Well, just been there done that and...there is no magic way to get the ground level other than...hiring someone else with experience to do it. This is the most labor intensive part of the whole project, and half way through you'll want to pick up the pace and get sloppy, but don't give in. I helped our neighbor, who has worked for the water company for 16 years, level our site and he was a human machine, boy has he leveled some soil in his day. After using his transum to get the overall feel for how much leveling we had to do (take 6" from here and put 6" there--used a commercial grade compactor to compact the moved dirt...can land a 747 on it) He used a 6", flat edged shovel, and a lazer level to do the initial grade. Then he did the 2x4 nailed to a wood spike trick and went around with his shovel and removed the high spots just like the instructions said to. We could not have done it without him, we would have had to pay a pool installer $2,500 for not as good a job.

Setting up the sides and installing the liner was more "stressful" but less work and required a serious cocktail after while the pool filled.

Shelley