Custom Inground Pools in Wichita, KS

Custom inground pools are built in place: the hole is dug to your design, a grid of steel rebar is tied inside it, and concrete is sprayed over the steel to form the shell. That method, called shotcrete or gunite depending on how the concrete is mixed, means the pool is not limited to a factory mold. Long lap lanes, a deep end for jumping, a wide shallow beach entry, a tanning ledge for loungers, a raised spa that spills into the pool or a shape that follows an odd lot line are all possible.

Who usually chooses concrete

Concrete is the right choice when the yard or the wish list does not fit a standard shape: a narrow or irregular lot, a sloped yard that needs a raised wall, a pool larger than fiberglass shells come in, or a design with a built-in spa and water features. It is also the most expensive option and the slowest to build, so if a standard rectangle with a few steps will do, we will tell you that fiberglass or vinyl may get you there for less.

Building on Kansas clay

Many Kansas soils contain clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and that movement is hard on anything rigid. For a concrete pool, the base and the steel do the work. We look at the soil as we excavate, remove soft or saturated material, compact the base, and follow the engineered steel schedule for the shell. Around the pool, the deck gets its own base, drainage that carries water away from the shell, and control joints so movement shows up where we planned it. A pool on clay that is built without that care is the kind that develops cracks in the deck and gaps at the coping.

Finishes and features

The inside surface of a concrete pool is a separate choice from the shell. Standard white plaster is the lowest-cost finish; quartz and pebble finishes cost more but are rougher-wearing and typically last longer. HomeGuide puts plaster at about 7 to 12 years before resurfacing and aggregate or pebble finishes at 15 years or more. Common additions include waterline tile, LED lighting, a tanning ledge, bench seating, a built-in spa, deck jets, a sheer-descent or rock waterfall, and an automatic cover.

Planning for heat and freeze

A concrete pool holds heat well once it is warm, and a heater lets you open earlier and close later than Wichita's roughly June-to-August peak. The Department of Energy notes a cover can cut pool heating costs by 50% to 70%. Winter matters just as much: with an average freeze window from late October to early April, the plumbing layout should make it easy to blow out lines and drain equipment. We plan the pipe runs and equipment pad with winterizing in mind.

How long it takes

HomeGuide puts concrete pool construction at about six to eight weeks, and complex designs, curing time and weather can stretch that. Spring storms can pause excavation and shotcrete, and inspections must be scheduled between stages. Starting design and permits in fall or winter is the surest way to swim the following summer.

Paying for a custom build

Because a custom pool is a large project, how you pay matters. The written quote lays out the payment schedule alongside the build sequence (excavation, steel and shell, plumbing and electrical, deck, startup), so you can see what each payment covers before you sign and ask questions about anything that is unclear.