How to Remodel an Inground Pool in Slidell, Step by Step

Written by Big Easy Pool Designs

How Do You Remodel an Inground Pool in Slidell?

Quick Answer: You start with an inspection to confirm the shell and equipment are sound, design the changes, approve a written scope and get any permit, then work from the top of the pool down: tile and coping, interior finish, deck, refill and start-up. In Slidell, plan the drain-down and the schedule around groundwater and the storm season.

We remodel a lot of pools that were built decades ago by someone else. The order below is the one we follow, and it’s the order that keeps one trade from damaging another trade’s finished work. If you already know you want a new look, it also shows where your decisions come in.

Can You Remodel an Inground Pool, or Does It Need a Renovation?

Most inground pools can be remodeled. The question is whether the pool needs a pool remodel, which is cosmetic, or a renovation, which is corrective. A remodel takes a pool that works fine and gives it new surfaces, tile, coping, decking or lighting. A renovation fixes cracked shells, leaks, failing equipment and plumbing problems.

The two often overlap. If the inspection finds a structural crack or a leak, that repair comes first, because a new finish over an active problem won’t last. Our pool renovation work in Slidell covers that side of the job.

What Are the Steps of a Pool Remodel?

Step 1: Inspect the Pool

We look at the shell for cracks and hollow spots, check the tile line and coping, run the equipment and look for signs of leaks. This step decides whether you’re planning a remodel, a renovation or both.

Step 2: Design the Changes

This is the fun part. You pick the interior finish, the waterline tile, the coping and the deck surface, and decide whether to add features like LED lighting or a tanning ledge. Some remodels change the layout too. Our custom pool design service in Slidell handles the bigger changes.

Step 3: Approve a Written Scope and Schedule

Before any work starts, you should see in writing what changes, what it costs and how long it takes. Our post on what drives pool renovation cost in South Louisiana explains the factors that move that number. If the remodel grows into a new build, our post on what an inground pool costs in the New Orleans metro covers that budget instead.

Step 4: Check the License and Get Permits

The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors requires a residential swimming pool license for pool construction or repair work valued over $7,500, and the board has a public lookup. Our guide to choosing a pool builder shows what to check. Permit needs depend on the scope and the address. Inside Slidell city limits, the city’s permit office decides. Outside the city, St. Tammany Parish does. We pull the permits the work requires.

Step 5: Drain the Pool Safely

Most surface work needs an empty pool. That’s riskier here than it sounds. An empty shell sitting in high groundwater can be pushed upward, so the drain-down is timed and watched by the crew, with the refill planned close behind the finish work.

Step 6: Tile and Coping

Work starts at the top. Old waterline tile and coping come off where they’re being replaced, and the new tile and coping go on. Doing this before the interior finish keeps debris and mortar off the new surface.

Step 7: Prep and Apply the Interior Finish

The old surface is prepared so the new finish bonds, any repairs are made, and the new interior finish goes on. This is the step that changes the color of the water more than anything else.

Step 8: Deck Work

The deck can be repaired, resurfaced or replaced. Our guide to pool decking materials for Louisiana heat and humidity compares the options, and our post on a cracked or sinking pool deck covers repair or replace.

Step 9: Refill and Start-Up

The pool is refilled without stopping, and the water is balanced carefully through the start-up period, because a new finish is sensitive to water chemistry in its first weeks. We walk you through the start-up routine.

Step 10: Final Walkthrough

We walk the finished pool with you and answer questions before we hand it back.

What Should Slidell Homeowners Plan For?

Slidell sits just north of Lake Pontchartrain, and many yards here are low with a high water table. That shapes two parts of a remodel.

Groundwater. It’s the reason Step 5 matters. The crew watches the water table and the weather before draining and plans the work so the pool doesn’t sit empty longer than needed.

Weather. Heavy rain can pause finish work and deck pours, and hurricane season runs through the fall. A realistic schedule leaves room for rain days. Many owners aim to finish the work before peak swim season, which also puts the noisy part of the job outside the months you’d most want the pool.

If you’re curious how resurfacing compares with a bigger remodel, our post on when resurfacing pays off in Metairie and Kenner walks through that decision. The same reasoning applies in Slidell.

Which Remodel Steps Can a Homeowner Handle?

Design decisions are yours, and so is the prep around the yard: clearing furniture and planters, planning where kids and pets will play and making room at the gate for equipment. The work on the pool itself is a different story. Draining, surface prep, tile setting and finish work need the right tools and experience, and in a high water table a mistake during drain-down can damage the shell. We’d rather you spend your energy picking the tile you’ll love.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remodel only part of my pool?

Yes. Some owners replace only the tile and coping, or only the deck. The inspection tells you whether the rest of the pool can wait.

Do I need to replace the equipment during a remodel?

Not always. If the pump and filter are aging, a remodel is a convenient time to replace them, since the pool is already down.

Can you change the shape of my pool?

Sometimes. Shape changes are structural work, so they need design and engineering, not just new surfaces.

Start Your Slidell Pool Remodel

We’ll inspect the pool and tell you plainly whether you need a remodel or a renovation, with a written scope to match.

See pool remodeling in Slidell and our Slidell service area, then request your free consultation or call (504) 688-4066.