It can take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours to fill the average pool with water—and that’s if you use a couple of garden hoses. A water delivery service can fill your pool in one to three hours. Some services even pre-treat the water so it’s swim-ready as soon as it’s filled.

You should add one 3-inch chlorine tablet for every 5,000 gallons of water in your pool. If you have a smaller pool, it’s better to use 1-inch chlorine tablets so you don’t accidentally add too much chlorine. Alternatively, you can add two to three ounces of powdered chlorine or half a gallon of liquid chlorine for every 5,000 gallons of water.

A pool builder can advise you on the best design for your property and vision, and can walk you through the process from design to a swim-ready pool. Knowing which questions to ask a pool builder can help ensure you choose the right person for the job.

An in-ground concrete pool will carry the highest price tag of all available types of pools, with architectural or freeform concrete pools found at the top end of the price range. Although the upfront costs for a concrete pool are high, these pools tend to be more durable than pools made from other materials and will last the longest.