Fibreglass pools in Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie is the closest region to the factory, which keeps the delivery part of your quote down. Australian-made shells, NSW engineering in the pack, and you choose whether you install it, your builder does, or we arrange it.

A short run from the factory

The shells are made on the mid-north coast. Port Macquarie is a little over an hour up the highway, which is a fraction of the distance to Sydney or Newcastle. Freight is a real cost that moves with kilometres, and it is a large part of why the same pool costs different money in different towns. Being this close to the yard works in your favour.

It also means delivery is quick to arrange. Before you commit we check your block from the aerial, the planning maps and your photos, then call you to talk it through.

Building at Sovereign Hills or one of the new estates

Most of the new building around Port Macquarie is happening at Thrumster. Sovereign Hills is the big one, with new homesites still being released, and there is more land at The Sanctuary and Sovereign Rise nearby.

Estate blocks out there generally run from about 500 to 850 square metres, which is genuinely enough land for a full size pool rather than a courtyard plunge. That is not true of every estate in New South Wales, and it is worth knowing before you assume you have to go small.

Ground conditions around the Hastings

Coastal sand

Closer to the water you are often in sand. Sand is straightforward to dig but it does not hold a wall, so the hole needs to be cut and the shell set without leaving an open excavation sitting around. It is a sequencing question more than a cost question.

Water table

Low lying ground near the Hastings and the creeks can carry a high water table, particularly after a wet run. It matters because a fibreglass shell is buoyant. The answer is hydrostatic relief and keeping the pool full, and it is normal engineering rather than a reason not to build. Tell us if your block sits low and we will flag it before you dig.

Acid sulfate soils

Parts of the low lying coastal strip are mapped as acid sulfate soil. If you are in one of those areas your council will have conditions about disturbing and disposing of spoil. Your certifier or council will tell you straight away, so ask early rather than after the excavator is booked.

Access and the crane

New estate blocks are the ones that catch people out, not the old wide ones. Frontages are narrower, kerbs and footpaths are new and councils do not want them broken, and there are often service pits right where a crane wants to sit.

What we need to know is the gap the shell has to pass through, what is overhead, and where a truck and a crane can stand. Measure your side access at its tightest point and look up for powerlines. Our delivery and crane access guide walks through it properly.

Compliance in New South Wales

Pool fencing is AS 1926.1 and it is enforced. You will need a certifier, the pool goes on the state register once it is in, and a compliance certificate is required before you sell or lease. If you are going owner-builder there are permit thresholds that catch people out, which we cover in the owner-builder guide.

The shell drawing and the engineer's install details come with your order, because your certifier, your excavator and your concreter will all ask for them before they start.

What you get, and who puts it in

Every pool comes as one kit: the Australian-made shell, the Essentials equipment package, the engineering pack and freight to your site. See what is in it.

Your own builder or trades

Most people install the kit with their own builder or trades. It is the cheapest honest way to a quality pool, and we are on the phone the whole way. More on the supply only page.

Our licensed crew

Rather not organise the trades? On sites that suit, our licensed crew can install it, priced after we have looked at your block.

Common questions

Is Port Macquarie cheaper than quoting from Sydney?

For us, yes, and the reason is simply distance. The shells are made on the mid-north coast, so the truck run to Port Macquarie is short. Freight is worked out from the yard to your site, so the closer you are the smaller that part of the number is.

Do you deliver to Wauchope, Laurieton and the Camden Haven?

Yes. Wauchope, Laurieton, Lake Cathie, Bonny Hills and the rest of the Camden Haven are all an easy run for us. Tell us your suburb and we will price the delivery properly rather than guess at it.

My block is at Sovereign Hills. Will a full size pool fit?

Usually yes. Blocks out at Thrumster tend to run from about 500 to 850 square metres, which is more land than most new estates give you. The quickest way to be certain is the yard planner, where you pull up the satellite view of your own block and drop the pool on it to scale.

Can my own builder install it?

Yes, and a lot of people do exactly that, particularly if you are already building. You buy the pool from us and your builder puts it in. The structural warranty covers the manufacture of the shell either way, because it is not an install warranty no matter who does the work.

What about the water table down near the river?

It is a normal thing to design for, not a dealbreaker. A fibreglass shell is buoyant, so in high water table ground you want hydrostatic relief and you keep the pool full. Tell us if your block sits low and we will raise it before you dig rather than after.