A reinforced concrete shell, insulated on every face
Pool shells engineered and poured by structural builders.
Conventional gunite pools lose heat to the surrounding earth constantly — the ground is an infinite heat sink and an uninsulated shell feeds it all season. An ICF pool wraps the structure in continuous foam, so the heater fights evaporation instead of geology. The shell itself is rebar-reinforced concrete formed with the same system and the same crew as the ICF homes.
Engineering and layout
Shell design is engineered for the soil and grade conditions of the site — hillside pools and integrated terrace structures are normal work here, not exceptions.
Excavation and base
Excavation, compaction, and drainage are handled with the same discipline as a building foundation, because the shell is one.
The insulated shell
ICF forms are stacked, reinforced, braced, and poured to create a monolithic insulated structure. Corners, steps, and benches form cleanly in the same system.
Rough-in coordination
Returns, skimmers, drains, and equipment runs are placed in the formwork before the pour — embedded, not retrofitted.
From the first walk-through to the final inspection: same owner, same trade team. Seventeen years and counting.
From estimate to closeout
How the project runs.
Same protocol on every engagement. Schedule shared before work begins, milestones communicated in writing, no step skipped.
01
Site and design
Walk the site, define the shape, depth, and relationship to the house and grade. Engineering follows the actual soil and slope conditions.
02
Excavation
Dig, compact, and prepare drainage and base. Hillside sites get the retaining and grading work integrated into the shell design.
03
Form and pour
ICF shell assembled, reinforced, plumbed for rough-in, and poured monolithically. Embedments go in before concrete — once.
04
Finish and startup
Interior finish, coping, decking, and equipment startup. The shell will still be sound long after every pump and heater has been replaced.
Recent work
ICF Pools across the Gorge.
A selection of recent icf pools work — formed, poured, and finished by The ICF Guys crew.
The shell went in like a foundation, and that's exactly how it holds. It's the end of October and the water is still warm enough to swim.
D. Whitfield
In-ground ICF pool, White Salmon
What the homeowner is paying for.
The deliverables that distinguish a The ICF Guys engagement from the rest of the contractor field.
Structure-first pool building
The crew builds concrete structures for a living. A pool is a foundation that holds water — engineered, reinforced, and poured with the same rigor.
Insulation where it pays daily
Continuous foam around warm water is one of the clearest paybacks in construction. The savings run every day the heater does.
One crew, house and pool
On combined projects the pool isn't a subcontracted afterthought — it's part of the same structural scope, schedule, and quality bar.
Award-winning ICF experience
The same ICF Builder Awards-recognized expertise behind the homes goes into every shell.
5
Years building with ICF
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#245102
Oregon CCB · bonded + insured
1:1
Owner-to-client · Josh leads every engagement
FAQ
The questions homeowners ask before engaging.
Why insulate a pool shell at all?
Because the ground never stops pulling heat out of the water. Insulating the shell cuts that loss dramatically, which means a smaller heater working fewer hours for the same water temperature.
ICF Pools across the Columbia River Gorge
White Salmon, Hood River, The Dalles, and the full Gorge on both sides of the river. Licensed in Washington and Oregon, owner-led on site.