Inground Pool Installation in Franklin, WI — Custom Pools Built for Your Backyard

Franklin, WI homeowners are turning their backyards into something worth coming home to. With spacious suburban lots across southeastern Milwaukee County, the city is genuinely well-suited for inground pool installation, and Loomis Pools has been designing and building custom pools for families throughout this corner of Wisconsin for years. If you’ve been thinking about an inground pool installation in Franklin, WI, this page covers everything you need to know before your first conversation with a builder.

From choosing the right pool type for your soil and budget to pulling permits with the City of Franklin, the process has real moving parts. Loomis Pools handles all of them. Our custom pool design and build process is built around your backyard, your family, and your goals for the space. Request a free design consultation and we’ll start with a site visit to your Franklin property.

Why Franklin Homeowners Are Choosing Inground Pools

Franklin sits at the southern edge of Milwaukee County, where lot sizes tend to run larger than in the city proper. Many neighborhoods feature half-acre to full-acre parcels with mature trees, gentle grades, and enough room to build a pool that feels intentional rather than squeezed in. That’s a real advantage when you’re planning an inground pool project.

The city also draws families who want a private outdoor retreat without driving 45 minutes north to lake country. A backyard pool delivers that. It’s a gathering space for summer evenings, a place for kids to burn off energy, and a feature that adds tangible value to your property. For Franklin homeowners, an inground pool is a 20-plus-year investment in how your family uses your home.

Loomis Pools serves Franklin and the surrounding communities of Oak Creek, Greenfield, New Berlin, and Muskego. Our familiarity with southeastern Wisconsin soil conditions, frost depth, and local permit processes means fewer surprises once the excavator shows up. See how we help SE Wisconsin homeowners build the backyard they’ve been picturing.

Inground Pool Types We Install in Franklin, WI

Three materials dominate the inground pool market: vinyl liner, fiberglass, and concrete (also called gunite or shotcrete). Each has real trade-offs, and the right choice for your Franklin backyard depends on your budget, timeline, and design goals. Read our detailed comparison of vinyl versus fiberglass pools if you want to go deep on this before talking to us.

Vinyl Liner Pools

Vinyl liner pools are the most common choice in southeastern Wisconsin, and for good reason. They’re cost-effective upfront, they install faster than concrete, and modern liners come in dozens of patterns and colors. The liner itself will need replacement every 10 to 15 years depending on use, but the structural shell is built to last decades. For Franklin homeowners working with a defined budget, vinyl liner pools offer strong value.

Fiberglass Pools

Fiberglass shells arrive pre-formed and drop into the excavated hole in a single day. That speed is appealing, especially in Wisconsin where the warm-weather construction window is shorter than in warmer states. Fiberglass surfaces are smooth and non-porous. The trade-off is shape: you’re choosing from a manufacturer’s catalog rather than designing something fully custom. If your Franklin yard has unusual dimensions or you want a freeform shape, fiberglass may not be the right fit.

Concrete and Gunite Pools

Concrete pools offer the most design flexibility. Any shape, any depth, any feature combination is possible. They’re also the most durable long-term structure. The downsides are a longer build timeline (concrete pools take more weeks to cure and finish) and higher upfront cost. For Franklin homeowners who want something truly custom, a concrete pool is worth the investment.

Wisconsin’s freeze-thaw cycles are harder on pool structures than climates in warmer states, and your builder’s choice of materials and construction technique matters. Loomis Pools accounts for local frost depth and soil movement in every build we do here.

The Loomis Pools Installation Process: From Design to First Swim

Building an inground pool is a multi-phase project. Here’s how the process works from the first site visit through the day you’re in the water.

Site consultation and design: We visit your Franklin property, assess grade, drainage, utility locations, and available space. From there, our design team builds a 3D rendering of your pool and surrounding area so you can see exactly what you’re getting before anything is dug.
Permitting: Your Loomis project manager handles permit applications with the City of Franklin. We coordinate with the building department and, where required, with local utilities for dig-safe clearances.
Excavation: Once permits are approved, the excavation crew moves in. Soil conditions in parts of Franklin include clay-heavy subsoil, which affects how we handle water management and backfill. We’ve worked in enough southeastern Milwaukee County backyards to anticipate these variables.
Shell installation or construction: For fiberglass pools, the shell arrives by truck and is craned or set into place. For vinyl liner pools, the steel or polymer frame is assembled and the liner installed. For concrete pools, gunite is applied in layers and allowed to cure over several weeks.
Plumbing, electrical, and equipment: Pumps, filtration systems, heaters, and any automation controls are installed and connected. All electrical work is inspected to code.
Decking, coping, and surround: Concrete, pavers, or natural stone decking is installed around the pool perimeter. Coping (the cap material at the pool edge) is set and finished.
Final inspection and walkthrough: Before you take your first swim, we do a full walkthrough of every system with you so you know how everything works.

From permit approval to first swim, most Franklin inground pool projects run 8 to 14 weeks depending on pool type, weather, and project complexity. Concrete pools sit at the longer end of that range due to cure time. Starting your project planning in fall or early winter means you’re ready to break ground as soon as the frost clears.

Designing Around Franklin’s Landscape and Lot Conditions

Franklin’s residential neighborhoods vary more than most people expect. Some areas near the Root River corridor have softer, wetter soil. Others feature heavier clay subsoil that doesn’t drain quickly after rain. A few neighborhoods on the western edge of the city have meaningful grade changes across a single lot. All of these conditions affect how your pool is engineered and what your excavation will cost.

Sloped lots aren’t a disqualifier. In fact, a grade change can be an asset if it’s used well. Retaining walls built into a hillside can create a dramatic tiered pool environment. Positive drainage away from the pool equipment pad is something we design into every project regardless of lot conditions.

Utility locations matter too. Knowing where your gas, electric, and sewer lines run before excavation starts protects you from costly surprises. Your Loomis project manager orders dig-safe locates as part of the standard pre-construction process.

Franklin’s tree canopy in established neighborhoods is one more consideration. Mature oaks and maples add character but drop debris. Pool placement relative to prevailing wind and tree drip lines is part of how we orient the pool during the design phase, not an afterthought.

Before you commit to a pool builder, read this guide on what to know before installation. Many of the questions it raises apply directly to Franklin lots.

Integrated Outdoor Living: Spas, Waterfalls, and Pool Surrounds

The pool is the centerpiece, but what surrounds it shapes how you actually use your backyard. Loomis Pools designs and installs complete outdoor environments, not just the pool shell.

Attached spas and spillover spas are one of the most popular add-ons for Franklin homeowners. An attached spa shares the pool’s filtration and heating equipment, which keeps operational costs lower than a standalone hot tub. Spillover designs let heated water cascade from the spa into the pool, which is both visually striking and functional. Wisconsin evenings cool off quickly even in summer, and a heated spa extends your time outside well into September and October.

Water features like rock waterfalls, deck jets, and bubblers add movement and sound to your pool environment. A well-placed waterfall turns a rectangular pool into something that feels organic and custom-built for the site.

Pool surrounds and decking are where the outdoor living space comes together. Concrete pavers, natural travertine, exposed aggregate, and brushed concrete all perform well in Wisconsin’s climate. We design decking with enough square footage for seating areas, outdoor kitchens, and shade structures. The transition from your home’s back door to the pool edge should feel intentional.

Landscape integration, planting beds, and hardscape borders that frame the pool are part of the full design. Our pool and landscape contractors handle these elements as part of an integrated project so everything is designed together rather than pieced together after the fact.

If you’re interested in recent design directions, see what Wisconsin homeowners are building in 2024.

Franklin, WI Pool Permits, Fencing Laws, and Zoning Basics

Every inground pool installation in Franklin requires a building permit from the City of Franklin Building Inspection Department. The permit application typically requires a plot plan showing pool placement relative to property lines, setback dimensions, and utility locations. Your Loomis project manager prepares and submits permit documentation on your behalf and coordinates inspection scheduling throughout the build.

Wisconsin state law and most municipalities, including Franklin, require a barrier (fence or enclosure) around residential swimming pools. Requirements generally address fence height, gate self-latching mechanisms, and clearance between fence pickets or rails. The specifics matter because a non-compliant fence can delay your certificate of occupancy and create liability exposure. Read our detailed breakdown of pool fencing laws and what local installers need to know.

Setback requirements govern how close your pool can be to property lines, easements, and your home’s foundation. Franklin’s zoning code defines these distances, and they vary by zoning district. In some cases, a variance may be required for smaller lots. We identify potential setback issues during the initial site consultation, before you’ve committed to a design.

Electrical work associated with the pool (bonding, GFCI protection, underwater lighting) is inspected separately by a licensed electrical inspector. All of this is coordinated through the permitting process rather than handled as a separate contractor engagement on your end.

How Much Does Inground Pool Installation Cost in Franklin, WI?

Cost is the question everyone has and nobody wants to give a straight answer on. Here’s what’s realistic for southeastern Wisconsin.

A vinyl liner inground pool in the Franklin area typically starts in the range of $55,000 to $75,000 for a standard rectangular or kidney shape with basic decking, equipment, and fencing. Fiberglass pools in a comparable size range tend to run $60,000 to $80,000 installed. Concrete and gunite pools, given longer construction time and greater material costs, generally start around $80,000 and can reach $150,000 or more for large, feature-rich designs.

Several factors move your number significantly:

Excavation conditions: Clay soil or rock, high water tables, and access constraints (a narrow gate, power lines overhead) all add excavation cost.
Utility tie-ins: Running gas to a pool heater or adding a dedicated electrical subpanel has real cost depending on distance from your home’s existing infrastructure.
Deck material: Concrete pavers run more than poured concrete. Natural stone runs more than pavers. The deck square footage you choose multiplies these differences.
Spa and water features: An attached spa typically adds $15,000 to $25,000. Waterfalls, deck jets, and lighting packages add $3,000 to $15,000 depending on complexity.
Fencing: Required by code, fencing typically adds $4,000 to $10,000 depending on linear footage and material.

These are realistic SE Wisconsin ranges, not national averages. Your actual number depends on your site, your design, and your choices. The only way to get an accurate figure is a site visit and a detailed proposal.

Ready to find out what your Franklin pool project would actually cost? Start by asking the right questions of any pool builder you’re considering. Then contact Loomis Pools for a free design consultation and site visit. There’s no cost and no obligation for that first conversation.

Why Franklin Families Choose Loomis Pools

Loomis Pools is a southeastern Wisconsin company. We’re not a national franchise, and we don’t sub out the design work to a call center. The people you meet at your site consultation are the people building your pool.

Our service footprint covers Franklin, Oak Creek, Greenfield, New Berlin, Muskego, and communities across Waukesha and Milwaukee counties. That geographic depth means we know the soil conditions, the permit offices, and the zoning patterns across this part of the state. We’ve pulled permits in Franklin’s building department before. We know what they’re looking for.

We’re also members of the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, the industry association that sets professional standards for pool builders across North America. That matters because pool installation is a significant construction project and the industry has a real mix of quality. The PHTA provides the certification and education frameworks that separate professional builders from cut-rate operators.

A backyard pool is a 20-to-30-year asset. Build it right the first time, with a contractor who knows your market, your soil, and your local code environment. That’s what Loomis Pools delivers in Franklin, WI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does inground pool installation take in Franklin, WI?

Most inground pool projects in Franklin run 8 to 14 weeks from permit approval to first swim. Vinyl liner and fiberglass pools tend to fall on the shorter end of that range. Concrete and gunite pools take longer because the shotcrete shell requires several weeks to cure properly before finishing work begins. Weather is a real variable in Wisconsin: rain, late frost, and wet soil conditions can shift timelines. Starting your planning in fall or winter means permits and design are handled during the off-season so excavation can begin as soon as conditions allow in spring.

What permits do I need to install an inground pool in Franklin, WI?

You’ll need a building permit from the City of Franklin Building Inspection Department before excavation begins. The application requires a plot plan showing pool location, setbacks from property lines, and utility locations. A separate electrical inspection covers bonding, GFCI protection, and underwater lighting. Fencing is required by state law and local ordinance, and the fence installation is typically part of the building permit scope. Your Loomis project manager handles permit preparation and submission on your behalf and coordinates all required inspections through the build.

What types of inground pools does Loomis Pools install: vinyl, fiberglass, or concrete?

Loomis Pools installs all three types: vinyl liner, fiberglass, and concrete (gunite/shotcrete). Vinyl liner pools are the most cost-effective starting point and are well-suited to the Wisconsin climate. Fiberglass pools install faster and have a smooth, non-porous surface but are limited to pre-manufactured shapes. Concrete pools offer the most design flexibility and longest structural lifespan but require more time to build and carry higher upfront costs. The right choice depends on your budget, design goals, and how your Franklin lot is configured. Compare vinyl and fiberglass options in detail here.

Can Loomis Pools install a pool on a sloped or uneven Franklin backyard?

Yes. Sloped lots are common in parts of Franklin, particularly in neighborhoods near the Root River corridor and on the western side of the city. Grade changes require additional engineering: retaining walls, stepped decking, or a pool shell that is partially above grade on the downhill side. These solutions add cost but often result in a more visually interesting finished environment. We assess grade during the initial site visit and design the pool placement and surround to work with the lot’s natural topography rather than against it.

Can I add a hot tub or spa to my inground pool in Franklin?

Yes, and it’s one of the most popular upgrades Franklin homeowners request. An attached spa can be designed into the pool from the start, sharing the same filtration and heating equipment, which keeps ongoing operating costs lower than running a standalone hot tub. Spillover spa designs, where heated water cascades from the spa into the pool, are particularly popular for their visual impact. Adding a spa to an existing pool is also possible but involves additional plumbing and equipment work. In Wisconsin’s climate, a heated spa extends your outdoor season significantly, often through October and into early November on warmer years.

What is the best time of year to start an inground pool project in southeastern Wisconsin?

Fall and winter are the best times to start the planning and permitting process. Design consultations, 3D renderings, permit applications, and material selections can all happen during the off-season, which means you’re ready to break ground in April or May rather than waiting in line behind homeowners who started planning in March. Construction typically runs from late April through October in southeastern Wisconsin, depending on weather. Homeowners who begin the process in September or October of the prior year are usually swimming by early summer. Waiting until spring to start often pushes your first swim to late summer at best.

An inground pool in your Franklin backyard is a significant project, but it’s also one of the most rewarding investments you can make in your home and your family’s quality of life. The right builder handles the complexity of permitting, site engineering, and construction so you can focus on what the finished space will feel like when your family is actually using it.

Loomis Pools has been doing this work in southeastern Wisconsin for years. We know Franklin’s lots, its permit office, and its soil. We design pools that hold up through Wisconsin winters and look great for decades. Contact Loomis Pools today to schedule your free design consultation and site visit. There’s no cost and no pressure. Just a conversation about what’s possible in your backyard.