27’ round above-ground pools are bigger than some think. Many backyards in the Orlando area are big enough to fit this size pool, but it will be a job to install.
27ft round doesn’t sound much bigger than the most common size pool (24’ round), but it’s considerably bigger. This is the size that I start to describe as a “large above-ground pool”.
As pools get larger, the amount of them closer to the actual city of Orlando gets fewer. This is because larger pools need more yard space and homes in more populated areas have less outside space.
There are plenty of 27ft round pools in the outer towns of Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Apopka, Ocoee, etc. where yards can be bigger.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT INSTALLING A 27’ ROUND ABOVE-GROUND POOL IN ORLANDO
1 27’ AG pools typically have 18 uprights and top rails
Occasionally, I’ll see one with 19 of each, but most of the pools this size have 18.
And if it has eighteen uprights and top rails, it’ll also have 18 top connectors, bottom connectors, and bottom track pieces.
So, for a 27ft round pool, you will need 18 patio stones to go under each upright.
NOTE: Professional installers will include the patio stones with the installation
2 A 27’ pool requires clearing and leveling a 29’ circle of yard space
27ft pools have about twenty-seven feet of swimming area. This means the wall of the pool will be a 27’ circle and then the frame of the pool will stick out about another six inches all the way around depending on your model.
Clearing and leveling a 29’ circle will then give enough room for installing the pool with its frame.
3 27’ round pools are big enough for households of five or more
This size pool holds about 17 thousand gallons and will accommodate up to eight swimmers nicely. This is good with families that invite friends over or have dogs
4 A 27ft metal-walled AG pool in Orlando takes one full day to have installed
DIYers may take a week and some installers without a machine can take two days, but generally, an experienced installer with the right equipment should install a 27’ round in one day
During the summer in Orlando, we can get into a daily afternoon thunderstorm pattern. For larger abovegrounds, it’s very important to not get caught in high wind gusts during the installation.
For this reason, I will sometimes elect to come back the next day to complete the install. Rolling out the pool’s wall in the morning is much less risky than early afternoon during the summer in Orlando.
5 I charge $1500 to install a 27’ round above-ground pool
This is about the average cost to have a 27-round pool installed in Orlando (In 2023-4) My price includes PVC hard piping the equipment and up to 12 inches of off-level grading.
NOTE: Bigger pools require bigger areas to be leveled. This means the chances of bigger pools having more grade is greater (usually the bigger the area, the more grade).
Some other pool installers may not include the hard piping or that much grading, so it’s good to know what is included as you don’t want any cost surprises.
NOTE: This is a price for metal-walled(hard-sided) type above-ground pools. Soft-sided Intex, Coleman, and Bestway made pools are different. With those, I only offer a ground-preparation service.
6 Depending on your water pressure, a 27’ pool takes about 30 hours to fill on average
Almost everyone in the Orlando area fills up their pool with their own water source. Municipal water in Orlando and Orange County has decent water pressure in most areas.
Some living in areas outside of Orlando may have wells. Some wells pump water very slowly and some can pump a lot of water quickly.
Few here in Central Florida will opt to have a water truck fill their pool. This is a very expensive option but can fill your pool very quickly. NOTE: A 27’ pool will require two larger water truckloads to fill.
7 A 27-foot round semi-inground pool will require at least a 30’ round hole
Setting an above-ground pool partially in the ground has become quite common in Orlando.
A pool needs room in the hole to be assembled, so making the hole 1.5ft wider than the pool size all the way around will give enough room to build.
8 Installing a 27’ round above-ground pool takes at least two people
The bigger the pool, the harder it is to keep the wall up during installation. When installing a 27ft, I will have myself and one other experienced helper.
With a 27’ pool, I have never attempted to install one myself. This is just too much wall to secure and then have to adjust if it doesn’t fit well in the bottom track.
Most DIYers will use at least 4 people to install a 27’ round pool. Professional tip: Only offer beers AFTER the pool is installed.
9 In Orlando during the summer, installing a 27’ round pool should start very early in the morning
The summer in Orlando is also the rainy season. It can rain every afternoon here. This is why you want to have a 27’ pool almost completely installed before around 1 pm.
Afternoon storms in Orlando don’t last long, but they can be violent with high wind gusts and lighting. You want the pool to be almost done (or done) before the potential of one of these storms comes.
If self-installing a 27’ round pool in the summer, I recommend doing the groundwork and leveling the bottom track, then waiting to roll out the wall the next morning. This will give you hours before the potential high wind and rain.
10 Protect your liner from nutgrass
Nutgrass in Orlando and surrounding areas can be a real problem for above-ground pools.
It’s essential to remove all of the root mass with the grass (sod) AND apply a quality GRANULAR ONLY nutgrass killer to the ground before installing the liner.