Building a swimming pool on the Petite Côte: what to plan for

Design the pool with the villa

A pool is designed together with the house: orientation to sun and wind, distance from walls and trees, access from the terrace, location of the plant room. Including it in the plans from the start avoids costly changes and lets you include it in the building permit application.

Size, shape and depth depend on use: family pool, swimming, relaxing. The larger the pool, the more water, maintenance and equipment weigh on the budget.

The ground: sand, water table and the sea

On the Petite Côte, plots are often sandy, and the water table can be close to the surface near the sea or a lagoon. These two factors determine the excavation, the pool structure and the precautions against water pressure.

A soil investigation before work begins is good practice, especially near the coast. It lets you adapt the structure rather than discover the problem while digging.

Salty air: the silent enemy

By the sea, salt attacks metal and seeps into poorly protected concrete. For a pool and its surroundings, that means: reinforcement properly covered by concrete, good-quality concrete that is well placed, corrosion-resistant equipment and fixings, and a ventilated plant room.

Salty beach sand must never be used in concrete. Quality of workmanship matters as much as materials.

Water: filling and topping up

You need water to fill the pool, then to make up for evaporation, which is high in the dry season. Check the supply available on your plot (mains, borehole) and its quality: near the coast, borehole water can be brackish. Boreholes are subject to rules: check with the relevant services before considering one.

Think about drainage too: where will backwash and emptying water go? This needs to be planned with the house's wastewater system.

Equipment and water treatment

• Filtration sized for the pool volume, in an accessible, ventilated plant room.
• Water treatment (chlorine, salt electrolysis…): choose according to use and how easy it is to maintain locally.
• Corrosion-resistant equipment and spare parts available locally.
• Lighting and electrics installed to standard, with protection suited to a wet environment.

Building a pool, step by step

A masonry pool is usually built in this order: setting out and excavation, reinforced concrete floor and walls, pipework, waterproofing, finish lining, pool surround, equipment installation, then filling and adjustments.

Each step determines the next. Poor waterproofing or badly laid pipes often only show up after filling, when repairs are expensive: this is where quality of workmanship makes the difference.

What affects the budget

• The size and shape of the pool (a free-form shape takes more work than a rectangle).
• The type of soil and the presence of water in the ground.
• The type of finish lining and the surround.
• Equipment: filtration, treatment, lighting, any heating.
• Site access for machinery and materials.

Safety

A pool is a hazard for young children. Plan a suitable safety system from the design stage: fence with a gate, cover, alarm… This matters even more for a holiday home where children do not know the surroundings.

Think about the surround too: a non-slip surface that does not get too hot in the sun makes the pool safer and more pleasant every day.

Maintenance while you are away

For a diaspora home, this is often the forgotten point. Wind-blown dust and sand in the dry season, heat, rain in the rainy season: a pool left unattended deteriorates quickly. Arrange for someone to handle regular maintenance and set aside an annual budget for products and small repairs.

Questions to ask before you start

• Where should the pool go to enjoy the sun without overheating the terrace?
• Which water source for filling, and of what quality?
• Where will the plant room go, and how will it be ventilated?
• Who will maintain the pool while you are away, and with what budget?
• What safety system for children?

Pools we have built

At Niokolodge, in Niokolo-Koba National Park, we built the pool along with the rest of the lodge. At Les Manguiers de Guéréo, near the Somone, we restructured the infinity pool overlooking the lagoon. You will also find on this site photos of a villa with a pool on the Petite Côte.

Swimming pools are part of our expertise, in new builds and renovations alike, and a villa with a pool is our favourite kind of project.