Swimming Pool Construction in Dammam – Building, Renovation, Waterproofing, Waterfalls & Fountains

Swimming pool construction in Dammam means building a reinforced concrete pool in a villa or rest-house yard: excavation, a shell cast to an engineer’s drawing, waterproofing that keeps pool water in and salty groundwater out, immersion-rated tiles or glass mosaic, and pipework cast into the walls and pressure-tested before it is closed up. At Aemar Al-Maryam General Contracting our own crews carry out that work, and we also build waterfalls, fountains and their basins, built planters, and renovate tired old pools, in Dammam and the other Eastern Province cities. Our starting prices: about SAR 12,900 for a small concrete pool of roughly 2.5×4.5 m, SAR 19,400 for 3×6 m, SAR 60,000 for an overflow pool with a balance tank, and SAR 3,700 for a wall waterfall. Each figure is confirmed only after a site visit and agreement on the scope. Phone and WhatsApp: 0547879578.

A pool in Dammam is not the same job as a pool in a dry inland city. Under many Eastern Province neighbourhoods, salty water lies just a short way below the yard; the summer is long, heats the water and drives evaporation hard; and every northerly wind drops a film of dust on the surface. Those conditions force decisions from day one: which cement goes into the shell, whether the walls are waterproofed from the outside, how the pit is kept dry during excavation, where the plant room goes, and whether the pool can ever be drained safely. This guide walks through pool types and filtration systems, the construction sequence and the tests that matter, waterproofing and tiling, electrical safety and barriers, permits, and prices with a worked example, then pool renovation, waterfalls, fountains and built planters.

Swimming pool construction company in Dammam: what we build and what specialists supply

A swimming pool construction company in Dammam should tell you plainly which parts of the pool it builds with its own hands and which parts it buys in, because every pool is really two projects. One is civil work: digging, concrete, waterproofing, tiles and buried pipes. The other is equipment: pump, filter, sanitising, heating or cooling, and lights. We are a general contractor, so the civil side is entirely ours. The equipment is chosen with you, then supplied by a specialist pool-equipment supplier who sizes it, and installed and commissioned by us together with that supplier.

That split matters. Most failures we find when opening up an old pool started not in the pump but in the structure, the waterproofing or the buried pipes: a floor crack, an untested coat, a joint never pressure-tested before concrete went round it. None of that can be swapped once the pool is full, so that is where our attention goes, while the pump and filter are chosen by people who know their performance, with space, pipework and power ready for them.

For the same reason this guide prints no prices for pumps, filters, salt systems, heaters, chillers or lights. They vary widely with capacity and grade, so we give them to you after inspection as named, specified lines in an itemised estimate, which lets you compare levels and choose.

Choosing a pool by use in Dammam: family, exercise or hospitality?

Start with one question: who will swim in this pool, and how? The answer shapes size, depth and system far more than the size of the yard does. A family pool where small children splash is a different design from a pool for someone who wants to swim lengths every morning, and both differ from a rest-house pool where guests gather in the evening.

With young children at home, make the shallow area the larger part and grade into the deep end gently, with the change marked on the tiles. For lengths, stretch the pool as far as the yard allows. A hospitality pool earns its looks through details: a dead-straight water line, soft lighting and a pale deck that stays bearable underfoot.

Pool types in Dammam: reinforced concrete, block, fibreglass and indoor

The pool we build is the reinforced concrete pool, because it can take any size or shape, and, when it is designed and poured properly, it resists water pressure from inside and soil and groundwater pressure from outside. Here is a quick comparison of the types offered on the market:

Concrete pool in Dammam: why it is the default

A concrete pool in Dammam is built like an open water tank: a floor and walls cast around reinforcement whose bar size, spacing and concrete thickness are set by the engineering office, and we build to that drawing. Its strength is that it takes the shape of your yard: a plain rectangle, an L, a wide corner entry, or a submerged bench running along one wall. In saline ground we specify sulfate-resisting cement and a low water-cement ratio, and we keep proper concrete cover over the steel on the soil side (75 mm for concrete cast against earth, under the concrete code’s practice), because salt that reaches the steel makes it rust, swell and crack the concrete around it.

Block pools in Dammam: are they really cheaper?

Some builders advertise block pools at a lower price. The honest answer is that a block wall on its own does not resist water and soil pressure the way reinforced concrete does, and every mortar joint is a permanent weak point against water. Money saved on concrete tends to be spent later on repairs. We cast pool walls in reinforced concrete and keep block for the parts that are never submerged: the plant room, planters and the back walls of waterfalls.

Fibreglass pools in Dammam: when do they fit?

A fibreglass pool is a factory-made shell in a fixed size, set into the pit within days. It suits someone who is happy with a standard size and wants a short programme, but it cannot follow the shape of the yard, and delivering it needs a wide access route. It is not something we make. If you choose one, we can dig the pit, cast the base and build the deck and fence around it.

Indoor pools in Dammam: ventilation before tiles

An indoor pool adds humidity: warm water evaporates into a closed room and condenses on ceilings and walls, ruining paint, gypsum and doors. It needs specialist-designed ventilation and dehumidification, and finishes made for permanent moisture (moisture-resistant gypsum board is not meant for pool halls), so it is priced at inspection, after design.

Skimmer, overflow or infinity? Pool systems in Dammam

The difference between systems is how surface water is drawn off to the filter. In a skimmer pool the water sits a little below the coping and is pulled through openings in the wall. In an overflow pool the basin is filled to the brim and the water spills into a gutter around the edge that runs to a balance tank. An infinity pool spills over one edge only into a catch basin, so the water appears to have no edge at all.

How many skimmers does a pool in Dammam need?

The international residential pool code asks for one skimmer per roughly 74 m² of water surface where skimmers are the only surface-cleaning system, and where a perimeter overflow is used it must run along at least half the pool’s edge. A 3×6 m pool (18 m²) therefore needs only one skimmer on paper. Dammam’s wind-blown dust changes the practice: we place the skimmer on the side the wind pushes debris towards, and we suggest a second one on longer pools.

The balance tank in overflow pools in Dammam

A balance tank is a small buried concrete chamber beside the pool that collects the water spilling from the gutter; the pump draws from it and sends water through the filter. When swimmers jump in, the water level rises and more water spills over; the tank stores it instead of letting it go to waste. We build, waterproof and test it exactly like the pool, because it holds water permanently and any leak from it means a steady loss nobody can see.

Home pool sizes and depths in Dammam

The sizes we are asked for most in Dammam villas run from 3×6 m to 4×9 m, and in tight yards we build smaller pools of about 2.5×4.5 m. Depth in a home pool is usually graded: shallow at the entry steps and deepening towards the far end. Some practical examples:

A small pool in a Dammam courtyard: is it possible?

Yes, a small pool fits in a modest yard when three conditions are met: the excavator can reach the spot (or hand digging is accepted at a higher cost); the pool keeps a distance the engineer specifies from the footings of the boundary wall and the house; and it does not sit on top of, or right beside, the septic tank or the underground water tank. In these yards we favour a simple rectangle with wide internal steps, and if there is no room for a plant room we make it a covered pit in a corner.

Building a concrete pool in Dammam, step by step

A concrete pool in Dammam goes through fixed stages, and each one is checked before the next stage covers it. This is the order we follow:

1. 1
   Survey and measurement
   Fix the position, size, depth and system; check access, soil, groundwater and buried services.
2. 2
   Drawings and permit
   A structural drawing from an engineering office, and a check on whether a permit is needed before digging.
3. 3
   Excavation and dewatering
   Machine excavation and spoil removal, pumping out groundwater if it appears, then levelling and compacting the formation.
4. 4
   Blinding
   A plain concrete layer under the floor that gives the rebar a clean, level base.
5. 5
   Rebar and cast-in fittings
   Floor and wall steel on chairs, with sleeves for drains, returns, skimmers and light niches fixed before the pour.
6. 6
   Pour and cure
   Floor, then walls, with waterstops at the joints, and at least seven days of moist curing.
7. 7
   External waterproofing and backfill
   A bituminous coat on the outside of the walls, then backfilling in layers.
8. 8
   Fill test
   Three days of soaking, then measuring the loss over 72 hours before any finish goes on.
9. 9
   Internal waterproofing and tiles
   Render or screed, an immersion-rated waterproofing system, then tiles or mosaic and coping.
10. 10
    Equipment and start-up
    Pump, filter and sanitiser installed with the supplier, slow filling, water balancing and a handover walk-through.

What matters most at this stage is what you will never see once the pool is finished: pipe sleeves fixed before the pour rather than broken into the concrete afterwards, steel held on chairs so it gets its full cover, and concrete placed in workable conditions. Dammam’s mean daily maximum passes 43 °C in June, July and August, so we pour early in the morning, watch the concrete temperature, and keep the shell wet and covered for days afterwards. Hot-weather pouring and test cubes are covered in concrete pouring in Dammam.

How long does pool construction in Dammam take?

A medium home pool usually takes four to eight weeks from the first day of digging to filling, longer for big pools or when groundwater or rock turns up. Part of that time is waiting that must not be cut short: concrete curing, soaking and the fill test, waterproofing cure, and at least three weeks after tiling before filling. Anyone who promises a concrete pool in a week is skipping one of those stages.

Groundwater in Dammam and your pool: excavation, waterproofing and draining

Published studies of the Eastern Province put the water table, in general, within 1.5 m of the ground surface at many sites, moving up and down through the year and loaded with dissolved salts. In some of Dammam’s neighbourhoods near the sea, that means the floor of a pool will sit below the groundwater level, so water presses on the shell from outside while the pool water pushes from inside.

Three practical consequences follow. During excavation we lower seeping water with pumps from a sump or with well points so the floor and walls are cast on dry ground. In the waterproofing we coat the outside of the walls and floor with a bituminous system before backfilling, and use salt-resisting concrete. After handover the risk is uplift: an empty pool in waterlogged ground can be pushed upwards.

So at inspection we look at water in nearby pits and septic chambers and ask how neighbouring houses fared. Further from the sea the water may sit deeper, but we don’t assume it until we see it. Foundation and underground-tank waterproofing, close relatives of external pool tanking, are covered in roof waterproofing and insulation in Dammam.

Pool fill test in Dammam before waterproofing and tiling

The fill test shows whether the concrete shell holds water on its own before we hide it under waterproofing and tiles. Tiles and grout do not make a pool watertight; the structure itself must be tight, and the waterproofing is a protective layer on top. So the bare shell is filled before any finishes go on.

We follow the method of the standard for testing water-containing concrete structures: fill the pool, leave it three days for the concrete to saturate, then measure the water level over 72 hours. The allowable loss under that standard is no more than 0.05% of the water volume per day. Evaporation is measured with a container of water at the same spot so that it is not counted as leakage.

If the loss is above that limit once evaporation is deducted, we find the cause before moving on: a pipe joint around a sleeve, a construction joint, or a fine crack. We repair it and run the test again. A few extra days now prevent a costly repair after tiling.

Pool waterproofing in Dammam: inside and outside

Pool waterproofing in Dammam works on two faces. Inside, it protects the concrete from chlorinated pool water; outside, it protects the shell from saline groundwater and damp soil. The internal system goes on after a passed fill test and a dry surface, over a sound render or screed, and is then covered with tiles, or left exposed in some epoxy systems.

Internal pool waterproofing in Dammam: three systems

You may notice on our roof waterproofing and insulation page that lining a concrete water tank with a cementitious coat starts from SAR 14 per m², and with a drinking-water-safe epoxy from SAR 46. Those are different items from pool waterproofing. A tank lining is a coat that keeps water inside a closed, dark chamber. A pool system is built for permanent immersion under sun, heat, sanitising chemicals and swimmers, and the price includes preparing and rendering the surface, reinforcing every corner and fitting, and more coats and thickness. That is why the pool rate per square metre is higher, and it is the system we use in every pool.

External pool waterproofing in Dammam

External waterproofing is applied to the walls and floor on the soil side before backfilling, usually as bituminous coats or membranes suited to damp ground. On a new pool it is priced into the build according to the groundwater level, and once the pool is backfilled it can only be added by digging around it, which is why we insist on it in districts near the sea. Internally, new concrete needs time to dry before coatings: the guidance we follow allows six weeks for the shell before tiling and three weeks for render or screed in moderate conditions, and we set the actual period by the system and the product’s data sheet.

Pool tiling in Dammam: tiles, mosaic, coping and deck

Pool tiling in Dammam differs from ordinary floor tiling in three ways: the tile, the adhesive and the grout. A pool tile must have very low water absorption, ideally below 0.5%, or be glass mosaic that absorbs nothing at all. The adhesive is a highly modified cementitious product rated for immersion, laid as a full bed with no voids under the tile, because a void fills with water and slowly lifts the tile off. And the grout is epoxy wherever chlorine dosing is heavy or strong jets are fitted.

Glass mosaic and pool ceramics in Dammam

Pool ceramics suit floors and straight walls and cost less. Glass mosaic, with its small pieces, wraps around steps, curved corners and submerged benches without heavy cutting, and its colour gives the water that turquoise tone. We lay both, and they combine well: ceramic on the floor, mosaic on the walls, and a dark band marking the edge of each step. Glass mosaic supply starts from SAR 110 per m², and premium patterns or custom colours are priced on selection.

Coping and deck tiles around the pool in Dammam

The coping is the first thing hands and feet touch, so it has a rounded nose, an anti-slip surface and a slight fall away from the water so deck dust does not wash back into the pool. Deck tiles should be slightly textured and light in colour, because dark tiles heat up under the Dammam sun to the point of burning bare feet, and they need falls towards drains outside the pool. Deck and walkway tiling labour starts from SAR 37 per m². The deck can also be interlock, as on our interlock paving and kerbs page, and general tiling is covered by our tile installer in Dammam.

When can the pool be filled after tiling?

We do not fill a pool until about three weeks after tiling, so the adhesive and grout reach strength, and we wait at least three days between fixing tiles and grouting. Then we fill slowly, no more than 75 cm of water depth a day, because fast filling loads the tiles and adhesive before they have settled. Movement joints are planned at wall-floor junctions and at the spacing the system requires; without them, a long tiled surface cracks under daily heat movement.

Pool pipework and plant room in Dammam: drains, returns, skimmers and balance tank

Pool pipework is cast inside the concrete, out of sight and very hard to repair later, so every run is pressure-tested before it is closed in. The basic circuit: water is drawn from the main drains and the skimmers or overflow gutter and balance tank, passes through the filter, and returns to the pool through inlets in the walls. We use pressure-rated pipe and lay out the valves in the plant room so the job of every valve is obvious.

• ✓Main drains: two per pump, at least 0.9 m apart, with anti-entrapment covers (see the safety section).
• ✓Return inlets: spread to move water through the whole pool, so no corner is left stagnant for algae to settle.
• ✓Skimmers or overflow gutter: according to the system, with a concrete balance tank on overflow pools.
• ✓Cleaning and filling lines: a vacuum point if requested, and a top-up line from the water supply with a non-return valve.
• ✓Waste: a route for filter backwash water away from the house, coordinated with the drainage network.
• ✓Pressure test: each line is pressurised and the gauge watched long enough before concrete or backfill covers it.

The pool plant room in Dammam

The plant room sits as close to the pool as possible, since long pipe runs weaken flow and cost power. Its floor stays above groundwater or is drained so it cannot flood, and it is ventilated because pumps run hot in summer. It may be a small block room in a corner of the yard, a concrete pit with a lift-off cover, or part of a nearby annex such as those on our annex and majlis builder page. We build it, run water and power to it and cast the equipment plinths. General household plumbing is covered by our plumber in Dammam.

Pump, filter, sanitising, heating and cooling

The pump and filter are sized to the water volume, the pipe lengths and the number of outlets. Sand filters are the most common in homes, and cartridge filters are the alternative. Sanitising is either direct chlorine or a salt chlorinator that generates chlorine from salt dissolved in the water. Because Dammam’s summer heats pool water until it stops being refreshing, many owners ask for a water chiller, not only a heater. A specialist pool-equipment supplier provides this equipment, we install and commission it with them, and prices are set at inspection according to grade and capacity.

Pool lighting and electrical safety in Dammam

Electricity around water follows special rules. International wiring standards for pools divide the area into zones: inside the basin, then 2 m around it, then a further band beyond that. Anything mounted in the water itself runs on 12 V AC, a safe extra-low voltage, and its transformer sits well away, outside those zones. Ladders, handrails and metal covers are tied together with supplementary bonding, and a 30 mA RCD guards every pool circuit.

• ✓Underwater lights: fittings rated IPX8 for immersion, running on 12 V, supplied by the specialist and connected by our electrician.
• ✓Transformer: in the plant room or another dry place outside the pool zones, never beside the coping.
• ✓Earthing and bonding: rebar and nearby metalwork bonded to an earth conductor, and the earth value tested.
• ✓Residual-current device: 30 mA protection for pool and outdoor lighting circuits.
• ✓Buried cables: inside protective conduit at a proper depth, clear of equipment routes.

The supply to the plant room, the earthing and the breakers are our work, and outdoor circuits are explained by our electrician in Dammam. The light fittings and their transformers are priced at inspection with the supplier.

Home pool safety in Dammam: fence, gate and drain covers

A fence around the pool is the single most important protection for children. The Saudi Building Code has a section on swimming-pool safety that the designer applies, and for figures we refer to published international guidance: a barrier at least 1.2 m high, a gap under it of no more than 10 cm over a hard surface, no opening that would pass a 10 cm sphere, and a gate that opens outwards, away from the pool, closes and latches by itself, and has its latch out of children’s reach.

• ✓Fence and gate: the concrete or block parts are ours; metal or glass sections come through a fabricator, priced at inspection.
• ✓Drain covers: certified anti-entrapment covers, two drains per pump at least 0.9 m apart, or a system that releases suction if a drain is blocked.
• ✓Deck: anti-slip tiles around the pool and on the steps.
• ✓Depth markers: on the coping and tiles, especially where the floor slopes to the deep end.
• ✓Steps and ladder: steps at a comfortable rise with a handrail, or a sturdy stainless ladder.
• ✓Emergency stop: a pump cut-off switch in a known place near the pool.

Does a pool need a permit in Dammam?

The safe route is to have a licensed engineering office confirm whether your pool needs a permit before any digging starts. A pool adds a structural element to the property, and the Balady platform has a service for adding and modifying building components on an existing permit through an engineering office, with a published processing time of one to ten days and fees from the platform’s calculator. We found no mention of pools by name in that service’s description, so we do not give the answer on the engineering office’s behalf.

• ✓New villa: the simplest path is to include the pool in the original permit drawings.
• ✓Existing house: the engineering office reviews the permit and sets the route, and we dig after that.
• ✓Jubail Industrial City: work there follows the Royal Commission, not the municipality.
• ✓Commercial rest houses: these have activity-licensing conditions that the owner reviews with the relevant authority.

Swimming pool construction cost in Dammam: “starts from” table

The cost of building a concrete pool in Dammam starts from SAR 12,900 for a small pool of about 2.5×4.5 m, SAR 19,400 for a 3×6 m pool, SAR 29,500 for about 4×9 m, SAR 38,800 for about 5.5×10.5 m, and SAR 60,000 for an overflow pool with gutter and balance tank. The starting price of a pool covers excavation in normal soil and spoil removal, the reinforced concrete shell, internal waterproofing, pool ceramics, cast-in pipework with pressure tests, and the plant-room rough-in. Equipment is added once it is chosen.

Every line is an estimate pending a site visit and agreement; the figures move with size, depth, system, finish level, soil, groundwater level and how easily machines can reach the site. For items marked “at inspection”, send photos and rough dimensions on WhatsApp 0547879578 for an estimate. Our other services are priced in the price guide.

How much does a 3×6 pool cost in Dammam? A worked example

A 3×6 m pool starts from SAR 19,400, and this example shows how that figure turns into a total. Assume a villa yard, a skimmer pool 0.9 to 1.5 m deep (about 1.2 m on average), normal soil with no rock or visible groundwater, and a tiled deck 1.2 m wide on every side:

Add the equipment chosen with the supplier, the deck tiles themselves, the fence and any groundwater pumping. This pool has about 39.6 m² of internal surface (floor 18, walls 21.6) and holds about 21.6 m³, the figures used in its fill test above.

What pushes the price of a pool in Dammam up or down?

• ✓Size and depth: every extra centimetre of depth adds excavation, concrete, steel and waterproofing and tiling area.
• ✓System: overflow adds a gutter, a balance tank and longer pipe runs.
• ✓Soil and groundwater: rock, dewatering and heavier external waterproofing are separate items.
• ✓Access: a yard the excavator cannot enter needs hand digging and longer spoil haulage.
• ✓Finish: glass mosaic instead of ceramics, stone coping, submerged steps and benches.
• ✓Equipment: variable-speed pumps, salt chlorination, chillers, several lights.
• ✓Surroundings: the area of deck tiles or interlock, the fence and any shade structures.

Pool renovation in Dammam: re-waterproofing, re-tiling and crack repair

Pool renovation in Dammam brings an old pool back into service without demolishing it, provided the shell is sound: we strip damaged tiles, repair cracks, re-waterproof, re-tile, and renew nearby fittings or pipe sections if needed. The first question is always whether the problem lies in the finish or in the structure, because the answer decides whether renovation is enough or the pool needs a bigger decision.

Signs your Dammam pool needs renovation

• ✓The level drops faster than evaporation explains: possibly a leak in the shell or the pipework.
• ✓Hollow, loose or missing tiles, or eroded grout: water has got behind the tiles and broken the adhesive bond.
• ✓Visible cracks in walls or floor: hairline cracks in the finish or through cracks in the structure; only an inspection tells them apart.
• ✓Rust stains or spalling concrete: salt has reached the steel, which needs structural repair.
• ✓Damp or salt deposits on a nearby wall or a neighbouring room’s floor: water is escaping from the pool into its surroundings.
• ✓Water that clouds quickly despite dosing: weak circulation or filtration, not necessarily a structural problem.

Renovating an old pool in Dammam, step by step

1. 1
   Inspection
   A visit from SAR 140: shell, tiles and fittings checked, water loss measured with evaporation deducted.
2. 2
   Careful draining
   Partial or full draining only after checking the groundwater level around the pool.
3. 3
   Stripping
   Old tiles and failed bedding removed down to sound concrete.
4. 4
   Structural repair
   Cracks and exposed steel treated, damaged sleeves or fittings replaced.
5. 5
   New waterproofing
   An immersion-rated system with reinforced corners and fittings, then a test.
6. 6
   Tiling and start-up
   New tiles, then the full waiting period before slow refilling.

An illustrative renovation of a 3×6 m pool with an internal surface of about 39.6 m²: removing the old tiles 39.6 × 14 = SAR 554; re-waterproofing with flexible cementitious 39.6 × 74 = SAR 2,930; tiling labour 39.6 × 92 = SAR 3,643; glass mosaic supply 39.6 × 110 = SAR 4,356. The total comes to about SAR 11,483, plus crack repair and any replacement pipework or equipment the pool turns out to need, which are priced at inspection.

Renovate the pool or build a new one in Dammam?

If the shell is sound and passes a fill test once the old finish is stripped, renovation with new waterproofing and tiles is the economical route. If the shell has through cracks, part of it has settled, or the steel has corroded over a wide area, an engineer’s report is needed before any decision, and the better answer may be to demolish and rebuild the pool or to fill it in. General home renovation is covered by our renovation contractor in Dammam; removing or filling in an old pool by our demolition contractor; and cutting new openings for returns or lights in an existing shell is done by core drilling in Dammam.

Is your pool leaking? The bucket test before any breaking out

Before assuming a leak, compare the loss with evaporation. Stand a full bucket on a pool step with its water level matching the pool’s, mark both levels, switch off any automatic top-up and wait a full day. If the pool drops clearly more than the bucket, something besides evaporation is taking water. Repeat with the pump running and then off: a bigger loss with the pump on usually points to the return pipes; an equal loss points to the shell or drains. Send us the result with photos.

Villa pools and rest-house pools in Dammam: how the design differs

The pool itself is built the same way, but how it is used changes many decisions: equipment capacity, the number of skimmers, the deck surface, lighting and fencing.

Villa pool in Dammam

A villa pool usually serves one family in the evenings and at weekends, so safety and privacy lead: a fence and lockable gate where there are children, a spot neighbours cannot overlook, and soft lighting. We keep distance from the villa footings, drain deck water away from the walls, and place the plant room where its noise won’t reach bedrooms. Many villa pools sit beside an outdoor majlis or annex, built as one project.

Rest-house pool in Dammam

A rest-house pool is used heavily on certain days, sometimes by many swimmers at once, then stands idle. We size it for stronger circulation and a larger filter, and suggest a cover against dust and evaporation, a wide anti-slip deck, an outdoor shower and good night lighting. Commercially licensed rest houses have their own licensing requirements, which the owner checks with the authorities. If the rest house also needs a majlis, kitchen and washrooms, see our annex and majlis builder and building contractor in Dammam.

Waterfalls and fountains in Dammam: design and construction

A home waterfall is a closed water loop: a lower basin, hidden or visible, and a small pump that lifts water through concealed pipes to the top of a wall or stone mass, from which it flows back down into the basin. We build the wall or stone mass, waterproof it, run the pipes and power, clad it in stone or tiles, build and waterproof the basin, and install the feature’s small pump.

Wall waterfalls in Dammam: protecting the wall behind

A wall waterfall does no harm to the wall as long as everything behind the cladding and the basin is properly waterproofed. Water finds any open joint; without waterproofing it reaches the blockwork, and damp and salts show on the far side of the wall. So we waterproof the wall behind the waterfall and its basin before cladding, seal every joint, and set the basin rim high enough above the water line that wind does not blow it over. If the wall is a shared boundary wall, we prefer to build a separate wall for the waterfall in front of it.

Indoor waterfalls for the majlis in Dammam

An indoor waterfall needs a sealed basin, because any leak ends up on the majlis floor; a quiet pump; and a moderate flow that does not splash water onto the wall and furniture. We give it an easy top-up point and a switch in a convenient place. Evaporation inside an air-conditioned majlis is lower, but the water still needs regular refreshing.

Fountains in Dammam: how a fountain differs from a waterfall

In a waterfall, water spills from a lip or runs down a wall; in a fountain, water jets upwards or bubbles out of a nozzle and falls back into the basin. Both recirculate water from the basin with a small pump, typically from a few tens of watts up to about 150 W on home units, so running costs are modest. A fountain needs a basin that is wide relative to the height of its spray so the wind does not carry the water outside, which matters in an open, windy yard.

Common mistakes with waterfalls and fountains

• ✓A basin that is too small: evaporation empties it quickly, the pump runs dry and burns out.
• ✓Salty or hard water: leaves white scale on the stone and blocks the nozzles; less saline water is better.
• ✓A pump with no easy-to-reach strainer: leaves and dust clog it and cleaning becomes a chore.
• ✓Lighting not rated for immersion: underwater lights must be 12 V and IPX8, exactly as in a pool.
• ✓No waterproofing behind the cladding: damp and salts appear after a few months.

Waterfall and fountain prices in Dammam

A small wall waterfall of about 1×1 m starts from SAR 3,700, a medium one of about 2×1.5 m from SAR 6,450, and a large one of 3×2 m or more from SAR 11,000. The price covers design, waterproofing the wall, the basin, the small pump and the cladding. We found no published waterfall prices in the Eastern Province, so these figures follow Riyadh, the closest city whose waterfall prices are public.

Estimates until inspection and agreement; stone type, height, the wall’s condition and distance to the power supply all change them. Example: a medium wall waterfall at SAR 6,450 plus underwater lighting at SAR 460 = SAR 6,910. For fish ponds we build and waterproof the basin and lay its pipework; biological filtration and the fish themselves are for a specialist.

Built planters in Dammam: waterproofed and drained

Block or concrete planters give a yard clear green borders, but one built and filled with soil without waterproofing or drainage becomes a source of damp: irrigation water seeps into the adjoining wall and yard floor, and roots seek out every crack. So we build a planter as a structure that holds water: base, walls, internal waterproofing, a drainage layer, outlets, then soil.

1. 1
   Base
   A slab or concrete footing that carries the walls and the weight of wet soil.
2. 2
   Walls
   Block or concrete to the required height, rendered inside and out.
3. 3
   Outlets first
   Drain outlets and weep holes set before waterproofing, never after.
4. 4
   Internal waterproofing
   A system suited to damp soil covering the floor and walls up above soil level.
5. 5
   Drainage layer
   Gravel with a geotextile fabric that stops soil clogging the drainage.
6. 6
   Root barrier and soil
   A barrier that keeps roots off the waterproofing, then soil at a level that keeps the membrane out of the sun.
7. 7
   Cladding
   Stone, tiles or paint on the outside to suit the yard.

We never use the house wall as a planter wall; we leave a gap or build a separate wall and waterproof the house wall, so irrigation water cannot find its way indoors. We do not carry out planting or landscaping ourselves; our job is the built planter. Planter prices are set at inspection according to length, height and cladding, so send photos and measurements of the spot on WhatsApp. Rendering of planter walls follows the same practice as our plastering contractor in Dammam.

Pool and water-feature care in Dammam’s climate

A good pool needs simple but regular care, and Dammam’s climate makes three things matter more than anything else: evaporation, dust and water balance. These are the basics an owner should know:

Salt chlorination does not remove this routine: the unit makes chlorine from salt, but pH, filtration and brushing the walls and floor remain regular jobs. For waterfalls and fountains, check the basin level and the pump strainer weekly, clean nozzles and scale monthly, and have the pump serviced once a year. We do not offer monthly cleaning contracts, but at handover we explain everything your pool and water feature need.

Pool construction beyond Dammam: Al Khobar, Dhahran, Qatif and other Eastern Province cities

Our crews travel from Dammam to build pools, waterfalls and planters in the other cities of the province. Travel to the far ones is priced once we have seen the job, and combining a pool with a waterfall or other work on the same trip spreads that cost. City pages:

In Al Khobar, if the pool is part of a wider home renovation, see our renovation contractor in Al Khobar.

Dammam districts where we build pools and water features

From our Dammam base we reach the city’s older districts and its newer schemes, including:

Ordering a pool or waterfall in Dammam: the photos and details that speed things up

The fastest route to a clear estimate is to send, from the start, the information that answers our first inspection questions. On WhatsApp 0547879578, send:

• ✓Photos of the yard: from at least two angles, showing the proposed spot and the entrance an excavator would use.
• ✓Rough dimensions: the yard’s length and width, and the pool size you have in mind.
• ✓What’s underground: the location of the septic tank, the underground water tank and any known pipes.
• ✓How you’ll use it: children, swimming, rest house, and the system if you have decided (skimmer or overflow).
• ✓For an existing pool: photos of the tiles, cracks and plant room, and the bucket-test result if you ran it.
• ✓For a waterfall or planter: a photo of the wall and its size, and where the nearest power and water points are.

1. 1
   A WhatsApp message
   Your yard photos and what you know about it, or a phone call if that’s easier.
2. 2
   A first figure
   Worked out from the photos and our starting table, with any items that hinge on the site visit listed.
3. 3
   The inspection
   We measure, check soil, groundwater and access, and settle the system and the line items.
4. 4
   Drawings and permit
   Through an engineering office where needed, and equipment chosen with the supplier.
5. 5
   Construction and tests
   Excavation, shell, fill test, waterproofing, tiles and start-up.
6. 6
   Handover
   A full, balanced pool, with a walk-through of how to run and care for it.

Why choose Aemar Al-Maryam for your pool in Dammam?

We don’t promise more than we can show on site. What we offer: a clear split between what we build and what specialists supply, published starting prices for almost every line, a fill test before any finish, a pressure test on every pipe before it is closed in, and groundwater treated as part of the design. Our own crews handle concrete, waterproofing, tiling, plumbing and electrics, so the pool stays under one supervision from the first cut to the first fill. Completed work is on our projects page, and the service in brief on the pools and fountains service page.