We build pools in New Bern, North Carolina, about eighty miles southeast of Greenville at the confluence of the Neuse and Trent rivers in Craven County. New Bern was settled in 1710 by Swiss and German colonists on the site of a Tuscarora village, was North Carolina's colonial capital, and holds one of the state's most significant collections of eighteenth and nineteenth century architecture, with the reconstructed royal governor's palace at its centre. The Neuse here is enormous — nearly six miles across near its mouth, averaging around three miles wide downstream.
It is a beautiful place to have a pool and the most technically demanding ground we work in.
Tidal groundwater is the governing condition
New Bern sits at the head of the Pamlico Sound estuary system. Groundwater across much of the city is tidally influenced and sits close to the surface continuously, not just seasonally. On waterfront and near-waterfront lots — along the Trent, out toward Fairfield Harbour, in the low areas near the rivers — it can be within a foot or two of grade at any time of year.
An inground pool in that condition floats the moment it is empty and unprotected. Everything we build here includes:
- A hydrostatic relief valve in the deepest part of the floor over a gravel pocket.
- A dewatering standpipe beside the shell so groundwater can be pumped down before the pool is ever emptied for service.
- Clean stone around and under the structure instead of native sand.
- Frequently a raised bond beam, so the shell sits less deep in the water table.
- Well points during excavation on lots where the hole would otherwise fill overnight.
Salt attacks everything
Brackish groundwater corrodes reinforcing steel considerably faster than fresh water. On gunite, that makes concrete cover over the rebar a genuine engineering concern rather than a specification detail — thin cover here is how a shell develops rust staining and eventually spalling. On vinyl liner pools it is a strong argument for polymer wall panels rather than galvanized steel. Salt air also shortens the life of rails, ladders, light niches, fasteners, fencing hardware and equipment.
Material selection near the water is not a preference here. It is the difference between a pool that needs work in ten years and one that needs work in twenty-five.
Florence is recent history
Hurricane Florence in 2018 hit New Bern hard, with surge pushing up the Neuse and Trent into the city. Florence became the state's costliest hurricane, surpassing even Floyd. That is not distant history to anyone here and it directly informs how we site equipment.
Pads go high, on compacted base, with electrical mounted well up and drainage running off them. On exposed waterfront property it is often worth siting the pad away from the water entirely, accepting a longer plumbing run in exchange for equipment that survives. And the rule holds: never drain a pool ahead of a storm. A full pool stays in the ground. An empty one does not.
Historic district and access
New Bern's historic district has narrow lots, original outbuildings, brick walls and mature trees. Getting a one-piece fiberglass shell to a back yard is frequently impossible without removing something the owner will not remove. Gunite and vinyl liner construction fit where a shell cannot be delivered. Local review may also apply to visible exterior changes, and a pool barrier at least 48 inches high is exactly that, so fence height and material should be settled before design is complete.
Newer development further out — the master-planned areas and the golf communities on the edges of the city — gives you open access and straightforward projects, and often an HOA with its own covenants on fencing, impervious surface and equipment screening.
What we build
Pools with generous decks, because outdoor living is the whole point on a river lot. Frequently a spa, since the shoulder season here is long. Equipment chosen with corrosion in mind. See custom pool design for how site conditions drive the plan.
Permits come through the City of New Bern or Craven County, and waterfront work may involve additional state coastal review. State requirements are constant: the 48-inch barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates, drain covers meeting the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act standard, and the Article 680 equipotential bonding grid. New Bern is at the far edge of our service area with no travel charge, and work here is scheduled in blocks.
What we build
Nearby towns
Questions people ask before they build
Can a pool be built on a waterfront lot in New Bern?
Often yes, with substantially more engineering than an inland lot needs, and sometimes with additional review depending on proximity to the water. Tidal groundwater near the surface year-round means relief valves, dewatering provision, stone backfill and a raised structure are base specification rather than options.
Does salt water corrode a swimming pool?
Brackish groundwater corrodes reinforcing steel and metal components significantly faster than fresh water. On gunite that makes concrete cover over the rebar a real concern. On vinyl liner pools it argues for polymer panels over galvanized steel. Salt air also shortens the life of rails, hardware, light niches and equipment, which affects material selection throughout.
What did Florence do to pools here?
The pools themselves mostly survived, because full pools stay in the ground. Equipment set at grade generally did not survive, and pool water contaminated by floodwater required proper treatment afterwards. It is the reason we set equipment pads high in this area rather than wherever is convenient.
Do you actually travel to New Bern?
Yes, and there is no travel charge. New Bern is at the far edge of our service area, roughly eighty miles from Greenville, so work is scheduled in blocks and lead times run longer than they do in Pitt County.