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Pool Builders in Katy, TX

Custom Pools, Built and Backed in Writing

Gunite, fiberglass, and vinyl-liner pools designed for Katy backyards, engineered on steel and finished the way you choose. Every build comes with a written workmanship guarantee and a firm price.

Pool builders in Katy, TX

Build Journal

A behind-the-scenes look at how we build and back every pool.

Stages of a gunite pool build in Katy, TX

The Stages of a Gunite Pool Build, and What We Guarantee at Each One

July 1, 2026

People often ask what actually happens between signing a contract and swimming. A gunite pool is built in a set order, and knowing the sequence makes the eight to twelve week timeline far less mysterious. Here is how a build goes in a Katy backyard, and where our written guarantee attaches at each step.

Layout and Excavation

Everything starts with paint on the grass. We stake the shape, confirm setbacks and utility locations, then bring in a machine to dig. The hole is cut a little oversized to leave room for steel and plumbing. This is also when we confirm the equipment pad location and the run back to the house, so nothing has to be re-trenched later.

Steel, Plumbing, and the Bonding Grid

Next the rebar cage goes in, tied to form the shape of the shell, and the Schedule 40 PVC plumbing is roughed in for the skimmer, main drain, and returns. Before any concrete, we install the NEC 680.26 equipotential bonding grid, an 8 AWG copper loop that ties the steel and equipment together for safety. Our workmanship guarantee on the plumbing starts here, and this phase is inspected before we move on.

Shooting the Gunite Shell

Now the pool takes shape. A crew pneumatically applies gunite over the steel, hand-carving the steps, benches, and tanning ledge as they go. The shell then cures for several days while it is kept damp. This structural shell is the heart of the guarantee, and a well-shot, well-cured shell is what lets a pool stand up to decades of Texas heat. If you are weighing shapes, our gunite pool construction page walks through the options.

Tile, Coping, Deck, and Interior Finish

With the shell cured, we set the waterline tile and coping, pour the deck, and trowel on the interior finish you chose, whether that is quartz or a pebble aggregate that can last twenty-five years. A 48-inch safety barrier with a self-closing gate goes in before water. The interior finish carries its own line in the written guarantee.

Startup and Handoff

Finally we fill the pool, start the variable-speed pump, and balance the water over the first days as the finish cures. You get a printed care schedule, a walkthrough of the automation, and the signed guarantee for your records. Questions after the water goes in are easy to sort out, and you can always contact us directly.

That is the whole path, staked, shot, finished, and backed in writing. If you are thinking about a pool in Katy, call Clytemnestraproject at (832) 701-5324 for a firm price and the guarantee that comes with it.

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Pool Building Work We Perform

One local team for every build type, every finish, and every part of the job around Katy.

  • Custom Gunite Pool Construction

    Fully custom in-ground pools with a pneumatically applied gunite shell over a steel rebar cage, allowing any shape, depth, tanning ledge, or vanishing edge, finished in white plaster, quartz, or pebble aggregate.

  • Fiberglass Pool Installation

    Factory-molded one-piece fiberglass shells set on a compacted gravel base, plumbed and backfilled. The nonporous gelcoat needs no plaster, and the fastest installs finish in weeks rather than months.

  • Vinyl-Liner Pool Installation

    In-ground vinyl-liner pools on steel or polymer wall panels with a troweled floor and a custom-fit membrane liner, typically the lowest first cost of the three build types.

  • Pool Remodeling and Replastering

    Chipping out tired plaster and applying new quartz or pebble finish, replacing waterline tile and coping, and updating drains to current ANSI/PHTA/ICC-7 anti-entrapment covers.

  • Spa and Hot Tub Integration

    An attached raised spa or spillover hot tub sharing the pool structure, with its own heater and jets tied into a smart automation controller you run from a phone app.

  • Decking, Equipment, and Automation

    Travertine, paver, and stamped concrete decks set with proper drainage, plus variable-speed pumps, cartridge filters, heaters, and salt chlorine generators that meet the 2021 federal pump rule.

How We Price a Backyard Pool

Pool pricing depends mostly on the build type, the shape and depth, and the finishes you choose. Vinyl-liner pools carry the lowest first cost, fiberglass sits in the popular middle, and custom gunite gives you total freedom of shape at the top of the range. Decking, an attached spa, and premium stone add to the total. The ranges below are typical for the Katy area, and we put the firm number in writing after we walk your yard off Highland Knolls Drive.

Vinyl-liner pool$35,000 to $65,000 installedFiberglass pool$45,000 to $85,000 installedCustom gunite pool$60,000 to $150,000 installed
  • Lowest first cost
  • Liner replaced every 7 to 12 years
Get a firm price
  • One-piece gelcoat shell, no plaster
  • One of the fastest installs
Get a firm price
  • Any shape, depth, and finish
  • Vanishing edges and tanning ledges
Get a firm price

Clytemnestraproject provides pool builders in Katy, TX, handling custom gunite pool construction, fiberglass pool installation, vinyl-liner pools, pool remodeling and replastering, spa and hot tub integration, saltwater chlorination, and pool decking from the first stake to the day you swim. Every in-ground shell is engineered around a steel rebar cage and finished the way you want it, whether that means a pebble aggregate interior, quartz plaster, or the smooth gelcoat surface of a molded fiberglass shell. We build for families across Cinco Ranch, Grand Lakes, and the streets off Mason Road.

The difference here is what we put in writing. Before a single load of shotcrete arrives, you get a fixed scope, a firm price, and a written workmanship guarantee that covers the shell, the plumbing, and the interior finish. A backyard pool is a large commitment, so we spell out exactly what each stage delivers and when it happens. Homeowners near Fry Road tell us the written guarantee is the reason they stopped comparing bids and signed with us.

Our build path is the same every time, and that consistency keeps surprises out of your schedule. We start with layout and excavation, then set steel and rough plumbing, shoot the gunite shell, and move through waterline tile, coping, deck, interior finish, and equipment startup. Each phase is inspected before the next one begins, and the NEC 680.26 equipotential bonding grid ties the whole structure together with 8 AWG copper. A typical gunite build runs eight to twelve weeks in Katy weather.

We are licensed and insured, we pull the permits, and we build to the ANSI/PHTA/ICC standards that govern residential pools in Texas. That means a 48-inch safety barrier with a self-closing, self-latching gate and VGB-compliant anti-entrapment drain covers on every job we complete. When the plaster cures and the water goes in, you receive a printed care schedule, a startup walkthrough, and a real phone number that a person answers. Our crews work throughout the 77494 and 77450 neighborhoods, from Cane Island to Seven Meadows.

  1. The guarantee is in writingThe shell, the plumbing, and the interior finish are covered by a written workmanship guarantee handed to you before excavation begins.
  2. One crew, every build typeGunite, fiberglass, and vinyl-liner pools from a single licensed team, so you are never handed off to a stranger mid-project.
  3. Built to code, permittedA 48-inch barrier, VGB drain covers, and NEC 680.26 bonding go into every pool, inspected phase by phase.
  4. Fixed scope, firm priceThe number in your contract is the number you pay, itemized by stage from excavation through startup.

Our Build Radius Around Katy

We build and remodel pools throughout Katy and the surrounding Fort Bend and Harris County communities, from the master-planned neighborhoods to the towns just west along the Grand Parkway.

  • Katy, TX (77449, 77450, 77493)
  • Fulshear, TX
  • Cypress, TX
  • Richmond, TX
  • Sugar Land, TX
  • Brookshire, TX

Not sure if your backyard is in our radius? Call (832) 701-5324 and we will confirm while you are on the line.

Answers on Warranties and Workmanship

What does your written guarantee actually cover?
It covers the structural gunite shell, the Schedule 40 PVC plumbing, and the interior finish against defects in our workmanship. You get the terms in writing before excavation, alongside the manufacturer warranties on the pump, filter, and heater.
What is the difference between gunite, fiberglass, and vinyl-liner pools?
Gunite is a custom concrete shell shot over steel, so any shape is possible. Fiberglass is a molded one-piece shell with a smooth gelcoat and a fast install. Vinyl-liner uses wall panels and a replaceable membrane, and it carries the lowest first cost.
How long does it take to build a pool from start to finish?
A custom gunite build in Katy generally runs eight to twelve weeks across excavation, steel, shell, tile, deck, and finish. A fiberglass install can finish in a few weeks because there is no plaster cure. Weather and inspections set the pace.
Do I need a permit and a safety fence?
Yes. We pull the permit and build to the barrier code, which means a 48-inch fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate that opens away from the water. We handle the inspections at each stage.
How often does a pool need to be resurfaced?
Standard white plaster lasts roughly five to ten years, while a quartz or pebble aggregate finish lasts fifteen to twenty-five years. When it is time, we chip out the old finish, retile the waterline, and replaster.
Is a saltwater pool better than a chlorine pool?
A salt chlorine generator makes chlorine on demand from dissolved salt, so the water feels softer and sanitizer levels stay steadier than hand-dosing. The cell installs inline after the filter and heater, and we can add it to a new or existing pool.
Are the variable-speed pumps required, and do they save money?
New dedicated pool pumps must meet the U.S. Department of Energy efficiency rule that took effect in July 2021, and a variable-speed pump uses far less power than an old single-speed. Lower run cost is one reason we install them on every build.

Claim Your Guaranteed Build Slot

Ready to build? We will walk your yard, talk through gunite, fiberglass, and vinyl-liner options, and hand you a written scope, a firm price, and the workmanship guarantee before any dirt moves. Build slots around Katy fill up through the swim season, so the sooner we measure, the sooner your pool goes in.