Inground pools in Wadsworth, Ohio

Wadsworth was founded in 1814 and became a city in 1931. About 24,000 people live here now, and it is known for the Blue Tip Festival, a nod to the strike-anywhere matches made in town until the 1980s. The city school district is the largest employer in Wadsworth.

What sets Wadsworth apart for a pool project is its utilities. The city has owned and run its own electric distribution system since 1916, and it also provides water and sewer. If a pool heater, automatic cover and pump mean your service needs an upgrade, that conversation happens with the city's electric department, not an investor-owned utility. The city's electric division is a member of the Ohio Utilities Protection Service, so its lines get marked along with everyone else's when we call before digging.

We sampled USDA soil survey data at several points around Wadsworth. The soil that showed up most was Wooster silt loam, a well drained till soil mapped here on 2 to 6 and 6 to 12 percent slopes, often listed as moderately eroded. Wooster has a fragipan, and the USDA notes water moves through it more slowly than through the soil above it. On the flatter ground near the center of town and to the north, we found Ravenna silt loam instead. Ravenna is somewhat poorly drained, with a perched water table that can sit 7 to 11 inches from the surface from October through June.

That split affects the build. On a Wooster lot the main issue is grade. A 6 to 12 percent slope across a typical backyard can mean a couple of feet of fall from one end of the pool to the other, so we plan retaining walls, steps or a raised deck edge as part of the design, not as an afterthought. Runoff from the uphill side has to be sent around the pool, not across the deck. On a Ravenna lot the slope is gentle, but water sits high in spring, and dewatering and pressure relief go into the plan from the first visit.

We lead with fiberglass here for the same reasons we do across Northeast Ohio: a finished Liberty shell, a quick install and a surface that shrugs off freeze-thaw. With a 5 foot setback, Wadsworth lots can often fit a bigger shell than the same lot would in a neighboring township. The Devotion 16x40 package is $97,500, and the lineup starts at $68,400 installed for the Dignity 10x20 and Enrichment 9x17. Packages include Pentair lights, pump and DE filter, a pool heater, a 4 foot concrete wrap deck, installation, startup chemicals, a cleaning kit and electrical hook-up at the equipment.

A sloped Wooster yard is also where an ICF concrete pool can make sense. Its walls can be built to suit the grade and any shape, and the insulated walls hold heat, which stretches the swim season. Latham vinyl liner pools are the third route when custom size matters more than anything else.

When you plan the budget, count what depends on your yard: the barrier fence, decking past the 4 foot wrap, retaining walls, haul-off for the spoils, dewatering and the electrical run from your panel to the pad. We list each one separately so you know what the finished project costs, and we can connect you with our lending partners if financing helps.

The city's summary of its swimming pool regulations, along with Sections 93.09 and 152.036 of the city code, sets out the requirements:

• A pool that can hold more than 24 inches of water needs a zoning certificate. The application shows the pool's size and where the pool and fence sit in relation to the front, side and rear property lines.
• Pools must be at least 5 feet from the rear and side property lines, and 25 to 50 feet from the front line depending on the zoning district. Corner lots have two front yards.
• Patios around an inground pool must also meet the 5 foot setback.
• A barrier at least 48 inches high, measured on the side away from the pool, must completely surround the pool. Openings under it can be no more than 4 inches.
• Gates must be self-closing and self-latching. If the latch sits less than 54 inches above the bottom of the gate, the release has to be on the pool side, and gates stay closed with a locking device when the pool is not in use.
• A spa or hot tub with an approved safety cover is exempt from the barrier rule.

Fences in side and rear yards can be up to 6 feet tall and need their own zoning approval. Many owners use one fence to serve as both the pool barrier and the privacy fence.

Easements are the hidden catch. The city says many subdivisions platted in recent years have easements along the side and rear lot lines, and sometimes cutting through the yard, for storm drainage, sewers, detention basins or walkways. Wadsworth treats easements as no-build zones and will not issue permits for a pool that encroaches on one, even if it meets every setback. We pull the plat before we lay out the pool.

For building and electrical work, the city now sends applicants to the Medina County Building Department. The city's pool summary sheet still mentions a city electrical permit, since it predates the switch, so we confirm with the county which permits and inspections the pool wiring needs.

The zoning certificate is usually the quick part once the site plan shows the easements. County building review follows. On sloped lots, retaining walls and steps add days to the schedule, and a wet spring on Ravenna ground can hold the dig until the water table drops. We would rather start a week later than fight a flooded hole.

Wadsworth is about 26 miles from our Ravenna shop. We also build in Copley, Fairlawn, Medina, Akron and Bath, so homeowners on the Wadsworth side of Medina County are well within our regular routes.