The Complete 5-Part How to Build a DIY Inground Pool Series

How to build a DIY inground pool is not guesswork—it’s a controlled, phased construction process that can save you tens of thousands of dollars in labor and overhead. By taking the reins, you eliminate the middleman and put that equity directly back into your home. This comprehensive guide breaks down the massive undertaking into manageable stages, from the first scoop of dirt to the final splash. Whether you are looking to create a backyard oasis for your family or simply want to master the ultimate DIY challenge, following a professional-grade procedural walk-through ensures your project is safe, structural, and built to last for decades.

This 5-part, 5-hour master series delivers the most comprehensive step-by-step how-to build a DIY inground pool training available online. We bridge the gap between “ambitious homeowner” and “expert builder,” showing you exactly how to manage the site and the bottom line.

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Executive Overview & Process

DIY pool construction becomes manageable—and thousands of dollars more affordable—when broken into engineered phases. By acting as your own project manager, you bypass hefty contractor markups while ensuring professional-grade results. This how-to build a DIY inground pool master series explains not only HOW to execute each step, but WHY each phase protects structural integrity, water flow performance, and long-term durability.

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Part 1: Planning, Excavating, and Framing Your DIY Pool Kit

Taking on a DIY pool project is a massive undertaking, but if you have basic tradesman skills—whether you are a mechanic, an equipment operator, or just highly capable with hands-on projects—you can potentially save tens of thousands of dollars. This guide serves as Part 1 of a 5-part series detailing the construction of a fully customizable, 18×36 rectangular in-ground pool with a built-in tanning ledge, all for well under $100,000.

1. Pre-Excavation Preparation and Safety

Before a single piece of heavy machinery touches your yard, preparation and safety must come first.

  • Marking Utilities: It is absolutely mandatory to call 811 to have all public utility lines marked. However, 811 typically does not cover private systems. You must call your septic company separately to map out out any septic lines or tanks, and ensure you manually mark any underground gutter drains to avoid costly accidents.
  • Permitting: Ensure all local building and zoning permits are approved and in hand before you begin layout.

2. Mastering Your Dig Sheets and Panel Layout

Every custom pool kit comes with a set of engineered blueprints, commonly referred to as “dig sheets.” You must print these out and keep them on-site at all times. They are the master plan for your entire build and will even be required decades later if you ever need to order a replacement vinyl liner.

  • The Panel Layout: The first page of your blueprint features a comprehensive layout of your pool panels. It denotes the exact size and location of every piece (e.g., 4-foot panels, 8-foot skimmer panels, corners) and correlates them to a legend that specifies required quantities.
  • Finished Dimensions vs. Excavation Depth: The second page outlines the finished dimensions of your pool—the exact measurements your custom liner is manufactured to fit. Crucial Rule: You must always excavate two inches deeper than these finished dimensions. This extra space accommodates the two inches of pool base material (like vermiculite or a sand/cement mix) that you will trowel across the entire floor and up the angled coves later.
  • Accounting for the Overdig: The blueprints reflect the interior size of the pool. When painting your excavation lines on the grass, you must include a 3-foot overdig around the entire perimeter. For an 18×36 pool, you are actually laying out a box that is 24 feet wide by 42 feet long. This extra workspace allows you to assemble the panels, attach the braces, and pour the concrete collar.

3. Precision Excavation

Excavating is a game of exact mathematics. You are not just digging a hole; you are preparing a leveled shelf that dictates the structural integrity of your pool.

  • Finding “Zero”: The homeowners in this project wanted their finished pool deck to sit perfectly level with their existing back patio. Using a laser transit, they established this patio height as their absolute “zero.” All digging depths are calculated downward from this mark.
  • Calculating the Dig Depth: To find the depth of the initial flat bottom, you must add your panel height to your coping height. In this project, they used a 42-inch steel panel and a 4-inch coping track for a Coverstar automatic pool cover. 42 + 4 = 46 inches. Therefore, the flat bottom shelf for the panels was excavated exactly 46 inches down from zero.
  • Creating a Coved Flat Bottom: To gain more water depth without purchasing taller 48-inch panels, the builder utilized a coved flat bottom. After dropping down off the final pool step into 40 inches of water, the dirt floor slopes down an additional 8 inches into a deeper cove. Because the finished depth here is 48 inches, the actual excavation depth in the center of the pool was 50 inches (accounting for the 2 inches of pool base).

4. Receiving and Inventorying Your Pool Kit

Your pool kit will be delivered via LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) freight. Delivery is curbside, meaning the driver will not bring the truck into your backyard.

  • Heavy Equipment Required: You will need a skid steer or a tractor equipped with pallet forks to move the pallets from your driveway to your build site. Some pallets can weigh between 800 and 1,200 pounds.
  • Inventory: Wear heavy work gloves, as the steel panels have sharp edges. Unwrap the pallets, inspect for any shipping damage, and cross-reference the part numbers stamped into every single panel with your dig sheets to ensure you have all required pieces before assembling.

5. Framing the Pool and Tanning Ledge

With your overdig excavated and the perimeter panel shelf meticulously leveled, it is time to build the frame.

  • Setting the Perimeter: Assemble the panels along your string lines, ensuring the pool is perfectly square with your house. Hand-tighten the bolts initially. If you encounter a low spot on your dirt shelf, do not add loose dirt back in, as it will settle over time. Instead, use hard shims like pavers or treated wood to level the panels.
  • Modular Step Assembly: The tanning ledge and step system is a highly complex, modular structure featuring custom-embossed steel panels. Do not guess how this goes together. Your kit includes a folder taped to the step pallet featuring exploded-view diagrams of every step module. It acts like a giant Lego set, matching numbered risers, treads, and braces perfectly together.
  • Liner Tracks and Shoring: As you build the steps, you will install the liner track (the groove where the vinyl liner ultimately locks in). To prevent the heavy concrete collar from bowing the front step outward during the pour, stake a piece of scrap wood or rebar tightly against the bottom riser.

6. Plumbing the Walls and Pouring the Collar

Before locking the structure into the earth, the walls must be flawlessly straight. This is incredibly important for pools utilizing an automatic cover, as the tracks require a perfectly true perimeter.

  • Turnbuckle Braces: The kit utilizes heavy-duty fold-over braces. You drive a stick of rebar through the back of each panel and bolt the brace to it. The top of the brace features a turnbuckle. By pulling a taut string line down the length of the pool, you can twist these turnbuckles to push or pull the panels fractions of an inch until the wall is entirely plumb and straight.
  • The Concrete Collar: Once squared and leveled, pour an 8 to 12-inch deep structural concrete collar around the outside perimeter, locking the braces into the earth. You will also pour a 6-inch base inside the hollow step system. A standard 18×36 pool requires roughly 7 yards of concrete. It is always better to order an extra yard than to come up short mid-pour.

7. The Aqua Genie Skimmer System

As the concrete cures, you can install your skimmers. This build features two Aqua Genie skimmers, widely considered one of the most efficient systems on the market.

  • Suction and Return in One: The Aqua Genie features an incredible dual-action design. It acts as a standard suction skimmer, but it also features a built-in return line directly beneath the basket. This return shoots clean water straight down to the pool floor, creating a sweeping, vertical circular current that lifts cold water, leaves, and dirt from the flat bottom right into the skimmer.
  • Eliminating Main Drains: Because it circulates water from the floor upward, the Aqua Genie entirely eliminates the need to install main drains. This saves you from digging extra plumbing trenches and dealing with strict Virginia Graeme Baker Act legal compliances.
  • Installation: If installing on steel walls, you must use the provided shims to space the skimmer about 1/8th of an inch off the wall. This gap will be perfectly filled when you apply your protective wall foam later.

With the framing locked in stone and the skimmers mounted, the heavy structural lifting is complete.

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Part 2: Installing Your Automatic Pool Cover

Welcome back to Phase 2 of our DIY Pool Build series! If you’ve been following along, you’ve already conquered the heavy lifting: the concrete collar is poured, the gravel backfill is in place, your plumbing lines are perfectly trenched, and the pool lights are cut and ready.

We are tackling a massive and highly rewarding milestone: installing your automatic pool cover. For this project, we are working with a top-of-the-line system from Coverstar. Because automatic pool covers are heavy and complex, they are delivered separately from your main pool kit via LTL (Less Than Truckload) freight. You’ll be greeted by three or four massive boxes. In this guide, we are unpacking those boxes, walking through the hardware, and showing you exactly how to install your automatic cover housing right the first time. It’s a full-day project for a DIYer, but with these pro tips, you’ll be installing like a seasoned veteran. Let’s get to work!

1. Unboxing and Pre-Installation Planning

When you unbox your cover housing, the first thing you might notice is that the box is significantly longer than the width of your pool. Don’t panic—you didn’t order the wrong size!

The housing box length is calculated based on the width of the pool, plus extra room for the mechanical components. You need a three-foot offset on the motor side (where the mechanism and motor live) and a one-foot offset on the non-motor side.

The Rule of Screws

Before drilling a single hole, you must understand your hardware. Your kit comes with two distinct types of screws, and mixing them up can lead to structural failure down the road:

  • Zinc Screws (Shiny): These are strictly for subterranean use. You will use these for parts of the housing that will be permanently buried under backfill or encased in concrete.
  • Anodized Screws (Dull Finish): These are your heavy-duty, corrosion-resistant screws. You must use these anywhere the screw will be exposed to air and moisture (like inside the polymer housing or on the bond wall).
  • Pancake-Head Screws: Used specifically inside the housing to splice boxes together. Their ultra-flat heads ensure the cover fabric never snags or tears as it rolls.

2. Assembling the Support System

Before mounting the main housing, we need to install the box braces. These braces support the weight of the box and hold it perfectly square against the pool wall.

  • Mark the Pool Wall: Measure exactly 19 inches down from the top of the pool wall and make a mark with a sharpie. Repeat this down the length of the wall.
  • Mount the Braces: Using your shiny zinc screws (since these will be buried in concrete), attach the braces at your 19-inch marks. For an 18-foot pool, about four braces will do the trick. You can install these while building your pool walls, but using self-tapping screws after the walls are up gives you exact control over the placement.
  • Install the Wall Cap: We are using a two-piece wall cap system designed to sit on top of the pool panels. Pro Tip: Always cut the bottom piece of your wall cap about a 1/4-inch shorter than your pool’s interior width. This guarantees you have an essential 1/8-inch gap on each side, allowing room for the encapsulation lip to hang perfectly without binding.

3. Mounting and Sizing the Housing Box

With your braces in place, it’s time to set the main polymer housing onto the pool wall. The housing has pre-molded markings (12″, 24″, 36″) to make alignment a breeze.

Cutting the Box to Size

  • Align the Motor Side: Standing behind the housing looking at the water, determine your motor side (in our video, it’s on the right). Line up the 36-inch (3-foot) molded mark with the inside of your pool wall.
  • Cut the Non-Motor Side: Move to the opposite end. Measure exactly 12 inches (1 foot) from the inside face of the pool wall. Mark this spot, ensure your line is perfectly square, and chop off the excess housing using a Sawzall. The blade will cut through the top aluminum channel slowly, but will slice through the lower polymer like butter.
  • Attach the End Caps: Take your universal end caps and secure them flush to the ends of the box using your anodized screws.

Cutting the Box to Size

Never skip this step! Your end caps feature a built-in drain hole. An auto cover housing is full of electrical components, and if the trough fills with rainwater, those parts will fail. Plumb a drain pipe to the lower side of your yard to daylight the water away, or run it into a dedicated deep sump.

4. Squaring, Leveling, and Temporary Bracing

When you pour hundreds of pounds of concrete around this housing, the sheer weight will try to crush the polymer box. You have to lock it in place.

  • Temporary Box Braces: Install the temporary right-angle braces inside the housing at every splice joint. These will be removed later, but for now, they keep the box perfectly square.
  • Leveling: Lay a short level entirely inside the polymer section of the box (do not let the level span across the wall cap, or it will give a false reading). Pull the box up until level, and secure it using the provided stakes and self-tapping screws.

5. Encapsulation (The Track System)

The encapsulation is the architectural MVP of this whole build. We are using a “one-piece rounded” profile. This single extrusion acts as your concrete dam, your pool coping, your liner track, and the channel for the auto cover ropes!

  • Clean the Channels: Before sliding anything together, use a leaf blower or a stiff brush to remove all metal shavings from the track. If you leave debris, the pieces will bind, and you will be fighting the track all day.
  • Corner Assembly: Assemble the corner pockets. Slide the coping corner piece onto the track, snap the black plastic pocket into place, and lock in your steel 6-inch radius corner.
  • Splicing the Track: Connect your straight encapsulation sections using a coping clip, a roll pin, and a long splice. Pro Tip: Take the long splice and use pliers to split/bend one end slightly. This creates friction so the splice won’t vibrate out of place when the concrete is poured.
  • Extend into the Box: When you reach the housing box, run the encapsulation at least one inch long into the box. Cut away the top coping portion, but leave that bottom inch. You will need that later to drive a retaining screw through to lock the cover tracks permanently into the concrete.

6. The Riser Panel and Lid Brackets

The flush lid is what makes the Coverstar system look so seamless and high-end.

Riser Panels and Quick Attach

Measure and cut your front and rear riser panels to fit snugly between the ends of the box. Secure them using anodized screws and the included box-height clips. Next, install your Quick Attach kit (the plates with the threaded studs). Drop them into the track, finger-tighten the nuts, and leave them slightly loose so they can slide around. You’ll need this flexibility when installing the motor later.

Installing Lid Brackets and Anchors

You will install four lid brackets to support the heavy flush lid. Do not space these evenly across the back panel. The front of the lid rests on the tracks, so the brackets need to be spaced evenly over the track space where the lid has no forward support.

To ensure the brackets can hold weight (like a teenager accidentally stepping on the lid):

  • Drill a 1/4-inch hole into the back aluminum channel.
  • Install the 90-degree anchor bolts with a washer on the inside.
  • These bolts point backward into the dirt. When you pour your concrete deck, these bolts will be locked in stone, giving your lid brackets incredible structural integrity.
  • Level the brackets just a hair above perfectly level, so when the heavy lid is placed on them, they settle into a perfectly flat position.

Parting Pro-Tip: The Upside-Down Lid Trick

Your installation is now prepped for concrete! But before the concrete trucks arrive, take your beautiful flush lid and place it into the housing upside down.

During a concrete pour, splatter is inevitable. By setting the lid in upside down, the box stays perfectly square during the pour, and any stray concrete lands on the unfinished bottom of the lid. When the deck is dry, you simply flip it over for a pristine, factory-fresh finish.

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Part 3: Plumbing, Concrete, and Dropping the Liner

Welcome to Phase 3 of our DIY Pool Build series! We are tackling some of the most exciting and critical steps in your pool construction journey. In this phase, we transition from the rough-in stage to finished surfaces. We will walk you through finalizing your plumbing, prepping for and pouring your concrete decks, troweling the pool floor, and finally, dropping in your vinyl liner.

1. Rough Plumbing and Modern Lighting

Before any concrete is poured or backfilling is finished, your plumbing and lighting fixtures must be perfectly set.

  • Pendant Lighting: Modern pools are moving away from the old, volleyball-sized light fixtures in favor of sleek, nicheless pendant lights. You will need to cut these into your wall panels on-site, typically 12 to 15 inches down from the top of the panel. Use a hole saw or a rented punch tool for a clean cut. If you use a hole saw, remember to apply galvanization spray to prevent rust!
  • Building the Housing: Your pendant light needs a waterproof home. Build a housing using 12-inch pieces of Schedule 40 PVC, a 1.5-inch adapter to screw into the return fitting, and a reducer to allow your 1-inch conduit to travel to the equipment pad. Use plenty of pipe glue and Teflon tape on the threads.
  • The Aqua Genie Setup: When plumbing your Aqua Genie skimmers, remember that each unit requires its own “home run” to the equipment pad. Do not “T” your suction or return lines together. This gives you ultimate control over your water flow. Always run your plumbing straight down to your footer before trenching out to the pad.
  • A Strict Rule: Only use Schedule 40 pressurized PVC pipe for your pool plumbing. Never use standard residential DWV (Drain, Waste, Vent) plumbing, as it cannot handle the pressure.

2. Tanning Ledges, Backfilling, and the Bonding Grid

With the plumbing roughed in, it is time to secure the structure and ensure everything is up to electrical code.

  • Backfilling Steps and Ledges: We recommend using #57 clean, 3/4-inch gravel for backfilling. Push the gravel snugly underneath any tanning ledges or steps to provide solid support. Crucial tip: Stop backfilling four inches below the top of your steps/ledges! You will need this space for the final 4-inch concrete cap.
  • The Electrical Bonding Grid: This is a step for the professionals. You must hire a licensed electrician to create a bonding grid around your pool. This involves scraping the powder coating off the back of every single steel panel and coping stick to attach copper wire with metal lugs.
  • The Golden Rule of Concrete: Do not pour concrete until you have passed your electrical bonding inspection. Schedule this inspection well in advance so you aren’t forced to cancel your concrete trucks!

3. Deck Preparation and Pouring Concrete

Once the inspector signs off, you are ready to prep your perimeter for concrete decks.

  • Setting the Pitch: Your concrete deck must slope away from the pool to keep dirty water from draining into your clean pool. A standard slope is 1/4-inch of fall per foot.
  • Anchors and Deck Drains: If you are adding handrails, ladders, or a volleyball net, set and bond these anchors now. Tape them off so they don’t fill with concrete. Consider adding deck drains if your yard naturally slopes toward the pool area to protect your home’s foundation.
  • Concrete Day: For the deck, we highly recommend using fiber-mesh concrete. It provides incredible structural integrity and often eliminates the need to lay down a cumbersome wire grid.

4. Troweling the Pool Base (Pool Crete)

With the deck poured and curing, it is time to move inside the pool and build the floor.

  • Mapping the Floor: Use your dig sheets to map out the exact dimensions. Stake out a 12-inch flat pad off the wall, then an 8-inch downward slope to reach your 4-foot flat bottom. Run a string line to ensure your depth is perfect.
  • Mixing the Base: The floor of a vinyl liner pool is made of “Pool Crete”—a pre-mixed combination of Portland cement and vermiculite. Rent a gas-powered mixer and add water until the mix reaches the consistency of peanut butter.
  • Troweling: Apply the pool base exactly two inches thick across the floor and two inches up the seam of the steel wall. Use a specialized pool trowel (which has rounded edges) to prevent harsh lines. Smooth out any bumps or divots, as these will be highly visible when the pool lights turn on at night!
  • Curing: Let the floor cure for 24 to 48 hours. If minor cracks appear as it dries, simply patch them with a little Portland cement before moving to the next step.

5. Equipment Pad Plumbing Mastery

While your pool floor cures, head over to the equipment pad to connect your home runs.

  • Manifolds: Build custom manifolds using two-way valves for your skimmer suction lines. This lets you isolate and control each skimmer independently.
  • Heater Bypass: If you have a pool heater, install a three-way valve so water only flows through the heater when you are actively using it. This drastically extends the life of the heater’s internal components.
  • Salt Pools: If you are installing a salt chlorination system, you absolutely must install a sacrificial anode (like the CMP Defender). This gives the salt something to attack and corrode instead of your expensive pool equipment.

6. Prepping the Walls and Dropping the Liner

This is the moment the project finally looks like a pool! Ensure the floor is swept perfectly clean—even a small pebble under a liner can cause major issues.

  • Wall Foam: Tape up every single panel joint and exposed bolt hole with heavy-duty tape. Next, apply spray adhesive to the panels and hang your wall foam. Do not stretch the foam; just let it lay flat. Cut out the foam around your skimmers, returns, and lights.
  • Gaskets: Before the liner goes in, you must apply the first rubber gasket directly to the steel wall on your skimmers, main drains, and full-sized lights.
  • Installing the Liner: Check the box carefully to ensure the dimensions and pattern are correct before opening it! Unfold the liner starting in the shallow end. Slip the liner’s receiver bead into the liner track along the walls and steps.
  • Sandbagging: Once the liner is locked into the step track, place a sandbag (wrapped in a trash bag so it’s clean) in the corner of the steps to keep the liner from shifting while you work around the rest of the pool.
  • The Vacuum Trick: Once the liner is hung, drop Shop-Vac hoses behind the liner (keeping them an inch off the floor) and tape the top gaps completely shut. Turn the vacuums on, and they will suck the liner perfectly flush against the walls and floor, removing all wrinkles!

7. Final Cut-ins and Lighting

Leave the vacuums running and start filling the pool with water. Do not cut anything until there is at least a foot or two of water in the shallow end to weigh the liner down!

  • Cutting Skimmers and Returns: Find the screw holes by pressing on the liner. Install your second gasket (on top of the liner) and screw the faceplate down securely. Once it is tightly screwed in, use a sharp knife to cut out the excess liner material from the center.
  • Orifice Plates: Install the return orifice plate in your Aqua Genie, making sure the molded curve is pointing down to push water toward the floor.
  • Fishing the Lights: To install your pendant lights, use a Shop-Vac on the equipment pad side of your conduit to suck a lightweight string through the pipe from the pool side. Tape the string to your light cord and gently pull the wire all the way back to your junction box! Snap the waterproof light fixture into the return housing.
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Ready to Break Ground on Your Dream Backyard?

You know the steps, you know the tools, and you know what it takes. Now it’s time to find the perfect pool for your space. Browse our premium DIY pool kits to find your shape, compare prices, and get your project rolling today.

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Part 4: Post-Pour Installation of a Automatic Pool Cover

Welcome back to Phase 4 of our comprehensive DIY Pool Build series! If you have been following along, your backyard oasis is finally coming to life. The concrete decks are successfully poured, the vinyl liner is securely in place, and the pool is actively filling with water. That means it is time for a highly anticipated milestone: the post-pour installation of your automatic pool cover.

For this critical phase, we brought back Brandon from Coverstar to walk us through the exact steps required to make sure your auto cover fits perfectly on the very first try. Installing an automatic pool cover requires precision and patience, but by following this detailed guide, you will have your system running flawlessly.

Here is everything you need to know to get your mechanism assembled, mounted, and perfectly aligned.

1. Prepping the Housing Box and Encapsulation

Before bringing any heavy machinery to the pool edge, we must prep the housing box. Start by removing the temporary lid and clearing out any debris from the concrete pour.

Coverstar offers an incredibly rigid polymer housing. It is a rock-solid foundation that can easily support the weight of a full-grown adult, meaning you can comfortably stand inside it while working, unlike many competitor brands that require you to kneel awkwardly on the pool deck.

Clearing the Box

  • Remove Backfill Braces: Take out the concrete backfill braces that were installed prior to the pour. To easily access the tricky back screws, simply bend the disposable brackets upward.
  • Retrieve Stored Hardware: Recover the flush lid ends and the primary hardware box you safely stowed away during Phase 1.
  • Remove End Plates: Take off the temporary plates and nuts on both the motor and non-motor ends of the box. Keep the nuts handy, as you will need them shortly.

Trimming the Encapsulation: As a precautionary measure, trim about half an inch off the flange of the encapsulation inside the box. This minor trim takes only a minute but provides valuable wiggle room for your quick-attach plates later on, saving you from having to lift a heavy, assembled mechanism in and out of the box multiple times.

Next, measure how far the encapsulation extends into the box on both sides of the pool. It is critical that both sides are perfectly even—ideally measuring between three-quarters of an inch and one inch. If one side extends further, use a sharpie to mark the correct length and trim it down to match perfectly.

2. Sizing and Assembling the Tracks

With the box prepped, it is time to assemble your aluminum tracks. Grab hardware kit A1792, which contains your pulley end castings and track splices.

Understanding track orientation is simple: the slider channel must point toward the water, while the U-shaped channel points upward.

Connecting the Tracks: Carefully remove the rubber band from your pulley end casting (ensuring the internal pulley components do not fall out) and press it firmly into the end of your first track piece. Next, connect your two track sections using a track splice.

Pro Tip: Once the splice is perfectly centered between the two track sections, close any gaps. Then, use a large flathead screwdriver and a hammer to create a firm indentation on the metal. This locks the splice tightly in place so the tracks cannot pull apart as you move them around the pool deck. Repeat this process for the tracks on the opposite side of the pool.

Cutting the Tracks

  • Rough Cut: Make a quick, rough cut of the track right in the center of the housing box. This simply allows you to fit the track down into the encapsulation for an exact measurement.
  • Slide and Position: With a partner, drop the tracks into the encapsulation keyway. Slide them completely down to the far end of the pool. Ensure the pulley casting is fully seated at the far wall—if it falls short, your final track cut will be too short!
  • Final Cut: The track needs to extend exactly one inch past the encapsulation inside the housing box. Use the guard on a circular saw as a quick measuring guide.
  • Clean Up: Place a piece of cardboard underneath your cut area to prevent metal shavings from falling into the pristine pool water.

Make your cut, use a metal file to knock off any sharp burrs, and carefully pull the tracks out to set them on the deck.

3. Assembling the Eclipse Motor Mechanism

Now, we assemble the heart of the system: the Coverstar Eclipse mechanism. Open your mechanism hardware box (Part #80331) and lay out your components.

Because the heavy motor unbalances the mechanism, causing it to tip over when flipped upside down, place your empty hardware box under the motor handle. This cleverly supports the mechanism and keeps it perfectly level while you work.

Attaching the Feet and Roll Tube

  • Mount the Feet: Secure the support feet to the motor and non-motor ends using 7/16-inch bolts and split washers. Since this build uses a flush lid kit, mount the feet on the tallest setting (the bottom hole when the unit is upside down). Snug them up carefully with an impact driver.
  • Position the Roll Tube: Place the roll tube insert right onto the square block (the cone) of the mechanism.
  • Secure the Tube: Use a 9/16-inch socket to attach the tube with four A1865 bolts and A1867 split washers on each end.

Pro Tip: Space in the motor housing is incredibly tight. Attach a 90-degree adapter to your impact driver to easily reach these bolts. Start all eight bolts entirely by hand to avoid cross-threading. Do not tighten them until both ends of the tube are elevated and completely level to prevent warping the metal.

Once completely assembled, carefully flip the entire system right side up.

4. Dropping In and Securing the System

Before dropping this heavy assembly into the housing box, loosen (do not remove) the six 7/16-inch “cage bolts” located on both ends of the system. This allows the brackets to move up, down, and side to side. Compress the system manually until it is as small as possible.

Prepping the Quick Attach Kit: Align your front plates with the back edge of your encapsulation. Take the leftover 7/16-inch lock nuts from Phase 1 and thread them very loosely onto the lower PEM studs inside the box.

The Drop-In: With a partner, carefully lower the mechanism down into the box. The deep slots on the Eclipse system are designed to slide right over those loose PEM studs you just prepped. Ensure the feet land squarely in the center of the box floor.

Aligning the System

  • Left-to-Right Alignment: Check the gaps between your side brackets and the encapsulation. You may need to shift the entire system a fraction of an inch to split the difference, ensuring it is perfectly centered laterally.
  • Locking the Plates: Thread the A1716 bolts (7/16-inch) into the pre-threaded holes on the quick-attach plates to secure the system to the pool walls. Tighten the lower PEM stud nuts with a standard wrench.
  • Front-to-Back Alignment: Check the gap between the support feet and the front and back of the box walls. Slightly lean the top cage back until the gaps up top are perfectly even. Once centered, securely tighten down all six cage bolts to lock your alignment in place.

5. Final Cross Braces and Bonding

To give the system ultimate rigidity, install the cross braces over the mechanism on both ends.

Each side gets two brace pieces: the piece with pre-made holes goes on the bottom, and the piece with slotted holes rests on top. Secure them together using #2 Phillips head screws (A1873) and 3/8-inch nuts (A1871). Always choose the two holes that are furthest apart to maximize structural strength. Tighten them down with a wrench and your impact driver.

Electrical Bonding: Finally, locate the dedicated bonding lugs on each end of the mechanism. A licensed electrician must connect these lugs to your pool’s bonding grid. Crucially, you must bring a separate bond wire to each end of the box. Never run a single wire across the length of the box, as it risks getting tangled in the cover fabric during daily operation.

Wrapping Up Part 4

Your tracks are perfectly cut, your mechanism is expertly aligned, and your housing box is locked in. The heavy lifting is done, and your DIY pool is one massive step closer to completion.

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Part 5: Automatic Cover Installation & Equipment Pad Walkthrough

Installing an automatic pool cover requires patience and precision. While it might seem daunting, breaking it down into systematic steps ensures a smooth, flawlessly running system that will keep your pool safe, clean, and warm for years to come.

1. Preparing and Unrolling the Cover

Before dealing with the tracks or hardware, the cover itself must be oriented correctly.

  • Orientation: When standing behind the cover housing and looking out at the water, the cover must always unroll from left to right, reading like a book. This applies regardless of which side your motor is on.
  • Safe Unboxing: The cover box comes with a top and bottom piece held together by white bands and tape. Do not cut down the center tape with a utility knife, as you risk slashing the fabric inside. Instead, cut the side bands and lift the lid straight off.
  • Verification: Double-check the job name, pool dimensions, and cover color (like the popular, dirt-hiding Charcoal Gray) listed on the box to ensure you have the correct materials before unrolling. Ensure the warning label is facing up and centered.

2. Rope Routing and Track Encapsulation

Running the ropes correctly from the start prevents frustrating knots and uneven cover operation later.

  • Unspooling the Rope: Do not pull the rope directly from the spool through the track, as it will twist and knot. Instead, walk the rope out in your yard in a figure-eight pattern to release all tension.
  • Running the Track: Push the rope into the front rope channel of the track. To pull it down the length of the pool, keep the rope between your feet, plant one foot on the track to keep it steady, and use your back foot to pull the rope along.
  • The End Pulley: Once you reach the end of the pool, remove the end pulley casting. Wrap the rope around the pulley, reinsert the casting sideways, twist it closed, and run the rope back down the rear channel of the track. Crucial tip: Pull the non-motor side rope all the way across the pool before pulling the cover into the tracks, or you will be forced to work backward.

3. Securing Tracks with Shims

Your tracks sit inside an encapsulation channel poured into your concrete. To ensure they stay firmly in place, you must install shims.

  • Flushing: First, use a hose to flush all dirt, sand, and concrete debris out of the track to prevent premature wear on the cover’s sliders and pulleys.
  • Installing Shims: The universal shims go underneath the track inside the encapsulation. This pushes the track upward, locking the U-shape top of the track into the encapsulation’s keyway so it cannot pull out into the pool.
  • Z-Folding: Use a dead blow hammer or rubber mallet to tap the shims in. If the shim fits too loosely due to variations in the concrete, bend a small “Z” shape into the plastic to create a snug, friction-fit before hammering it in.

4. Assembling the Leading Edge Bar

The leading edge bar is the rigid metal front of your pool cover. Attaching it to the fabric and the track sliders requires precise hardware stacking.

Inserting the Bar: Slide the aluminum bar through the loop at the front of the cover. Leave a few inches of extra fabric loop at the ends; this slack is required so the cover can drop down and touch the water.

The Slider Assembly: Attach the leading edge insert (the 90-degree stainless steel bracket) to the black A1100 track slider. The screw goes up through the slider, through the fabric hole, and into the bracket.

The 4-in-1 Pinning Screw: This is one of the most critical steps. You will use a 5/16th hex head self-tapping screw (A1864) driven at a 45-degree angle. This single screw must secure four things simultaneously:

  • It pierces the fabric.
  • It goes through the copper bonding wire eyelet (required for electrical code).
  • It bites into the aluminum leading edge bar.
  • It penetrates the black plastic end cap, keeping it from popping out. (Note: Tuck any excess bonding wire deep inside the aluminum tube before securing this screw for a clean finish).

5. Track Retainers and Guide Feeds

With the cover in the tracks, you must install safety stops to prevent the system from tearing itself apart under tension.

Track Retainer Screw: Using a 1/4-inch drill bit, drill vertically through the top of the encapsulation, down through the track’s skyward-facing U-channel, and into the bottom of the encapsulation. Drop a screw in. This acts as a cotter pin, physically preventing the aluminum track from sliding backward into the cover box.

Guide Feeds (403 UT): These plastic guides slide over the end of the track (straddling the rope and cover webbing). Once secured with an Allen screw, they act as a positive stop, ensuring the cover slider cannot pull out of the track.

6. Reel Routing and Final Adjustments

The leading edge bar is the rigid metal front of your pool cover. Attaching it to the fabric and the track sliders requires precise hardware stacking.

  • Melting the Ropes: Before attaching ropes to the reel, use a propane torch to melt the cut ends to a golden brown. This fuses the inner core to the outer sheath, preventing the rope from separating and snapping under tension.
  • Stretching: Run the cover back and forth 5 to 6 times. The far-side rope has to travel down the pool, back up, and across the housing, meaning it will stretch significantly more than the near-side rope.
  • Trimming: After the break-in runs, pull the ropes off the reel, measure the newly stretched slack, trim the far rope so they are perfectly even, re-melt the ends, and reattach. This ensures the cover closes perfectly square.
  • The Flush Lid: Finally, install the lid brackets over your pre-set concrete anchors. Use a torpedo level to ensure they are perfectly flat, apply the plastic beauty caps to the ends, and drop your flush aluminum lid into place.

7. Understanding the Pool Equipment Pad

A beautiful pool is only as good as the equipment running it. Understanding your equipment pad is essential for day-to-day maintenance and troubleshooting.

Here is a breakdown of a standard, highly efficient Aqua Genie setup:

  • Melting the Ropes: Before attaching ropes to the reel, use a propane torch to melt the cut ends to a golden brown. This fuses the inner core to the outer sheath, preventing the rope from separating and snapping under tension.
  • Stretching: Run the cover back and forth 5 to 6 times. The far-side rope has to travel down the pool, back up, and across the housing, meaning it will stretch significantly more than the near-side rope.
  • Trimming: After the break-in runs, pull the ropes off the reel, measure the newly stretched slack, trim the far rope so they are perfectly even, re-melt the ends, and reattach. This ensures the cover closes perfectly square.
  • The Flush Lid: Finally, install the lid brackets over your pre-set concrete anchors. Use a torpedo level to ensure they are perfectly flat, apply the plastic beauty caps to the ends, and drop your flush aluminum lid into place.
Equipment Component Function & DIY Benefits
Suction Valves Two skimmers pull water from the pool, meeting at a 3-way valve. This allows you to isolate a single skimmer, directing 100% of the pump’s power to one line—perfect for manual vacuuming.
Zinc Anode Plumbed immediately on the suction side, this is a sacrificial metal component. Saltwater is corrosive; the zinc anode takes the brunt of this corrosion, rusting away over time to protect your stainless steel pool ladders and faceplates.
Variable Speed Pump An Aqua Genie 2.2 HP pump moves the water. Variable speed pumps are incredibly energy-efficient and operate quietly, allowing you to run them longer at lower RPMs for better filtration at a fraction of the energy cost.
Cartridge Filter An Aqua Genie 425 sq. ft. filter cleans the water. Cartridge filters do not require backwashing (saving chemically treated and heated water) and simply need to be hosed off periodically.
Heater Bypass Loop Forward-thinking DIYers plumb in a bypass valve. Even if a heater isn’t in the initial budget, this loop allows a heater to be dropped into the system next season without requiring major PVC replumbing.
Salt Water System Features a flow switch to prevent the cell from burning out if water stops moving. The clear cell allows visual inspection of the titanium plates and chlorine generation. The digital controller monitors salt levels and adjusts chlorine output percentages.
Return Valves Water flows back into the pool through three returns (two skimmers, one tanning ledge). Each return is teed off with its own valve, giving you total control to isolate or adjust the pressure to specific zones of the pool.

The Value of the Auto Cover

As the homeowner noted after his first season, the automatic cover is often considered the best investment of the entire build. Aside from the obvious safety benefits for children and pets, it traps heat, prevents evaporation, and keeps out leaves and spring pollen, drastically reducing the time spent cleaning and balancing chemicals.

Learn how to build your own DIY pool kit and save thousands.
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On average, a DIY inground pool costs between $15,000 and $30,000, depending on the size, shape, and extra features (like heaters or lighting). By doing the labor yourself, you can generally save 40% to 50% compared to hiring a professional pool builder.

If you are working on it over weekends with a few helpers, expect it to take 3 to 6 weeks. If you take time off work and dedicate full days to the project, it can be completed in about 1 to 2 weeks. Keep in mind that weather delays and waiting for local inspections can extend this timeline.

Yes. Almost all municipalities require a building permit for an inground pool. You will also likely need an electrical permit, and depending on your area, zoning and fencing approvals. Always check with your local building department before breaking ground.

In most areas, homeowners are legally allowed to do their own plumbing on their own property. However, it is highly recommended to check your local codes. Keep in mind that while plumbing is usually DIY-friendly, electrical work almost always requires a licensed electrician.

  • Measuring tapes (at least 100 ft) and a transit level
  • Wrenches, socket sets, and a cordless drill
  • PVC pipe cutters and primer/glue
  • Heavy equipment: You will need to rent a skid steer and/or excavator for the digging phase unless you sub this out.
  • Shovels, wheelbarrows, and a heavy-duty shop vac

It is certainly the most intimidating and physically demanding phase. Precision is critical—if the hole is dug incorrectly, the rest of the build will be a struggle. Because of this, many DIYers choose to hire a local excavation contractor for this specific step to ensure it is dug exactly to the kit’s specifications.

Wall shifting is prevented by pouring a concrete collar (also known as a concrete footing) around the entire outside base of the pool walls. This locks the steel or polymer wall panels permanently in place before you backfill the dirt.

Absolutely. Skipping the concrete collar is a recipe for disaster. It provides the structural integrity needed to hold the bottom of the walls firmly in place against the immense pressure of the backfilled dirt and the water inside the pool.

The actual process of dropping and hanging the liner usually only takes 1 to 2 hours with the help of 2 or 3 people. However, using a shop vac to suck out the air behind the liner, making adjustments for a wrinkle-free fit, and filling the pool with water will take a full day or two.

Yes! Many online pool kit retailers partner with home improvement financing companies. You can also secure a personal loan or a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) through your local bank or credit union to fund the project.

Rushing the leveling and squaring process. If your excavation isn’t level, or if your wall panels aren’t perfectly square and plumb, the liner won’t fit right and the coping will look crooked. Taking your time during the foundational steps saves massive headaches later.

Before burying your pipes, you cap off the ends of the PVC lines at the pool wall and the equipment pad. You then attach a pressure testing gauge and use an air compressor to pressurize the system (usually around 15–20 PSI). If the gauge holds steady for 24 hours without dropping, your plumbing is leak-free.

The standard material for the pool floor is a mixture of Portland cement and masonry sand (often called Pool-Krete) or vermiculite. Troweling this mixture over the earth creates a hard, smooth, yet slightly yielding surface that protects the vinyl liner and feels great underfoot.

Yes. Many first-timers successfully build their own pools. If you are detail-oriented, handy around the house, and willing to follow instruction manuals and videos carefully, it is highly achievable. A smart strategy for beginners is to act as the general contractor—doing the easier work yourself and sub-contracting out the daunting tasks (like excavation and electrical).

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