Considering an above ground pool

[Watermom]

Most traditional AG pools are closer to 4 feet.

Actually, the 48" wall AG pools hold about 3.5 feet of water since you don't fill them to the top of the wall.

[BigDave]

Agreed but I mentioned it because momofonly showed some concern about depth. Neither of my 8 year olds had any trouble in our 54" wall pool last year but they are "Big" too.

[momofonly]

Thanks! So much great advice already! I thought I had written an answer before, but I don't know what happened to it. My daughter is 4 ft 3 inches, but we wouldn't be getting a pool until next summer since we already paid for the pool club membership for the season. Can you fill an above ground pool that's four feet deep to only 3 1/2, or will it cause problems? Is it possible to set up an Intex pool without filling it all the way to capacity? (I hope this posts this time!)

[AnnaK]

In order for the pump and skimmer to work properly a pool must be filled to a certain depth, usually to just above the middle of the skimmer. A pool with 48" sides probably has a functional water depth of 46". By next summer your daughter will definitely be tall enough to keep her head above water.

[Watermom]

Not that it is a big deal, but I don't think a 48" wall has only 2 inches from the middle of the skimmer to the top of the wall. I think it is more like 6 inches. At least my old pool with 48" walls did. My new pool has 54" walls and again, the water level is more than 2 inches below the top of the wall.

[AnnaK]

Typo. 42" would be closer to reality.

[momofonly]

Thanks again for all of the info. I think we will go with a more permanent one. I'm unsure of the first steps to take. I will need the ground leveled before anything. I'm not even sure how to find someone to do that. Do the pool dealers typically do the prep work of leveling and fencing? Do I need to start looking months in advance? How can I get a price quote to make sure that I can even afford to do this? (I'm thinking a ballpark figure.) My husband thinks we should work on leveling the ground in the fall. Any info, tips, etc. are greatly appreciated. Thanks!