The town is on pace to issue even more permits for new pool construction than it did in 2020—itself a very active year, municipal officials say.
Through the first four months of 2021, the town issued 19 pool permits, compared to 30 all of last year, according to data from the New Canaan Building Department.
“I expect to pass last year’s numbers, from what I am hearing from pool builders,” Chief Building Official Brian Platz said.
“The pool guys are telling me they’re as busy as they’ve ever been,” he said.
In 2020, with so many more families staying home amid the early months of the pandemic, New Canaan saw a sharp increase in applications to build pools and for small home improvement projects. The total number of pool permits issued in 2020 increased 20% year-over-year.
This year, in addition to a strong real estate market in New Canaan, with a high number sales, many homeowners appear to remain focused on outdoor living areas, Platz said.
“My guess is people still are not traveling as they once did for summer vacations,” he said.
The Building Department is seeing a high number of applications for projects such as outdoor firepit, barbecue, fireplace and patio installations, Platz said.
“The logic is, if I”m trapped at home and not traveling I might as well make a nice place for myself here,” he said.