IS
IT
TIME?
Signs You Are Ready for a New Pool
- Your backyard sits empty six months of the year while your neighbors are outside using theirs
- You are spending more on weekend entertainment and travel than a pool payment would cost monthly
- Your kids are getting older and you want a reason for them to stay home instead of driving across town
- You have been getting pool quotes for over a year but keep putting it off because the process feels complicated
- Your current above-ground pool is deteriorating and you are ready for a permanent upgrade
- You just finished a home renovation and the backyard is the last piece that needs attention
- You are building a custom home and want the pool designed alongside the house, not added later
- Your HOA approved pools and several homes on your street have already built one
Why Homeowners in McKinney, Frisco, and North Texas Choose DSH for Pool Construction
DSH Homes and Pools builds custom inground pools across the Dallas Fort Worth corridor, from McKinney and Frisco south to Plano and north to Sherman. Derek Humphreys has spent 30 years in residential and commercial construction, and every DSH pool is managed in-house from the first design meeting through the final walkthrough.
Most pool contractors in DFW specialize in one thing. DSH is one of the few companies that also builds custom homes, which means your pool contractor already understands foundation engineering, residential plumbing codes, electrical panel loads, and outdoor drainage. That matters in North Texas, where more than 90 percent of the soil is expansive clay. The montmorillonite and smectite clays in Collin and Denton counties swell when wet and shrink when dry, and the active zone where this movement happens can extend 10 feet below the surface. A pool shell poured without proper soil engineering will crack within a few years. DSH engineers every pool for these conditions from the beginning, using increased steel reinforcement and site-specific drainage plans.
DSH holds a BBB accreditation with an A rating and carries full general liability coverage on every project. Call (903) 321-3172 for a free on-site consultation with no pressure and no obligation.
Custom Pool Styles for Every Property
Geometric Pools: Clean lines, right angles, and a modern look that pairs with contemporary home architecture. Rectangular, L-shaped, and Roman-end designs are the most common geometric builds DSH installs.
Freeform Pools: Organic curves and naturalistic shapes that blend with landscaping and irregular lot lines. Freeform pools work well on properties with slopes, trees, or uneven terrain where a rigid shape would fight the yard.
Plunge Pools: Compact pools built for smaller backyards or tighter budgets. A plunge pool gives you a place to cool off and relax without the footprint or cost of a full-size build.
Pool and Spa Combos: An attached spa or hot tub with its own heating system and jet configuration, connected to the main pool but operable independently. Run the spa in December without heating the entire pool.
Lap Pools: Narrow, straight-lane pools built for exercise and fitness swimming. Typical lap pools run 40 to 75 feet in length and 8 to 10 feet in width, with a flat bottom at a consistent depth.
- Resort-Style Pools: Large-format builds with tanning ledges, water features, swim-up bars, grottos, or integrated outdoor kitchens. These projects typically involve coordinating the pool build with hardscaping, pergolas, and landscape design.
Services We Offer
Custom Pool Design
DSH creates a detailed design plan with layout, dimensions, materials, and a written cost estimate before any excavation begins.
Excavation and Site Prep
Equipment access, soil removal, grading, and utility relocation handled by the DSH crew, including coordination with your HOA if approval is required.
Gunite Shell Construction
Steel rebar framework sprayed with high-pressure gunite concrete, engineered for North Texas clay soil conditions with increased reinforcement where needed.
Plumbing and Equipment
Pool plumbing, filtration systems, pumps, heaters, salt chlorine generators, and automated chemical management installed and tested before water fill.
Electrical and Automation
Dedicated electrical circuits, LED pool lighting, underwater lights, smart automation panels, and variable-speed pump wiring run to code by licensed electricians.
Decking and Coping
Poured concrete, pavers, travertine, flagstone, or stamped concrete decking with coping stones that cap the pool edge and tie the deck to the shell.
Water Features
Sheer descent waterfalls, bubblers, deck jets, scuppers, and fire-and-water bowls integrated into the custom pool design during construction, not added as afterthoughts.
Final Plaster and Finish
Interior surface options include white plaster, quartz aggregate, pebble finish, or glass bead. Each option has different durability, texture, and color characteristics that DSH walks you through during the design phase.
The DSH Pool Construction Process
Building a custom pool is an exciting journey, and we make it stress-free with our proven step-by-step approach.
Step 1: Free On-Site Consultation
Derek or a senior project manager walks your property with you. You discuss your vision, your lot conditions, your budget range, and your timeline. DSH provides honest feedback on what your backyard can support, including any drainage, access, or HOA constraints.
Step 2: Custom Design and Written Estimate
DSH produces a detailed pool design with dimensions, depth, materials, equipment specifications, and a line-item cost estimate. You review the plan and make changes before any contract is signed. There are no surprise charges after the estimate is approved.
Step 3: Permits and HOA Approval
DSH handles all permit applications, engineering submissions, and HOA paperwork. In most North Texas municipalities, pool permits require structural engineering stamps, which DSH coordinates through licensed engineers who understand local clay soil requirements.
Step 4: Excavation and Steel
The crew excavates the pool shape, sets the steel rebar framework, and installs plumbing stubs. This is the phase where soil conditions matter most. DSH adjusts reinforcement, depth, and drainage based on what the excavation reveals.
Step 5: Gunite Pour
High-pressure gunite concrete is sprayed over the steel framework to form the pool shell. The shell cures for 7 to 10 days with daily watering to prevent surface cracking during the cure period.
Step 6: Tile, Coping, and Decking
Waterline tile, coping stones, and deck material are installed. DSH coordinates the deck pour or paver install with the pool shell so expansion joints align properly and water drains away from the house.
Step 7: Equipment and Electrical
Pumps, filters, heaters, automation panels, and lighting are installed and wired. DSH tests every system before the pool is filled.
Step 8: Plaster, Fill, and Startup
WHERE WE WORK
Pool remodeling available in:
We serve homeowners across Collin, Denton, and Grayson counties. Tap your city for local details.
McKinney · Plano · Prosper · Frisco · Sherman · Van Alstyne · Allen · Celina · Anna · Melissa · Fairview · Princeton
Financing Available on Qualifying Pool Projects
Ask about payment options during your free consultation.
BBB Accredited, A Rating . 30+ Years in North Texas
Frequently Asked Questions
Custom inground gunite pools in North Texas typically start in the $60,000 to $80,000 range for a standard build and run $100,000 to $200,000 or more for resort-style pools with water features, outdoor kitchens, and custom hardscaping. The final cost depends on pool size, depth, shape, interior finish, equipment, decking material, and site conditions. DSH provides a detailed written estimate during the design phase, and the number on the estimate is the number you pay. Call (903) 321-3172 for a free consultation.
Most custom pool builds take 8 to 14 weeks from excavation to swim day, depending on pool complexity, weather, and the permit timeline in your city. Projects with attached outdoor kitchens, pergolas, or extensive hardscaping can take longer. DSH provides an estimated timeline in your contract and keeps you updated at every phase.
Gunite (shotcrete) pools are the standard recommendation for North Texas because the shell is poured around a custom steel rebar framework that can be engineered for the specific soil conditions on your lot. Fiberglass shells are pre-formed and cannot be modified on site, which limits how much structural reinforcement can be added for expansive clay. DSH builds gunite pools exclusively for this reason. Learn more at https://dshbuild.com/guinte-pools/.
DSH handles all municipal permits, engineering submissions, and HOA applications. Most cities in Collin, Denton, and Grayson counties require a building permit with a structural engineering stamp for inground pools. DSH coordinates with licensed engineers and submits all paperwork on your behalf.
DSH is one of the few contractors in North Texas that builds both custom homes and custom pools under one company. Building both simultaneously means the pool plumbing ties into the home plumbing plan, the electrical panel is sized correctly from the start, and the outdoor design matches the interior finishes. This eliminates the coordination problems that happen when two separate contractors work on the same property. Learn more at https://dshbuild.com/custom-homes/.
The DSH estimate covers excavation, steel, gunite, plumbing, electrical, filtration equipment, interior finish, waterline tile, coping, decking, and startup. Water features, spas, outdoor kitchens, and landscape work are quoted separately if requested. There are no hidden fees or change orders unless you request a design change after construction begins.
DSH works with financing partners to offer payment options on qualifying pool and outdoor living projects. Financing details are discussed during your free consultation. Visit our financing page for more information.
DSH builds custom pools across the Dallas Fort Worth corridor, with a focus on McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Prosper, Plano, Celina, Van Alstyne, Anna, Melissa, and Sherman. The team operates from two locations in McKinney and Van Alstyne, covering Collin, Denton, and Grayson counties.
DSH provides a written warranty covering structural integrity, plumbing, and equipment. Warranty details and coverage periods are documented in your contract.
Fall and winter are the best times to start construction. Contractor schedules are more open, and your pool will be finished before the first warm weekend in spring. Pool season in North Texas runs roughly April through October, so starting a build in September or October puts you in the water by March or April.
REVIEWS
Related Services
Pool Remodeling
Cracked plaster, outdated tile, or a pool that just does not match the house you have now. DSH resurfaces, retiles, replumbs, and redesigns existing pools to look and function like new, including deck upgrades, coping replacement, and modern water features.
Custom Home Building
Building from the ground up on your own lot gives you control over layout, materials, and finishes down to the last outlet. DSH designs and builds custom homes across North Texas, from modern ranch plans to multi-story estates, managing permits, engineering, and construction in one contract.
Gunite Pools
Gunite is sprayed concrete reinforced with steel rebar, built to handle the expansion and contraction cycles that North Texas clay soil puts on every structure in the ground. DSH builds fully custom gunite pools in shapes and depths that fiberglass shells cannot match.
Plunge Pools
Not every backyard needs a 40-foot pool. Plunge pools fit smaller lots and tighter budgets while still giving you a place to cool off from May through October. DSH builds custom plunge pools with options for heating, jets, bench seating, and integrated spas.
Spas and Hot Tubs
A standalone spa or a pool-attached hot tub extends your backyard season past pool weather. DSH builds custom spas with adjustable jets, LED lighting, and heating systems that run independently from the main pool, so you can use them year-round.
Get a Free Pool Construction Estimate Today
Your pool project starts with a free on-site consultation. Derek and his team will walk your backyard, talk through your design ideas, and give you a written estimate with no obligation and no pressure. DSH handles every phase from permit to plaster with one in-house crew and one point of contact.