Building a backyard pool is often associated with big budgets and long timelines. It’s the kind of upgrade that usually involves contractors, unexpected costs and a long wait before that first swim.
But for Brooke Woods, a 32-year-old mother from Florida, the process became something else entirely: a chance to take control, save money and see just how far determination could go.
In early 2026, Woods and her family set out to build their own pool, choosing a hands-on approach instead of hiring a traditional contractor. The decision, she said, came down to both time and cost.
“We opted to ‘build it ourselves’ rather than go with a pool contractor,” Woods told People. “We took this route because after receiving quotes from pool contractors, we knew we could save time and money.”
With her husband’s construction background, the family handled everything from permits to coordinating subcontractors, even taking on parts of the labor themselves. By their estimate, the approach reduced the total cost by about 20%.
Over the course of about two months, the project came together — a 36-by-23-foot pool holding 16,500 gallons of water, ready just in time for summer.
But just as the finish line was in sight, one last expense threatened to undo some of those savings: filling the pool.
After reaching out to water delivery companies, Woods was quoted around $2,500 to fill it. After everything the family had done to stay on budget, the price did not sit right.
“We contacted a few water truck companies and the quotes were around $2,500,” Woods told People.
Instead of accepting the price, she started looking for alternatives. The answer came from close to home.
A neighbor who had recently completed a similar pool shared that they had filled theirs using their own water supply — and the bill came out to about $300.
“[They] had just put in a pool around the same size, so we chatted with them to see what their water bill was after they filled their pool [themselves],” Woods told People. “They told us it was $300, so we knew it was more cost-effective to fill it on our own.”
That was all the confirmation she needed.
Rather than hiring a truck, Woods contacted the city’s water department, turned on two garden hoses and committed to doing it herself.
It was not fast. It was not the easiest option either.
But over roughly 36 hours, the pool slowly filled — one steady stream of water at a time.
For Woods, the experience was about more than saving money. It was about seeing the project through on her own terms, from start to finish.
She later shared the process on TikTok, where the video quickly gained attention. Many viewers pointed out that hiring a water truck would have been quicker and easier. Woods did not disagree — but that was not the point.
(Courtesy of Brooke Woods)
Even after the long wait and effort, she said she would not change a thing.
She would “absolutely” do it the same way again, she told People, adding that “it was a fun experience to watch.”
In the end, what started as a way to cut costs turned into something more meaningful: a reminder that sometimes the slower, more hands-on path can be just as rewarding as the result itself.
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