Most people start a pool with a number in their head. Then the city gets involved.
That number usually comes from the picture you have of the finished pool. The water, the spa, the first night out there. What it doesn't include is everything that has to happen in the ground, on paper, and with the city before that picture exists.
So why do we tell homeowners to plan on at least $100K for the custom pool they actually want?
Your city and your yard shape the cost
The labor is only part of the story. Your site, the engineered design and the permitting requirements can change the scope before the first machine arrives.
In Los Angeles and parts of Orange County, a project may need a soil report or additional engineering. Some designs require two layers of reinforcing steel instead of one. Those requirements depend on the site and the approved plans; they aren't the same for every backyard.
That can get expensive.
Even if your project doesn't need either one, your yard still has a say. How the machines get in. Where your pool equipment sits. How much earth has to come out. What you want done overall, for the pool and the backyard around it.
And if you want a pool and a spa, know this going in: your backyard is going to become a bit of a mess for a while.
The nine phases
This is how a pool and spa come together. Some work overlaps, and the inspection sequence follows your approved plans.
- Permits and plans. The design, engineering and city review that establish what can be built.
- The dig. Excavation, access and hauling the soil away.
- Rebar and steel. The reinforcing cage, built to the engineered plans.
- Plumbing and electrical rough-in. The pipes, conduit and bonding that need to be in place and inspected before the shell is shot.
- Shotcrete. Concrete placed under pressure to form the shell. The size and design of the pool affect how much is needed.
- Tile, coping and materials. The selected finishes around the pool. Your material allowance and selections should be clear in the scope.
- Mini pebble. The interior finish.
- Water fill. Filling the finished pool according to the finish requirements.
- Start-up. Equipment commissioning, water balancing and learning how to care for the pool.
On paper, that looks like a straightforward timeline. What the list doesn't show is the inspections between stages. Work may need approval before the next phase can begin.
Every one of those visits is part of the timeline too.
Plan the rest of the yard before the water goes in
A new pool changes the space around it. Turf. Paving. A place to sit and eat outside. The route from the back door to the water.
If those pieces aren't in the original plan, you can end up with a finished pool in the middle of dirt or torn-up grass.
Most of our coastal projects, pool and yard together, land around $175K. That's our experience with those projects, not a quote for your property. Your site, selections and scope determine your own number.
It's a lot easier to see the whole yard in the design than to discover what's missing after the water goes in.
So where does that leave you?
For the custom pool you actually want, we recommend starting the planning conversation with at least $100K in mind. That is a starting budget for the conversation, not a promise that every custom build will fit it.
If your number is lower, that doesn't mean no pool. Our Studio Pools line is fixed price, starting at $58,000.
If the number is right but the timing of the money isn't, explore our financing options. The financing page has the current lender information and qualification details.
If you want to see what your yard can actually hold, and what it would take to get there, start with a free 3D design consultation.
Construction requirements vary by jurisdiction and approved plans. For an example of the inspection and engineering requirements behind a pool build, see the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety's swimming pool construction bulletin.