Inground pools in Tallmadge, Ohio

The Reverend David Bacon founded Tallmadge in 1807 and planned it around a central square with eight straight roads running out to every part of the township. The square is now Tallmadge Circle, and those spokes still shape how the city is laid out. About 18,400 people live here, according to the 2020 census, and a small piece of the city crosses into Portage County.

That county line matters less than you would think for a pool. The city says all Tallmadge building permits go through Summit County, whichever county the house is in, and zoning is handled at City Hall for everyone.

We sampled the USDA soil survey at points around the city. Near the Circle the map shows Ravenna silt loam, a somewhat poorly drained soil formed in glacial till with a dense fragipan. The USDA puts its perched water table 7 to 11 inches below the surface from October to June in normal years. North of the center we found Sebring silt loam, which is poorly drained. Its water table can rise above the surface in winter and spring, and the USDA notes brief ponding after heavy rain and snowmelt. Canfield soils to the east have a fragipan too. The better drained ground turned up to the south and west, in Chili and Wooster soils.

So a Tallmadge dig in April has a fair chance of filling with water. We plan pumping into the schedule and build pressure relief under the pool, because groundwater pushing up on an empty shell is how pools get lifted. The clay spoils come out sticky and wet, and they usually get hauled off rather than spread around the yard. Summit County also builds footings to a 38 inch frost line, so every wall, step and pad we pour around the pool is built for the depth the cold reaches here.

Tallmadge's zoning code, Section 1104.08(u), sets a pool at least 10 feet from each side lot line and at least 25 feet from the rear lot line. Most people assume the back of the yard is where the pool goes. Here, the back 25 feet is off limits for the water, so the pool slides toward the house.

That is not a bad thing. A pool closer to the back door is easier to watch and shorter to walk to, and the equipment run is shorter. What it does do is squeeze the space between the house and the pool, where most families want their patio. We usually solve it in the 3D design by setting the patio off the long side of the pool instead of between the pool and the house, or by picking a slightly shorter model. It is far easier to find that answer on screen than after the concrete trucks arrive.

The same section of the code says proper drainage must be provided so pool overflow does not affect adjacent properties. On tight, slow-draining ground like Ravenna and Sebring silt loam, that is a real design item. A heavy summer storm fills the pool past its normal level, and in spring you may lower the water when you open. The water has to go somewhere that is yours.

We grade the deck and surrounding yard so surface water runs away from both the pool and the house, and where the ground will not take it, we tie into a drain or a swale that carries water to a legal outlet. It is part of the drainage planning we do on every job. In Tallmadge the code spells it out.

A pool in Tallmadge needs a zoning certificate from the city's Planning and Zoning Department before the county will issue a building permit. The city asks for the completed application, a site plan showing the property lines, every structure and the setback measurements, and an elevation view of what is being built. Processing can take up to 14 business days. The County of Summit Division of Building Standards handles the building side, and a 2026 application from the City of Green notes that the county no longer issues a separate pool permit but may require an electrical permit. We check the county's current requirements on each job and file everything.

The rules for a private in-ground pool in Section 1104.08(u):

• The pool must comply with the latest edition of the International Residential Code and International Swimming Pool and Spa Code.
• It is for the occupants and guests of the house.
• Setbacks are 10 feet from each side lot line and 25 feet from the rear lot line.
• The pool, or the whole property, must be walled or fenced to prevent uncontrolled access from the street or neighboring lots. The fence or wall must be at least 48 inches high, kept in good condition, with a gate and automatic lock.
• Drainage must keep overflow off adjacent properties.
• The pool must meet all other city and county regulations.

The code also lets the zoning administrator make exceptions to the fence requirement when an applicant provides another secure way to control access. We would not plan around that, but it is there.

Fiberglass is our usual starting point. On wet till a one-piece Liberty shell with a nonporous surface is the lowest-maintenance pool we know of, and the install is quick enough that an open hole spends less time collecting groundwater. Packages start at $68,400 installed, with the Pentair equipment, lights and a 4 foot concrete deck included. The fence, extra patio, spoils haul-off, dewatering and the electrical run from your panel to the equipment pad are priced separately once we have walked the lot. We work with lenders too, if financing is part of the plan.

For owners who want to swim into September or want a shape no mold offers, we build ICF concrete pools, whose insulated walls hold heat. Latham vinyl liner pools are the third option for a custom size at a lower starting cost.

Tallmadge is about 10 miles from our Ravenna shop, an easy run for site visits and inspections. We also build in Munroe Falls, Cuyahoga Falls, Kent, Stow and Akron.