A pool is enjoyed in summer and judged in winter: when the temperature drops and the empty shell starts showing cracks, or when the water bill arrives and doesn’t match what you have used. What separates a pool that gives pleasure from one that gives headaches is decided before anyone digs, in the ground conditions, the shell and the filtration.
At Grupo Construcciones Alicante we build and refurbish swimming pools across Alicante and the province: gunite and reinforced concrete shells, finishes and the whole surrounding area. We also take care of what never appears in the photographs: the plant room, the drainage around the shell, the coping and the surrounding paving, which is where the problems of badly built pools always end up.
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In this province a pool is not a seasonal luxury: it is used for much of the year and it is one of the elements that most affects a property’s value, particularly for villas and for homes let to holidaymakers, where it decides whether you appear at all in the portal searches.
Built in concrete it also lasts for decades and allows any shape, depth and finish, and can be refurbished later by changing only the lining. Compared with prefabricated options it costs more initially, but it is the one that adapts to a sloping plot, integrates steps and beach areas, and ages well.
Building a pool follows an order, and skipping it shows the moment it is filled:
We study the plot: ground conditions, slope, orientation to the sun, machine access and where the water and power come from. The position decides how many hours of sun the water gets and how much it costs to keep it warm.
A fixed quote covering the shell, the filtration, the lining and the whole surrounding area. This is where surprises usually appear: the pool is priced on its own and the terrace, lighting and plant room come separately.
Setting out and excavation, with spoil removal and drainage preparation. On coastal plots and in the Vega Baja, where the water table is high, perimeter drainage is not optional.
Steel fixing, gunite or formed concrete shell and installation of the hydraulic circuit, with pressure testing before anything is lined.
Lining, coping and plant room installation, checking levels, falls and the complete circuit with the pool full.
We hand over the pool filled and running, explain the maintenance and the seasonal start-up, and provide the written guarantee for the works.
Gunite concrete. The usual system for a built pool: concrete is sprayed onto the steel reinforcement, allowing any shape and considerable strength. It is the option for sloping plots, free-form designs and shells with integrated steps and beach areas.
Skimmer or infinity. The skimmer is the classic, with the water level below the coping and the collectors set into the side: cheaper and simpler to maintain. An infinity pool takes the water to the very edge and collects it in a perimeter channel feeding a balance tank; it looks spectacular, but costs considerably more and demands greater precision and maintenance.
Linings. Glass mosaic is the traditional finish, durable and repairable tile by tile. Large-format porcelain gives a more contemporary look. Reinforced PVC membrane is the quickest way to refurbish an old shell without breaking it out. Microcement offers seamless continuity, though it demands very careful application.
Water treatment. Salt chlorination has become the norm because the water is kinder to the skin and daily maintenance is lower, although the salt level and the cell need checking. With pH control and a variable-speed pump, electricity consumption drops noticeably.
What causes most trouble in pools around here is not the shell, it is the surroundings. Perimeter paving without the correct fall sends water back towards the house; badly sealed coping lets water in between the shell and the ground; and where drainage is absent on a high water table, an empty shell can even be lifted by uplift pressure. That is why emptying a pool in winter without knowing the ground conditions is always a bad idea.
The second point is the plant room. Many pools are built with a minimal, poorly ventilated space and no drain, and any repair afterwards becomes an ordeal. Leaving enough room, with easy access and a drain, costs very little during the works and saves a great deal later.
On maintenance, the key is filtration: a pump sized for the actual volume, filtering hours matched to the season and regular cleaning of the filter. A well-balanced pool uses less chemical product, less water and less electricity, and the water stays clear without dramas in August.
Pool work we carry out regularly in Alicante and the province:
Yes. A built pool requires local authority consent and, depending on the council and the size, a technical design and appointed supervision. You must also respect the distances to boundaries and the conditions of the local plan, and in some cases evidence the protective fencing. We handle it with the relevant engineer before any machine moves, because building without consent can end in a demolition order.
Between eight and twelve weeks for a standard concrete pool, covering excavation, steel fixing, gunite, curing times, pipework, lining and the surrounding area. Concrete and lining curing times cannot be rushed. The consent process comes first and depends on the council, so it is worth starting the paperwork in winter to swim in summer.
Almost always, and it usually works out far better value than building new. The failed lining is removed, the shell is checked, repaired and waterproofed and a new finish applied, taking the opportunity to renew the filtration, lighting and fittings. If the shell has structural cracks or is moving, we first establish why; lining over a shell that moves only postpones the problem.
Checking pH and disinfectant levels, cleaning the skimmers and pump basket, backwashing the filter regularly and adjusting filtration hours to the water temperature: more in summer, less in winter. With salt chlorination and automatic pH control, the daily work drops considerably. At the start of each season a full commissioning is worthwhile, checking pump, lights and watertightness.
In this province a heat pump extends the swimming season from spring well into autumn, and with a cover or thermal blanket the running cost is reasonable because it prevents overnight heat loss. Without a cover, the water cools every night and the unit works twice as hard. If the property is a holiday let, a heated pool clearly extends the booking season.
Yes. First we establish whether the loss is evaporation, the shell or the pipework, by comparing the drop in level with the system running and stopped. Then we locate the exact point, usually around the light fittings, the return inlets or the buried circuit. We repair it and confirm with a watertightness test before signing the job off.