Pool Chasers Podcast · Greg & Justin, Swimming Pool

Perfection and Rising Above the Standard with Melbourne, Australia Pool Builder Matt Lord of Coastal Pools

·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

Matt says Australian pool construction tolerances are about 10 times tighter than what he saw in the United States.

1. Pool Chasers Podcast covers Melbourne pool builder Matt Lord of Coastal Pools and his approach to high-standard construction. 2. Greg Villafana and co-host Justin “the bearded plumber” Bowie host Matt Lord, who runs Coastal Pools in Melbourne and brings a second-generation perspective. 3. The episode asks what it takes to build pools at a higher standard while staying competitive in a changing trade market. 4. Matt says he is 25, joined Coastal Pools in 2016 after year 12, and works in a five-person company that builds about 25 to 30 pools a year. 5. He describes the family business as personal and local, where he meets families, pets, and children before the first dig starts. 6. Matt says a pool project can take 12 to 18 months from start to finish, so he sees the client relationship as part of the build. 7. He says Melbourne and Australian pool construction feel far more exacting than what he saw on a Tempe job in the United States. 8. He points to bender boards, steel pegs, and beam lines as examples of tolerances that would be questioned by his Melbourne clients. 9. Matt says Australian work often gets checked down to 1 to 2 millimeters, even when the coping tile will later cover part of the structure. 10. He says some above-ground pools are built with laminated LVL timbers and treated “like we’re building a skyscraper.” 11. Matt recalls a 2.5-meter-high pool with a negative edge and catchment pool where removing bracing let a wall move about 15 millimeters. 12. He says the team saw the movement happen and had to rebrace and straighten the shell before continuing. 13. Matt says that kind of mistake changes how a builder thinks about every future job because concrete only gives one real chance. 14. He says the company’s guiding rule is to build “up to a standard” rather than “down to a price.” 15. Matt says the business differentiates itself through energy, enthusiasm, and a brand identity that his crew wants to represent. 16. He says he tries to keep employees engaged with small gestures such as buying coffee and treating them like part of the family. 17. The conversation stays informal and conversational, with beer talk, Australia-versus-U.S. comparisons, and jokes about names, holidays, and accents. 18. Matt’s tone stays reflective and practical, with a mix of self-awareness, blunt trade language, and pride in craftsmanship. 19. People interested in pool construction, trade management, and high-standard workmanship would get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a tightly focused technical interview with little off-topic banter may skip it.

As heard by us

A grounded trade-business listen about youth, energy, patience, and the work nobody sees.

Matt Lord's story offers a practical look at what it takes to build credibility in a pool industry that can still feel old-school and guarded.

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Why you'd press play

You want a straight talk on building a pool business without the glossy feed.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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