Pool Design
40 backyard pool designs — from luxury inground infinity pools to budget above-ground setups, with pool landscaping, decking ideas, and cost guides.
“Landscape architect quoted $3,500 for a plan. Yardcast gave me three designs for $12.99. Got contractor bids the same week — saved me six weeks of waiting and $3,487.”
Stephanie M.
· Full front-yard redesign
“The plant list was dead-on for zone 7b. Took it straight to my nursery and they ordered everything in one shot. Zero waste, zero guessing, no substitutions.”
Tanya L.
Charlotte, NC · Backyard perennial beds
“Did the phased install myself over two years following the Year 1/3/5 plan. Looks exactly like the render. Best $13 I've spent on anything house-related.”
David R.
· Native prairie conversion
“I sent the PDF to three landscapers for bids. All three said it was the clearest project brief they'd ever gotten from a homeowner. Got quotes back within 24 hours.”
Marcus T.
· Pool area landscaping
“Small yard — 900 square feet — and a tricky slope. The design made it feel intentional instead of awkward. My neighbors keep asking who my landscape architect was.”
Jessica W.
· Urban townhouse yard
“I'm in zone 5b in Minnesota. Every plant it recommended actually survives our winters. I expected generic results — I got a hyper-local design that knew my soil and frost dates.”
Kevin A.
Minneapolis, MN · Cold-climate backyard redesign
“Needed privacy from the neighbors — didn't want a 6-foot fence ruining the yard. Yardcast designed a layered living screen with Green Giants, Skip Laurel, and ornamental grasses. Full privacy in year two. Gorgeous year-round.”
Rachel P.
Raleigh, NC · Backyard privacy screen
“I wanted a cottage garden but had no idea where to start — which roses, what spacing, what blooms when. The design gave me a complete plant layering plan with bloom times. It's become the best-looking yard on our street.”
Laura H.
Burlington, VT · English cottage garden
A swimming pool is one of the largest and most impactful investments you can make in your outdoor space. These 40 ideas cover every budget — from $500 stock tank pools to $150,000 custom lagoons — with practical cost guidance, landscaping tips, and design options for every home style.
The rectangle is the most versatile pool shape — it suits formal, modern, and traditional landscapes equally well, and its straight edges make it easiest to pair with decking and outdoor furniture. A standard 12×24 ft rectangle holds enough water for real swimming while fitting most suburban backyards. Pair with travertine or large-format paver decking, a simple pool house or pergola for shade, and clean-lined landscaping borders.
A freeform pool with curves, a rock waterfall, grotto, and beach entry mimics a tropical lagoon. Irregular organic shapes work best in naturalistic landscapes with lush tropical planting. Add a sun shelf at one end for lounging with water up to ankle level, boulders at the waterfall edge, and tropical plants (hibiscus, bird of paradise, palms) poolside. The most dramatic, resort-like backyard pool design.
An infinity pool creates the visual illusion that the water extends to the horizon. One or more edges allow water to spill over into a catch basin below, which is pumped back to the pool. Requires a sloped yard or elevated deck with a view. The effect at sunset over a valley or water view is extraordinary. More complex and expensive than standard pools due to the vanishing edge engineering.
A lap pool is long and narrow — typically 8–10 ft wide and 40–75 ft long — designed for swimming lengths. Fits in side yards or long narrow backyards where a standard pool wouldn't work. Add a swim current machine (counter-current unit) to enable effective lap swimming in a shorter 20–25 ft pool. Lap pools are clean, minimal, and architectural — they look as much like a design element as a functional pool.
L-shaped, T-shaped, or compound-rectangle pools create architectural interest while maintaining the clean lines of a geometric design. An L-shaped pool separates a shallow play zone from a deep lap end. Pair with large-format concrete or porcelain paver decking in white, gray, or charcoal, minimal poolside planting (ornamental grasses, agave), and a modern cabana structure.
Lush tropical planting transforms a simple pool into a resort escape. Key plants: Canary Island date palms (architectural, not messy), bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae), colorful ti plants, ornamental bananas, hibiscus, bougainvillea, and elephant ears. Layer heights: palms in the back, mid-height shrubs and ornamental grasses in the middle, and ground-level creeping plants between paver joints. Avoid deciduous trees — falling leaves mean constant pool cleaning.
Stone or terracotta paving, cypress and olive trees, lavender borders, and Italian terracotta pots create a Tuscan or Mediterranean atmosphere around a pool. The palette is hot and earthy: terracotta, ochre, warm gray stone, and the blue of the water. Add a pergola with grapevines trained overhead, terracotta urns at pool corners, and a stone retaining wall with spilling lavender.
A desert or xeriscaped pool garden — boulders, decomposed granite, agave, yucca, ornamental grasses, and drought-tolerant native plants — creates a dramatic contemporary poolscape that uses virtually no irrigation once established. The contrast between the water and the arid planting is striking. Use large boulders as design elements and natural pool surrounds.
A required pool fence (code in most jurisdictions) can be made beautiful with climbing plants and layered privacy screening. Use a powder-coated black aluminum fence and train climbing roses, jasmine, or star jasmine along it. Back the fence with a row of Green Giant arborvitae or skip laurel for additional visual privacy. The fence disappears into greenery while meeting safety codes.
Large boulders arranged at one end of a pool with a natural-looking waterfall cascading from a grotto or rock pile transforms a standard pool into a resort feature. Use veneer stone over a gunite-formed structure for the most realistic look. The waterfall provides the pleasant sound of moving water and cools the pool surface. Add moss and ferns between the rocks for a rainforest atmosphere.
A round or oval above-ground pool (18–24 ft diameter) paired with a custom wraparound wood deck transforms a budget pool into a legitimate backyard feature. The deck hides the pool walls and creates a raised platform for lounging. Frame the deck with planters, string lights, and an outdoor seating area. A well-executed deck + above-ground pool looks far more expensive than it is.
Semi-inground pools are set partially into the ground, which stabilizes them, allows earth berming around the sides, and creates a more finished look than a fully above-ground pool. Brands like Radiant and Aqua Leader make semi-inground steel and aluminum pools. They cost $10,000–$25,000 — significantly less than a full inground pool while looking much more permanent.
Large rectangular frame pools (14×22 ft or 16×48 in deep) from Intex or Bestway provide a genuine swimming pool experience at a fraction of the cost. Set up in a day, no permits required, stored in winter. Pair with a simple pea gravel surround and some container plants to dress up the space. The 16 ft×48 in Intex Ultra Frame Pool (13,500 gal) is genuinely swimmable for a family.
A plunge pool — small, deep, and designed for cool immersion rather than swimming — costs a fraction of a full inground pool while still providing the experience of having a real inground water feature. 8×12 ft is a common size. Add a bench seat, a small fountain spout, or a heating unit for year-round use. Some plunge pools double as hot tubs in cooler months.
A galvanized stock tank (8–10 ft diameter × 2 ft deep) from a farm supply store, fitted with a stock tank pool filter kit, creates a surprisingly appealing small pool for one to two people. Prices have risen with popularity but remain far below any pool option. Pair with a simple wooden deck surround and tropical container plants for a Instagrammable backyard feature.
A natural swimming pond uses a planted regeneration zone (aquatic plants, biological filtration) instead of chlorine to keep the water clean. The swimming zone is a clear, clean body of water maintained purely by natural biological processes — no chemicals. Natural pools are more expensive to install than conventional pools but have much lower running costs and are dramatically better for wildlife and human health.
A DIY natural pool using a liner, berm, EPDM liner, and planted regeneration zone can be built for $5,000–$15,000 with significant hands-on work. The regeneration zone (equal in area to the swimming zone) is planted with oxygenating submerged plants, marginal aquatic plants, and water lilies. A low-power pump circulates water slowly through the planted zone. The result is chemical-free, wildlife-friendly swimming water.
A copper-silver ionizer system dramatically reduces chemical requirements in a conventional pool — maintaining 0.2–0.5 ppm chlorine vs the standard 1–3 ppm. Combine with a UV sanitization unit and saltwater chlorination for the healthiest possible conventional pool experience with minimal harsh chemicals. The water feels softer, smells less of chlorine, and is gentler on eyes and skin.
Integrate the pool's backwash water (from filter cleaning) into a rain garden that filters and recharges groundwater. Route pool deck runoff through planted bioswales and rain gardens rather than direct stormwater drains. The combination of pool and rain garden management reduces water waste and creates additional planting opportunities around the pool.
A saltwater pool uses a salt chlorinator to continuously generate chlorine from dissolved salt — maintaining consistent sanitization with no manual chemical additions. The water feels softer and less irritating to eyes and skin than traditionally chlorinated pools. Saltwater pools cost slightly more upfront ($1,500–$2,500 for the chlorinator system) but dramatically reduce ongoing chemical costs.
Travertine is the most popular luxury pool deck material — it stays cool underfoot in direct sun (unlike concrete), is naturally non-slip, and looks beautiful. Ivory or classic travertine in 18×18 in or 16×24 in formats laid in a pattern creates a Mediterranean luxury atmosphere. Seal annually to prevent staining from pool chemicals. Pairs perfectly with stone water features and Mediterranean planting.
Large-format porcelain tile (24×48 in) in a concrete look or natural stone look creates an ultra-contemporary pool deck. Modern porcelain is nearly indestructible, frost-resistant, non-slip, and stain-resistant. Available in tile sizes up to 48×96 in for maximum wow factor with minimal grout lines. The most durable deck option available.
Stamped concrete in travertine, slate, or cobblestone patterns provides the look of natural stone at a lower cost. A professionally stamped and sealed concrete deck is durable, customizable in color, and can match any home style. The main risk is cracking (expansion joints are essential) and heat retention (concrete gets hotter than natural stone).
A composite deck surrounding an above-ground or inground pool provides a warm, natural look without the maintenance of real wood. Composite doesn't splinter, warp, or require annual staining. Choose a teak-look or gray weathered finish. Pair with stainless steel cable railing for a modern look, or timber post-and-rail for a more traditional aesthetic.
A sun shelf — also called a tanning ledge or Baja shelf — is a 12–18 in deep, wide platform in the shallowest end of the pool where lounge chairs sit in inches of water. The water cools you while you sunbathe. Add a bubbler or two emerging from the shelf floor for a gentle fountain effect. This is the single most popular pool upgrade request from homeowners in warm climates.
| Pool Type | Size | Total Cost | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock tank pool | 8–10 ft round | $400–$800 | Cheapest option, no permit | Very shallow, small |
| Intex/Bestway frame pool | 14×22 ft | $500–$1,500 | No permit, store in winter | Temporary, above ground |
| Above ground + deck | 18×24 ft | $3,000–$8,000 | Budget, real pool experience | Visible pool walls |
| Semi-inground | 12×24 ft | $10,000–$25,000 | More permanent, good for slopes | Less flexible than inground |
| Plunge pool | 8×12 ft | $15,000–$35,000 | Small space, can be heated | Not for lap swimming |
| Fiberglass inground | 12×24 ft | $35,000–$65,000 | Fast install, durable finish | Limited shapes/sizes |
| Vinyl liner inground | 12×24 ft | $30,000–$55,000 | Most affordable inground | Liner needs replacement 10–15 years |
| Gunite/concrete inground | Custom | $50,000–$120,000+ | Any shape/size, permanent | Longest install time |
Upload a photo of your yard and get AI-generated visuals showing your pool design with full landscaping — summer and winter views.
Design My Pool →Vinyl liner pools are typically the least expensive inground option at $30,000–$55,000 installed. Fiberglass pools run $35,000–$65,000 but have lower lifetime maintenance costs. Gunite/concrete is most expensive at $50,000+ but allows fully custom shapes.
Basic pool landscaping (plants + mulch + some hardscape) runs $2,000–$8,000. A full professional pool landscape with paving, planting, lighting, and features runs $8,000–$30,000+.
Best poolside plants: ornamental grasses (no leaf drop), agave, birds of paradise, Canary Island date palm, liriope, and evergreen shrubs. Avoid: deciduous trees (leaf drop), plants with thorns, plants that drop berries or pods.
Yes — virtually all jurisdictions require permits for inground pools and most semi-inground pools. Above-ground portable pools (like Intex frame pools) typically don't need permits. Pool fencing is required by law in most US states.
Research shows: sun shelves (tanning ledges) are the most-requested feature; water features (waterfalls, bubblers) add resort feel; LED color-changing lighting dramatically improves evening ambiance; integrated spa increases value and year-round use.
Fiberglass: 3–6 weeks. Vinyl liner: 6–8 weeks. Gunite/concrete: 8–16 weeks. Custom pools with elaborate features can take 3–6 months from permit to first swim.