The Complete Guide to Building a Pool in East Tennessee

Three pool types dominate East Tennessee. The right one depends on your yard, your budget, and how custom you want to go.

Fiberglass pools are a one-piece molded shell built in a factory and craned into your yard. They install fast (about 3 to 4 weeks), the smooth gel-coat surface resists algae and uses fewer chemicals, and they run roughly $70,000 to $190,000+. The trade-off is shape and size are limited to the manufacturer's molds. We are an authorized Imagine Pools dealer, see fiberglass pools and the fiberglass pool cost guide.

Gunite (custom concrete) pools are sprayed on-site over a steel frame, so they can be almost any shape, size, depth, or feature, beach entries, vanishing edges, integrated spas, and the like. They take longer (about 8 to 12 weeks) and run roughly $95,000 to $350,000+, but they carry the highest resale value. See gunite pools and the gunite pool cost guide.

Vinyl-liner pools have the lowest upfront cost but the liner typically needs replacement every 7 to 12 years. For a side-by-side, read fiberglass vs gunite vs vinyl.

Most in-ground pools land between $70,000 and $350,000+. The biggest cost drivers are size and depth, the interior finish (plaster, pebble, or quartz), the decking and hardscape around the pool, water features and automation, and site conditions, buried rock and steep slopes genuinely move budgets here.

We publish honest ranges instead of dodging the question. Use the instant estimate tool to get a ballpark for your project, and the complete backyard cost guide if you are bundling a pool with decking, a kitchen, or structures.

Once construction begins, a fiberglass pool is usually swim-ready in about 3 to 4 weeks and a gunite pool takes about 8 to 12 weeks. But that is only the build. Design, permitting, and any HOA approval happen first and can add several weeks to a couple of months.

The practical takeaway: if you want to swim next summer, start in the winter. We lay out the full schedule up front and keep you updated at every stage, see our process.

In-ground pools require a building permit and inspections, plus a code-compliant safety barrier (a fence with self-closing, self-latching gates). The permit comes from your county codes office, or your city if you live inside an incorporated city like Knoxville, Maryville, or Sevierville.

If you live in an HOA community, you will also need architectural-review approval before work starts. We handle both, the permits and the HOA. Start with our permits and HOA approval guide, which breaks down what to expect in each of the eight counties we serve.

This is where an out-of-town builder gets you in trouble. Much of East Tennessee sits on karst terrain, soluble limestone bedrock that is prone to sinkholes and unpredictable subsurface conditions. Add clay soils that shrink and swell with moisture, plus the steep, sloped lots common around Knoxville, and pool engineering becomes genuinely local work.

Getting the excavation, footings, drainage, and any retaining walls right for your specific ground is what keeps a pool from cracking or settling years later. Our county guides cover the local conditions in detail, for example building in Knox County.

The features you add shape both the experience and the budget. Common ones: an integrated spa, a tanning ledge or sun shelf, water features (waterfalls, sheer descents, bubblers), a pool heater to stretch the season, smart automation you run from your phone, and LED lighting. Many of these are high-value upgrades worth planning for up front rather than retrofitting later.

Not sure what a term means? Our outdoor living glossary defines everything from gunite to tanning ledge in plain English.

The pool is only half the project, the deck and surroundings are what you actually live on. Travertine and porcelain are popular for their cool surface and clean modern look, with pavers a durable, flexible option. A pool deck flows naturally into a paver patio or outdoor living space, and many of our clients add a putting green or outdoor kitchen to complete the backyard. See pool decks for surface options.

Already have a dated pool? A pool renovation can re-tile, resurface, and re-deck an existing pool for a fraction of a new build.

You do not have to pay all at once. We offer financing through HFS with low monthly options, so you can spread the cost and start enjoying the pool sooner. See pool and backyard financing for details and to pre-qualify.

A pool is a long-term, high-ticket build, so the builder matters as much as the pool. Look for a licensed and insured contractor (we hold Tennessee license #77919), real local references, a transparent pricing process, and clear communication throughout. Read genuine homeowner reviews, browse real East Tennessee projects we have built, and meet the family team on our about page.

The biggest red flag: a builder who dodges price or promises a custom gunite pool in three weeks. Honest timelines and honest numbers are the whole point.