Like a blueprint, dig specs are detailed drawings of your swimming pool plans. The Dig Spec has to be approved before you can move forward with your swimming pool order. This is to make sure that everything in your pool kit will go where you want it to. What you’re looking for and what you need to do to get it:
- how big was the pool was
- the place where
- the step lights are
The Dig Spec shows the final size of your pool and how the panels are set up. The panel layout shows where each of your pool’s panels will be put.
When you sign off on the Dig Spec, it’s important that you’re happy with the details, since your pool liner will be made to fit the pool on the drawing.
Because of this, we will explain what everything on your Dig Spec means so that you can make sure your pool is exactly what you want.
NOTE: If you ordered your inground pool from KB Pool and Spa, you will automatically receive a dig spec/pool drawing via email before your pool is ordered. If you want to find your Dig Spec, look for an email from KB Pool and Spa with the subject line “Document Approval.” This is also in the Documents section of your customer portal.
IMPORTANT: The measurements on this drawing are final.
Dig for the deep end is not part of it.
It doesn’t have too much digging for bracing.
It doesn’t let you have a coping, a high deck, or stones for the decking.
NOTE: If you want to know how to dig, carefully plan the exact location and height of your pool, or any of the other things mentioned above, please see page 9 of the inground installation guide, which can be found here.
HOW TO READ YOUR DIG SPEC
IMPORTANT: The examples of drawings in this article are general and are meant to help you as a guide. These have nothing to do with how your pool is made. You should have gotten an email asking you to approve the drawing/dig spec that was attached to your pool. Please use that PDF along with this guide, since this guide isn’t made for your design in particular.
The Dig Spec drawing for your pool shows both a top view and a side view.
The first thing to pay close attention to is the lengths of the panels. The lengths of the panels range from 6″ to 8′. (feet). We recommend following the Dig Spec for where to put your panels, but you can put them in any order as long as the measurements of that wall length add up to the same number on your Dig Spec. (Here 14′ x 28′)
EXAMPLE: It’s fine to move your 8-foot-long skimmer panel with another 8-foot-long panel. It’s also fine if you change it to a 5′ and 3′. All that matters is that the length of that side of the pool stays the same. That would be 28′ in this picture.
DIG SPEC: MARKINGS
Let’s try to figure out what each mark on your Dig Spec means.
Skimmer panels are marked as “SK” and “SKIMMER”. The panel where your skimmer will be is called the “skimmer panel.” This means that there is already a hole for your skimmer in that particular steel panel. Most skimmer panels for polymer pools are already cut out, but there are a few panel layouts where this isn’t the case. In these cases, the area where the skimmer hole is cut out is already made and easy to cut.
IMPORTANT: The skimmer itself should be at least 4 feet from a corner. When a skimmer is put in too close to a corner, especially a 6-inch radius corner, it can cause problems.
“RT” is written on return panels. Panels with return inlets are called “return panels.” In the case of steel panels, this means that the holes for your returns are already in those panels. Returns are not already cut out for polymer pools, but the installation manual shows how to cut this area out easily.
Pool Braces can be found where the dark lines between the panels meet. Every wall joint in a freeform or polymer pool will usually have a brace (where each panel meets the next). If you didn’t order corner braces with your kit, you can’t connect straight-wall steel pools like rectangles and L-shapes to corners with a radius. Lastly, your pool step will always have support on each side.
Light location and a picture of a light show where the light is and what panels it is on. Only lights with a niche can use these. The light panel is where the light for your pool will go. This means that there is already a hole for your light in that particular steel panel. Most light panels for polymer pools are already cut out, but there are a few panel layouts where this isn’t the case. In these cases, the cut-out area for the light is already made and easy to cut.
DIG SPEC: STEPS
Let’s talk about your step, which is usually labeled “STEP” on your Dig Spec along with information about what kind of step it is. Depending on what kind of step you ordered, the way you read your Dig Spec will be a little bit different. There are three types of steps to watch out for, whether they are entry steps or swim outs from the deep end:
Outside the Perimeter Bolt On Step: As you can see, this step is not inside the pool walls. Where the step is going, there won’t be a wall panel. On each side, the step will be connected to a wall panel with connecting braces.
Inside the Perimeter Bolt-On/Drop-in Step: This step is similar to the one above in that there won’t be a wall panel where the step is going. The sides of the step will be the pool’s walls and make up the area around this part of the pool. On each side, the step will be connected to a wall panel with connecting braces.
Vinyl Over Steps: The wall area around the step is marked differently than the two types of steps shown above. This is because when you have Vinyl Over Steps, the steel walls of the steps will match the steel walls around your pool. That is, you won’t have pool wall panels for all of this space. Instead, your pool’s edge will be made up of your step. In the picture on the left, the step will cover the whole 16-foot end wall and 8-foot walls on both sides. This is true whether your vinyl-covered steps are inside or outside the pool’s perimeter.
*If you have a Drop-In Vinyl Over Step, the walls of your pool will make up the whole edge. Your step won’t have its own walls; instead, it will be attached to the wall panels of your pool, as shown here.
IMPORTANT: Once the liner is made, you won’t be able to move any steps that are on the inside perimeter of your pool. This includes vinyl-covered steps, corner steps, and bolt-on or drop-in steps on the inside perimeter. This is because your liner was made just for your pool, with the steps exactly where they are shown on your Dig Spec.
DIG SPEC: SIDE VIEW
Last but not least, let’s talk about what you need to know about the side view!
Both the bird’s-eye view and the side view show the width and length of the whole thing.
The finished bottom size is shown on the far right side of your drawing. This is the only extra piece of information you’ll find on the side view.
In this case, the shallow end is 10 feet long, the main slope is 10 feet long, the hopper (the deepest part of the pool) is 4 feet long, and the back slope is also 4 feet long. This is shown in the picture at the bottom of this page.
This will be different for each pool.
The standard finish depth for 42″ wall pools is 3’4″, and the deep end is 5’8″ to the top of the wall.
From the top of the wall, these are the measurements (NOT the top of the coping).
NOTE: When you dig the pool, don’t make the shallow end too deep. The wall is flat on the ground, and when you put the 2″ pool base on top of it, the wall goes up 2″. This means that you are putting two inches of floor material in the shallow end, which makes the walls two inches shorter. You will only have to dig 2″ deeper in the hopper to make room for the pool base. More detailed information on this topic can be found in the installation manual.