A pool builder once told a client the DA would take four to six weeks. It took five months. Nobody warns you about this. Not the builder. Not the real estate agent who mentioned "great bones for a pool." Not the friends who've done it and have selective amnesia about the hard parts. A pool build is a construction project. It involves council approvals that run 3–6 months before a shovel goes in the ground. Six to twelve different contractors with their own schedules and dependencies. Mandatory compliance hold points you cannot skip. A budget that will almost certainly exceed the original quote — because rock is everywhere and nobody prices it in advance. The Pool Build Project Manager is a 14-tab Excel system and PDF guide that treats your pool build as what it actually is — a complex project with real financial, legal, and compliance stakes. From first quote to first swim. What you get A PDF companion guide covering what pool builders don't volunteer — how the DA and CDC approval processes actually work, what nobody tells you about pool budgets (and the variation events that blow them), the equipment decisions that will affect your pool for the next twenty years, and the questions to ask every pool builder before you sign anything. A 14-tab Excel system that runs the whole project: Dashboard — budget committed vs remaining, compliance status, open actions and pending decisions, all calculating automatically. Timeline — pre-loaded with every build phase from DA lodgement to commissioning. Includes all trades through to landscaping and certification, because the pool builder finishing is not the same thing as the project finishing. Budget — every cost category pre-loaded: base contract, variations, equipment, surrounds, compliance fees. The hidden costs flagged before you're ambushed by them. Contractors — every trade on your site. Pool builder, excavator, plumber, electrician, concretor, tiler, fencer, landscaper, certifier. Licence, insurance, ABN, contract status. Quotes — side-by-side comparison before you commit. The lowest quote is rarely the best value once you understand the inclusions. Payments — milestone payments in the correct sequence. Never pay ahead of a completed milestone, regardless of what your builder requests. Council & Compliance — DA lodgement, CDC, Construction Certificate, mandatory inspection hold points, Pool Safety Certificate, pool registration. Pre-loaded with every required approval and certificate. Non-negotiable. Variations — the tab that protects your budget. Rock removal, soil conditions, design changes, equipment upgrades. Log every variation before the work starts. Orders — pool shell and equipment orders with expected delivery dates. Fibreglass shells run 8–16 weeks. Chase proactively. Decisions — every equipment and finish decision logged before you're asked for them on-site with a trade waiting. Actions — your chase list. Council, certifiers, trades, suppliers. What's outstanding and who's responsible. Snag List — defects at handover. Do not release final payment until this is clear. Equipment — every piece of equipment, supplier, warranty expiry, and service schedule. Chemical Log — first fill record and ongoing water chemistry. Your pool maintenance history from day one. Download both files instantly after purchase. Pool builds almost always cost more than the original quote and take longer than the builder suggests. This is not a complaint about pool builders — it is a description of how construction projects work. The contingency is built into this system. The compliance sequence is built into this system. The questions to ask before you sign anything are in the guide. $15. From DA approval to first swim. Without losing your mind.
