I don't have any other experience to compare to but I think the drop was good! That part was really easy with 6 people. The back side of the liner had markings to let you know where the corners were which helped a lot. I cleaned the bead track thoroughly on Saturday so there were no last minute issues there. Things seem to be shaping up well and it is filling up... slowly!

We are pretty much committed now as we did install the main drain after there was bout 18" of water in the hopper. Tomorrow it should be close to doing the light and getting ready for the steps, and followed shortly by the returns and skimmers.

I will say that all the tear down and cleanup was by far the worst part of the job.

Also, the ladder is cemented in place!!! What?!? We had to make a couple wood shims to push it away from the wall. Quick fix and worked well.

Here's a before and after image. The bottom in the shallow is smooth now and the water weight did a lot of the work with the remaining wrinkles in the deep.

My biggest concern at the moment is getting the steps right... there must be 60 screws :-)

To be continued...