Planning a Pool for an Apartment Community, HOA or Swim School

A backyard pool serves a household. A commercial pool serves a community, and that changes nearly everything about how it should be planned. At Hilltop Pools and Spas, Inc. we build commercial concrete swimming pools around metro Atlanta. We specialize in pools at apartments, gyms, neighborhoods, condominiums, swim schools and competition pools, and we have been designing and building commercial pools for decades. If you are a property manager, an HOA board member or a program director, this article walks through how to approach the early planning.

Start with who will use it

The best commercial pools begin with a plain description of the people who will swim in them. An apartment community may want a social deck with lounge seating and room for residents to gather. A condominium building may care most about a quiet, well-kept pool. A swim school needs an environment suited to instruction, and a competition pool has to work for training and meets. Different users want different depths, different layouts and different surroundings, so write down who the pool is for before you talk to anyone about shapes.

Think about how the pool will be run

Someone has to operate a commercial pool every day it is open. That means thinking about circulation and filtration sized for the people who will use it, about the deck and the furniture around it, and about who handles water care and supervision. A pool that is easy to run tends to stay open and stay clean. Ask early about how equipment is arranged, how it can be reached for service and what the daily routine looks like for the staff.

Codes come first, not last

Commercial pools are subject to codes and regulations that residential pools generally are not, and they vary by jurisdiction. We will not quote requirements in an article, because the right answer depends on where the pool is and what it is used for. What we can say is that we can assist with ideas and plan development to ensure the design is consistent with local codes. Before you commit to a layout, confirm the requirements with your local permitting office and your local health authority, and bring your designer into that conversation early.

• Who the pool is for: residents, members, students or competitors.
• How many people may use it at once on a busy day.
• What depth and layout each group of swimmers needs.
• Which local codes and approvals apply to the project.
• How the deck, fencing and entry points will be arranged.
• Who will operate, clean and inspect the pool day to day.

Design for durability and daily wear

A commercial pool takes more use than a family pool, so durability matters. Concrete is the material we focus on, and it is formed and finished on site, which allows the pool to be shaped to the property and the program. The decking, the coping, the tile and the finish all see heavy traffic, so ask how each one holds up and how it is maintained. Choose surfaces for the way people will actually walk on them, including wet feet and young swimmers.

Budget and approvals, in the right order

For an association, a management company or a school, the decision usually involves more than one person. Boards, owners and committees all want to see the scope and the numbers before they approve. A detailed written proposal makes that conversation easier, because everyone can read the same document. We do not publish prices, since every site is different, but we do prepare detailed proposals that explain the scope clearly. Bring your decision makers into the process early, so the plan you present has already been shaped by the questions they care about.

It also helps to look at your property with fresh eyes. Where is there space for a pool and a deck? How will people reach it? What will it look like from the buildings that overlook it? A designer who has built for communities can help you answer those questions, and a site visit is usually the quickest way to find out what is realistic.

You do not need a finished plan to start. You need a conversation. Tell us what the property is, who the pool will serve and what you hope it will do for your community. We will listen, visit the site and help you work out the next steps. Call Hilltop Pools at (770) 471-3889 to schedule a consultation for your apartment community, condominium, neighborhood, gym or swim school.