Bestway & Intex Pool Setup

We sell the pools and we set them up. Buy from us or bring your own — either way we specify the right model and equipment, prepare the base, assemble it, start the filtration and hand it over with the water already balanced.

Why setup goes wrong so often

We supply and install Bestway, Intex and equivalent above-ground pools — we visit the site, sell you the right model and equipment, prepare the base and hand it over ready to swim.

Clicking the frame together is the short part, and it is the only part the packaging measures. Everything that decides whether the pool survives its first season sits either side of it: stripping the topsoil, compacting and levelling the ground to within a couple of centimetres across four and a half metres, laying a base that will not settle under ten tonnes of water, sizing a pump for the real volume rather than for the retail price, plumbing and priming it, filling in stages and getting the first water chemistry right. Most of the above-ground pools we get called out to fix don't have a pool problem: they have a base problem. Two centimetres of fall across a 4.5 metre round pool is enough to push all the water to one side, deform the wall and put the liner under load it was never designed for. Add equipment that was specified to hit a price point rather than to filter that volume of water, and you have the complete recipe for a green pool in August.

How it works

Site visit

We come to your property, measure the available space, check the level and type of ground, find the nearest power socket and tap, and work out how you actually plan to use the pool.

Shopping list and quote

You get a concrete list: pool model and size, a pump and filter matched to the volume, base material, cover, ladder and start-up chemicals. With prices, and with the reasoning behind every choice.

We supply it

We sell you the pool and everything on the list. We stock the common models and order the rest from our suppliers, check it all on arrival and bring it to you. One invoice, nothing for you to chase. If you would rather buy it yourself, we give you the list with specific models and part numbers and assemble whatever you bought.

Assembly and start-up

We prepare the base, assemble the frame, fill it, install and start the filtration, balance the first water and show you what to do each week. You get it ready to use.

What’s Included

Site visit with space measurement and ground level check
A concrete shopping list — model, dimensions, pump, filter and accessories
The pool, pump, filter and accessories supplied and delivered by us
Ground preparation, levelling and base laying
Full frame assembly and liner fitting
Filtration system installation and start-up
First fill and water chemistry balancing
A practical walkthrough of what you need to do each week

Key Benefits

The pool and everything that goes with it supplied by us — one supplier, one invoice
You buy what you actually need, not what was on offer
The base is done properly — it decides whether the pool lasts three seasons or ten
Pump and filter sized for the real water volume, not the ones in the kit
Ready to swim, with the water already balanced
We can take over the weekly maintenance afterwards if you want

What's in the box — and what isn't

A branded above-ground pool comes with the frame, the liner, a cartridge filter and not much else. No base. No cover. On many models, no ladder. No chemicals and no test kit. And the filter it does come with is usually right at its limit: on a 4.5 metre pool holding ten thousand litres, an undersized cartridge gives you cloudy water by week three. We tell you this before you buy, not after — and when you buy the pool from us, the pump is sized for the water, not for the box.

When to set it up

April and May are the best months. There's no rush, the water warms naturally and you have the whole season ahead of you. June and July work too, but that's when everybody remembers and that's when stock runs out. In September we do the reverse: dismantle, wash, dry completely and fold properly before storage — that's what makes a liner last more than two seasons.

The mistake we see most

Setting up on grass. It looks soft, it seems like a good idea, and it's the worst possible surface. The grass dies under the pool within three days, the soil settles unevenly and a month later the pool is leaning. A 4.5 by 2.5 metre tubular pool weighs around ten tonnes full — the ground has to be compacted and levelled beforehand, because once it's full there's nothing to be done without emptying the whole thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does above-ground pool setup cost?

The site visit, with measurements and a written recommendation list, is €45, deducted from the job if you go ahead with us. Assembly starts at €150 for round pools up to 3.6 metres and rises with size. If the base needs building from scratch — levelling, compacted sand or a slab — we quote that separately after the visit, because it depends entirely on the ground.

Do you sell the pools as well?

We do. We supply Bestway, Intex and equivalent pools along with the pump, filter, cover and everything else on the list, delivered and assembled. You get a single invoice and you don't have to compare models or wait in for deliveries. You can also buy the pool yourself — in that case we hand over the list with specific models and part numbers and assemble what you bought.

Which brands do you assemble?

Bestway, Intex and the equivalent brands sold in Portugal. The construction is similar and the assembly principles are the same. If you've already bought something from another brand, send us the model and we'll confirm before booking the visit.

How long does it take?

Plan on a full day for a small round pool, and two for a large tubular one whose base has to be built from scratch. The frame itself is quick; what takes the time is the ground work in front of it and the plumbing, filling and water balancing behind it. Filling depends on your water pressure — normally we leave the frame assembled and the filtration installed, then come back the next day to balance the water and hand over a working pool.

Does an above-ground pool make sense in Portugal?

It does, and for a lot of people it makes more sense than a built pool. It costs a fraction, needs no planning permission in the usual cases, and a Portuguese summer gives you five to six months of use. What isn't true is that it's no work. It needs exactly the same water treatment as a fixed pool, in a much smaller volume — and therefore with much less tolerance for getting it wrong.