It’s been a full year in the making, and our pool is finally done*. Picture a tiny fanfare from the five members of our household (yes, including Burger holding a pom-pom). This post covers the whole process: planning, selections, timeline, budget, landscaping, safety, and the finished space. We’ll also answer common questions we received during the build.
*Mostly done — a couple of back-ordered spa fittings are still on the way.
Neither of us had ever lived in a house with a pool, so this was new territory. We fell for backyard pools years ago on spring break rentals in Florida and during a Costa Rica trip, where we loved floating, swimming, and eating poolside. That influenced our decision to add one here: we knew our family would actually use and appreciate it.
We quickly discovered we also love to eat by the pool—from pizza to PB&Js and even hot mac & cheese for the kids. The patio table has already handled many meals, so practical choices like shatterproof dishes were essential for everyday pool life.
When we moved to Florida, having space to add a pool was high on our list. The house we chose didn’t include one, but the lot was perfect for building the exact backyard oasis we wanted, including an integrated spa.
The Before & Afters
Before the build the yard was mostly weeds and bare dirt. Photos from early on show how uninspiring the space was. Fast forward and the transformation is dramatic: weeds gone, a curved freeform pool, a stone accent retaining wall with scuppers, tropical plantings, and a cozy seating area. The result is compact, private, and useable every day.
We painted the fences a muted green to unify the space and added a horizontally planked fence along our property line. The end result reads like a compact tropical hideaway—cozy, private, and intentionally small.
Planning Our Pool
Our inspiration was a small Balinese-style pool we stayed at in Costa Rica: lush plantings, a tiny white house with a metal roof, and a calming vibe. We knew we didn’t need a huge pool—our neighborhood lots are small—so we chose a freeform design that maximized swimmable area while fitting our lot.
This pool is a modest freeform shape—roughly 20′ at the longest side and about 14′ at the widest—integrated with a round spa. Our goals were: enough room for the kids and friends, space to float with a beverage, an integrated spa, and soothing water features (scuppers). Because our lot is compact, we worked with a local landscape architect who helped maximize the layout while staying within setback and code requirements. Her suggestions, like curved edges and a retaining wall that doubles as a fountain, added a lot to the finished design.
Plaster, Tile, and Patio Stone Choices
The pool shell is shotcrete with a Diamond Brite-style plaster finish, which is common locally because of sandy soil conditions. Choosing plaster color was important since it affects water color. We selected an Ivory plaster to achieve a lighter, slightly blue-green tone that complemented our waterline tile and stone.
Water appearance varies with tile, depth, time of day, and surrounding landscape. For waterline tile we chose a neutral 2×2 mosaic in an avorio tone that works well with curves. For the accent retaining wall we used a subtle travertine splitface stacked stone in an ivory tone to keep a calm, tone-on-tone palette. The patio and coping are 12×24 travertine tiles, the same material used on the spillover between the spa and pool to create a cohesive look.
A few rules we learned: see plaster samples in person, compare them with your tile picks, and view them wet if possible. The difference between swatches online and real samples can be significant.
Build Timeline
This project stretched across more than a year because of permit delays and material backorders. Here’s a condensed timeline:
June 2020: Initial quotes and material considerations.
July 2020: Consulted a landscape architect and finalized design direction.
September 2020: Hired a pool builder and submitted permit applications.
February 2021: Permit issued; material selections finalized.
March 2021: Excavation, framing, rebar, and plumbing. Shotcrete applied and left to cure.
May 2021: Tile, coping, patio, and retaining wall installed; landscaping began.
June 2021: Equipment installed, plaster applied, and the pool filled. We celebrated the “turning on the hose.”
July 2021: Fountains plumbed and spa heater activated after the plaster cured.
August 2021 (present): Mostly complete; waiting on a few remaining spa fittings that are back-ordered.
Landscaping, Furnishing, and Details
Planting made a huge difference. We installed Chinese fan palms for instant tropical scale and added many smaller plants—star jasmine, foxtail ferns, stonecrop, and red ti plants—gradually over several trips to the nursery. Jasmine is already climbing the retaining wall and will fill in as the seasons progress.
Retaining walls were required due to the slope on our lot. We embraced that functional element by making it a decorative stone accent wall with three scuppers that run into the pool—transforming a necessary structure into a calming design feature.
We painted the fences a unifying green, added a new horizontal slat fence for privacy, and kept the lines level on subsequent fence sections. The fencing helps the pool feel private and contained, turning the yard into an oasis.
Seating, Lighting, and Organization
The seating area includes two upright chairs with a coffee table and two lounge chairs under an 11-foot umbrella. Solar lighting—path lights, fairy lights under the umbrella, and string lights on the fence—keeps evenings low-maintenance and atmospheric. We learned to choose furniture that’s sealed for outdoor use; early wood pieces mildew if they aren’t properly protected.
Organization is key: lots of hooks for towels and suits, a small tool wall for skimmers and brushes, and a DIY float holder made from PVC in a pot keep the area tidy. Many pool supplies—towels, sunscreen, and spare items—live in the laundry closet inside the house to avoid damp storage problems outside.
Pool FAQs
Foot wash / outdoor shower? We have an outdoor shower near the gate and a hose for rinsing feet. It’s just outside the pool gate and has worked well with our routines, especially after beach days.
Salt or chlorine? We chose a saltwater system, which is common locally. The pool had to run on chlorine during the first 30 days while plaster cured, then we added salt. Salt systems tend to be gentler on skin, towels, and swimwear and produce no strong chlorine smell.
Safety? Local codes required a fence with self-closing latches and high-mounted latches, plus alarms on doors and windows that lead to the pool. We also added a camera with human-motion alerts for extra peace of mind.
Maintenance? As first-time pool owners we hired a weekly pool pro to balance salt, vacuum, and maintain equipment. He’s been great at teaching us and troubleshooting, and we may take over maintenance down the road.
Equipment and heating? We installed a variable-speed pump for energy efficiency and a gas heater for the spa. Most pools in our area are heated year-round; we’ve used the heater mainly for the spa so far.
Smart controls? The pool controller supports remote operation via a receiver and smartphone app, allowing us to turn lights, spa, fountains, and heater on and off from our phones.
Budget
The pool itself cost roughly $45,000 for the builder’s scope (shell, tile, plaster, equipment, and installation). That figure does not include fencing, landscaping, furniture, or other extras. Pool costs vary widely by region, site access, soil conditions, and size. In our case, sandy soil and easy equipment access helped keep costs lower than areas that require blasting rock or crane access.
This has been the biggest single project we’ve undertaken in our fifteen years of homeownership. It was sometimes a roller coaster of delays and backorders, but seeing it used daily by our family makes it worth every minute. We’re incredibly grateful to have this little backyard oasis and would happily do it again—though we’ll probably pass on the stress of back-ordered parts next time.
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