Re-leveling an Above Ground Pool

by cmc
(Michigan)

The pool has been up for a while and the pool sides are no longer level (high spots, low spots) . How do I correct without removing sides?


Hi. This is pretty easy to fix, especially if you are planning a liner change. It's easier to do with an empty pool, but can be done with a few inches of water also. A few inches is what you would have to leave in the pool if you planned on using the same liner, as they will shrink if drained completely.

Assuming the pool is empty you should clear the dirt and sand away from both sides of the wall, down to the bottom of the bottom rail. Now you should be able the insert a round point shovel under the rail and lift the pool into the air by a few inches. This gives you enough room, using a flat spade, to add or remove soil from under the footplates and bottom rails.

Unless you are able to see exactly what the pool needs you may want to use a transit type level to set each post at the correct height. When the pool is full of water it is easy to see which post is high or low, so you may already have these marked. Using a tape measure, and measuring from the top rail to the water level all the way around the pool, tells you exactly how level it is.

When the pool is once again level you just redo the cove and smooth the sand for the new liner. The page below gives more instructions for doing this with water in the pool. It takes an extra person to hold the liner back, but it can be done without disturbing the way the liner is set.

Pool Out of Level