Katy Pool Building Company, Serving Brookshire

Name: Ptagonline
Address: 5601 Fry Road, Katy, TX, 77494, US
Telephone: (346) 497-0471

Gunite, fiberglass, and vinyl-liner pools designed, dug, and finished step by step. Free on-site consultations across Katy and Brookshire.

Call (346) 497-0471 Map Out Your Project

Permits and inspections handled
Week-by-week build schedule
Licensed and insured

The Build Log

Follow along with pool projects from first dig to first swim.

Gunite pool under construction in a Katy backyard

What to Expect Week by Week in a Katy Pool Build

July 1, 2026

The most common question we hear from Katy homeowners is a simple one: how long does this take, and what happens when? A pool is a real construction project, and the honest answer is that it moves in stages, each with its own crew and its own inspection. Here is what a typical gunite build looks like from the first shovel to the first swim.

Week One: Design, Layout, and the Dig

Before anything is dug, we finalize a scaled design and stake out the shape in your yard so you can see it full size. Once the permit clears, excavation begins. A crew and a small excavator shape the hole to the plan, and the spoil is hauled off. Access matters here, and we confirm the route to the backyard early so the equipment fits.

Week Two to Three: Steel and Plumbing

Next comes the steel rebar cage, tied by hand to the contours of the shell, followed by rough plumbing for the skimmer, main drain, and return lines. This is also when the equipotential bonding grid goes in, an 8 AWG copper loop required by NEC 680.26. An inspection follows before any concrete is sprayed. If you are weighing build types at this stage, our custom gunite pool construction page walks through the shell in more detail.

Week Three to Four: The Gunite Shell

The shell is the milestone everyone waits for. Gunite is sprayed pneumatically over the steel, then hand-troweled to shape the floor, walls, steps, and any tanning ledge. After that, the shell needs to cure, which means daily watering for about a week. It looks rough at this point, and that is normal.

Week Five to Eight: Tile, Deck, and Finish

With the shell cured, the crew sets waterline tile and coping, then forms and pours the surrounding deck. The interior finish, whether white plaster, quartz, or a longer-lasting pebble aggregate, is troweled in near the end. Each of these is its own visit, and weather can shift the dates by a day or two.

The Final Week: Startup

Once the interior is in, we fill the pool and begin startup, brushing and balancing the water chemistry over the first several days so the finish cures correctly. We walk you through the equipment, the automation, and the maintenance rhythm before we hand it over.

From layout off Mason Road to the day the water is clear, a well-run build stays predictable when the stages are scheduled and inspected in order. Have questions about your own yard? Contact us or call Ptagonline at (346) 497-0471 for a free on-site consultation.

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Communities We Build In Near Katy

We build pools throughout Katy and the surrounding Harris County communities, and out to the nearby towns west and north of the city.

Katy, TX (77449, 77493, 77494)
Brookshire, TX
Fulshear, TX
Richmond, TX
Cypress, TX
Sugar Land, TX

Not sure if we reach your neighborhood? Call (346) 497-0471 and we will let you know.

Ptagonline provides pool builders in Katy, TX, handling custom gunite construction, fiberglass shell installation, vinyl-liner pools, resurfacing and replastering, spa and hot tub integration, saltwater chlorination, and pool decking from the first shovel to the day you swim. Every project runs in stages, so the steel cage, the rough plumbing, the shell, the tile, and the interior finish each get their own careful pass. We build across Cinco Ranch, Grand Lakes, and the streets off Mason Road.

A pool is a construction project, not a purchase off a shelf, and the order of operations is what keeps it on track. We open with a site walk and a scaled design, then move to layout and excavation, the rebar cage, rough plumbing, and the gunite or shotcrete shell. Once the shell cures, tile and coping go on, the deck gets poured, and the plaster or pebble interior is troweled in before startup. Homeowners near Fry Road tell us the clarity of that sequence is what made the whole build feel manageable.

Most gunite builds in the 77494 area take eight to twelve weeks of active work, weather and inspections permitting. Fiberglass installs move quicker because the shell arrives molded and ready to set on a compacted gravel base. We hand you a week-by-week schedule at signing, so you know when the dig happens, when the concrete truck arrives, and when the water finally goes in. A pause for a county inspection or a rain day is normal, and we keep you posted rather than leaving you to guess.

We build to the standards that keep a backyard safe, including NEC 680.26 equipotential bonding, ANSI/PHTA/ICC-7 anti-entrapment drain covers, and the 48-inch barrier height the code requires around a new pool. Local owners hire our team because we pull the permits, coordinate the inspections, and stand behind both the shell and the equipment. From Seven Meadows to the quiet blocks around Pin Oak Road, we treat each yard like it is the only job on the calendar.

Staged, sequenced buildsLayout, steel, plumbing, the gunite shell, tile, deck, and finish each get a dedicated crew and a dedicated day on the schedule.
A written build calendarYou get a week-by-week timeline at signing, so you always know when the dig, the pour, and the startup are set to happen.
Code and safety handledWe manage permits, NEC 680.26 bonding, and ANSI/PHTA/ICC-7 drain covers so the finished pool passes inspection the first time.
Local crews, local knowledgeWe build across Cinco Ranch, Firethorne, and Cane Island and know the Katy soil, the water table, and the permit office.

Pool Services From Design to Startup

One local team for every build type and every stage of the job, from the design table to the first swim.

01Custom Gunite Pools: Fully custom in-ground pools built with a pneumatically applied gunite shell over a steel rebar cage, allowing any shape, depth, tanning ledge, or vanishing edge you can picture.
02Fiberglass Pools: Factory-molded one-piece fiberglass shells set on a compacted gravel base, plumbed, backfilled, and finished with coping and deck. The smooth gelcoat needs no plaster and installs fast.
03Vinyl-Liner Pools: In-ground vinyl-liner pools built on steel or polymer wall panels with a custom-fit membrane, usually the lowest first cost of the three build types, with the liner replaced every seven to twelve years.
04Remodeling and Resurfacing: Chipping out tired plaster and applying new quartz or pebble finish, replacing waterline tile and coping, and updating drains to current anti-entrapment covers. Pebble finishes last fifteen to twenty-five years.
05Spa and Hot Tub Integration: An attached raised spa or spillover hot tub sharing the pool structure, with its own heater, blower, and jets tied into the automation, spilling back into the main pool as a water feature.
06Equipment, Automation and Salt: Variable-speed pumps, cartridge and sand filters, heaters, and salt chlorine generators wired into a smart controller you run pumps, lights, and heat from on a phone app.

Budgeting Your Gunite or Fiberglass Pool

Pool pricing depends mostly on the build type, the size, and the finish. Vinyl-liner pools carry the lowest first cost, fiberglass sits in the middle with a fast install, and custom gunite runs highest because the shape, depth, and stonework are all yours to choose. Decks, spas, water features, and premium interior finishes add to the total. The ranges below are typical for the Katy area, and we put the firm number in writing after a free on-site consultation.

Vinyl-liner pool$35,000 to $65,000 turn-key	Fiberglass pool$45,000 to $85,000 installed	Custom gunite pool$60,000 to $150,000 built
Lowest first cost Liner replaced every seven to twelve years Get a quote	One-piece shell, no plaster One of the fastest installs Get a quote	Any shape, depth, or finish Tanning ledges and vanishing edges Get a quote

Common Questions About the Build Process

How long does it take to build a pool in Katy?

A custom gunite build usually runs eight to twelve weeks of active work once permits clear. Fiberglass installs are quicker because the shell arrives molded and ready to set. We give you a week-by-week schedule so the timeline is never a mystery.

What are the stages of a gunite pool build?

In order: design and layout, excavation, the steel rebar cage, rough plumbing, the gunite shell, tile and coping, the deck pour, the interior plaster or pebble finish, and finally startup. Each stage is its own scheduled visit.

What is the difference between gunite, fiberglass, and vinyl-liner?

Gunite is a sprayed concrete shell that can be any shape or depth. Fiberglass is a molded one-piece shell that installs fast with no plaster. Vinyl-liner uses wall panels and a membrane and carries the lowest first cost. We walk you through all three.

Do I need a permit and a safety fence for a new pool?

Yes on both. We pull the permits and coordinate the inspections, and the code calls for a barrier at least 48 inches high with a self-closing, self-latching gate that opens away from the pool. We handle the bonding and drain-cover requirements too.

Is a saltwater pool better than a traditional chlorine pool?

A salt chlorine generator makes chlorine on demand from dissolved salt, which gives softer water and steadier sanitizer levels than hand-dosing. The cell sits inline after the filter and heater. Many Katy owners prefer the feel and the lower day-to-day fuss.

How often does a pool need to be resurfaced?

Standard white plaster tends to last five to ten years, while quartz and pebble finishes last fifteen to twenty-five. When we resurface, we also refresh the waterline tile and bring the drain covers up to current anti-entrapment standards.

Map Out Your Project With Us

Ready to plan your build? We will walk your yard, talk through gunite, fiberglass, and vinyl-liner options, and hand you a clear written estimate with a week-by-week schedule and no pressure. From the first dig off Mason Road to the day the water goes in, we keep the whole project on track.

Call (346) 497-0471