Installation
Now, there’s an important second half to this story.
A beautifully manufactured fiberglass pool still needs to be installed correctly.
That’s where your pool builder matters.
A fiberglass installation involves careful excavation and site preparation, creating the proper base, positioning and leveling the pool, plumbing, backfilling, installing the equipment and completing the surrounding project.
The factory creates the pool.
Your installer makes it part of your backyard.
And both pieces matter.
Gary’s Pool & Patio has specialized in fiberglass swimming pools since 1979.
That’s decades of experience putting these pools into Texas backyards.
Because while fiberglass can make installation dramatically faster…
Faster doesn’t mean careless.
It means we’re starting with a complete, engineered pool shell rather than building the primary pool structure from scratch in your yard.
Not All Fiberglass Pools Are Created Equal
We’ve said this before, and we’ll keep saying it.
The manufacturer matters.
A fiberglass pool is designed to live underground, surrounded by soil and holding thousands of gallons of water for decades.
So how that shell is engineered and manufactured matters.
The materials matter.
The reinforcement matters.
The gelcoat matters.
The manufacturing process matters.
The quality control matters.
And the warranty matters.
That’s why Gary’s Pool & Patio offers Latham fiberglass pools.
And it’s also why we encourage homeowners to look beyond simply asking:
“Is it fiberglass?”
Ask:
“WHO made the fiberglass pool?”
And then ask:
“WHO is installing it?”
Those are two pretty important questions.
From Factory Floor to Backyard Paradise
When you really think about it, the fiberglass pool process is pretty incredible.
Your pool begins with a professionally engineered design.
Its shape is created.
Its steps are created.
Its benches are created.
Its tanning ledges and lounging areas are created.
Its composite structure and finished surface are manufactured.
And all of that happens before we ever put it in your backyard.
Then the complete pool shell gets loaded onto a trailer and starts making its way to YOU.
We prepare the backyard.
The truck arrives.
The pool comes off the trailer.
We set it into place.
Plumbing and equipment come together.
Water starts going in.
And before you know it…
That giant pool you saw riding down the highway is full of water in YOUR backyard. 💙💦
Less on-site construction.
Less waiting.
Built-in features already in place.
Faster installation.
And a whole lot sooner to the part everybody actually cares about…
SWIMMING.
Less Construction. More Swimming. THAT’S Fiberglass. 💦
Gary’s Pool & Patio has been helping families create their own backyard paradises since 1979, and we’d love to help you find the fiberglass pool that’s perfect for yours.
Let’s Get You Swimming! 💦
💙 Gary’s Pool & Patio
📞 210.494.5002
🌐 GarysPoolAndPatio.com