Hi 3mom, welcome to our little section of the web, (IMHO it's the BEST place to learn how to care for your pool). Sevver, is right about having the faceplate in place before cutting the liner - however, there should be a couple of 'settting screws' that will hold the skimmer in place before the liner is installed, and a gasket to go behind the liner on the skimmer mouth, you definately want the 'behind the liner' gasket 'in place' before putting on the faceplate. If this answer doesn't make sense to you, feel free to ask follow up questions. I (we) want you to enjoy pool ownership, and will help, as much as we can, to ensure that your pool is easy to use and easy to maintain. - Waste