Pool features

Pool features, explained: what each one is, what it adds and who should skip it

A pool feature is anything you add beyond the water itself: a sun shelf, a spa, deck jets, lights, a cover. Each one changes how the pool gets used, what it adds to the price and what it takes to look after. Here is every common one in plain words, with who it suits and who should skip it.

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Last updated October 10, 2026

AI concept image: a pool with a wide shallow sun shelf holding two loungers, lighter water over the shelf and darker water beyond

A sun shelf is a shallow ledge you lounge on, right in the water

A sun shelf is a wide, shallow ledge built into the pool, so loungers, chairs and small kids can sit in the water without swimming.

Good for: Families with young kids, and anyone who wants to cool off without getting in all the way.
Skip it if: Lap swimmers, since the shelf uses floor a swim lane would need. Very small pools, where it can leave too little deep water.
Upkeep: Shallow water warms fast and shows dirt first, so plan to brush the shelf along with the rest of the pool.
Builder's tip: Pick the loungers before the builder pours. In-water furniture comes with a water depth in the maker's specs, and the shelf should be set to match.

See it in your yard Pool ideas with sun shelf (6)

Opens the free visualizer with sun shelf already chosen.

Designs that include it: Mediterranean Roman pool at night in Coral Gables, French country estate pool in Highland Park, Dallas.

AI concept image: a small backyard cocktail pool with a built in bench seat and a drink ledge at the edge, in a compact yard

A cocktail pool is a small, deeper pool you sit in, not swim laps in

A cocktail pool is a small pool, deep enough to stand in, with a bench around the inside, made for sitting and cooling off.

Good for: Tight yards, couples, and anyone who wants cool water close to the patio more than a place to swim.
Skip it if: Families who want to play games or swim laps, and anyone who wants room for a crowd.
What it adds: $20,000 to $40,000, a small concrete pool.A pool this small is priced by the job, not by the square foot.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, Fixr, gunite and concrete pool, Pool Research, plunge pool cost.
Upkeep: Less water means smaller equipment, and it also means the chemistry and the temperature swing faster, so test it often in hot weather.
Builder's tip: Set the bench so an adult sits with shoulders just under the water. Ask your builder to stake the outline in the yard and sit where the bench would be.

See it in your yard Pool ideas with cocktail pool (3)

Opens the free visualizer with cocktail pool already chosen.

Designs that include it: Desert modern plunge pool in Scottsdale, Brownstone rooftop pool with a Manhattan view in Brooklyn.

AI concept image: a backyard pool with a swim up bar, a stone counter at the pool wall with bar stools standing in the water

A swim up bar is a counter at the pool wall with stools in the water

A swim up bar is a counter built into the pool wall, with stools in the water so you can sit at the bar without leaving the pool.

Good for: Yards with real room, and households that entertain often enough to use it.
Skip it if: Small yards, simple family pools, and anyone who is not sure they would use it every week.
Upkeep: Stools and counter sit in sun and pool chemicals all year, so stone and stainless hold up better than soft finishes. The bar has its own plumbing, which is one more thing to maintain.
Builder's tip: Ask for the stool height and the water depth at the bar to be drawn on the plan. The pool is shaped around a ledge for the stools, so it has to be decided before the design is final.

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The visualizer does not draw a swim up bar yet. Start with the pool and ask your builder about the bar.

AI concept image: a backyard pool with a raised round stone spa spilling over a short spillway into the pool, steam rising in the evening

A spa is a small warm pool, attached so it spills into the pool or set apart

A spa is a small, warm pool for sitting, either built into the pool so it spills over into it, or set apart as its own tub.

Good for: People who would use it all year, and cooler climates where a warm soak is worth the heating.
Skip it if: Warm climates where nobody wants hot water, and anyone who would rather spend that money elsewhere.
What it adds: $6,000 to $18,000, a spa added to a new pool.
$2,000 to $8,000, a raised wall for the spa, where there is none.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: HomeAdvisor, hot tub cost, Shasta Pools, Arizona costs, Simplified Pools, water features guide.
Upkeep: A spa has its own heater and jets, so it adds equipment and energy use. Hotter water also needs closer watching of the chemistry.
Builder's tip: Ask whether the spa and the pool share one set of equipment, and how the spa is heated when the pool is cold. A raised spa wall should be a seat height you can climb into.

See it in your yard Pool ideas with spa (7)

Opens the free visualizer with spa already chosen.

Designs that include it: Mediterranean Roman pool at night in Coral Gables, French country estate pool in Highland Park, Dallas.

AI concept image: a hillside pool with a rock waterfall spilling into it, a spa beside it and a lounger on a shallow shelf

Water features move water into the pool: waterfalls, sheets, spouts and bubblers

Water features are the parts that pour or spray water into the pool: a rock waterfall, a sheet of water from a wall, copper spouts, or bubblers on a shelf.

Good for: People who like the sound of water, or who want it to cover the noise of the street.
Skip it if: Anyone who dislikes pump noise, and windy yards, where a thin sheet of water blows out of the pool.
What it adds: $4,000 to $10,000, a medium rock waterfall.A grotto costs more.
$800 to $2,000 each, a sheet of water from a wall.Installed, where the wall already exists.
$200 to $500 each, a bubbler on a shelf.Installed.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: Simplified Pools, water features guide.
Upkeep: Splash and evaporation lose water, and a rock waterfall catches leaves and algae in its gaps, so it needs a rinse and a brush.
Builder's tip: Choose the sound before the look. A rock fall is loud and splashy and a sheet of water is quiet. Ask to hear one running at a builder's own pool.

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Opens the free visualizer with waterfall and water features already chosen.

AI concept image: arcs of water leaping from deck jets into a backyard pool at dusk

Deck jets shoot thin arcs of water from the deck into the pool

Deck jets are small nozzles set into the deck that send thin arcs of water across the edge and into the pool.

Good for: Families with kids, hot summers, and anyone who likes movement and sound at the water.
Skip it if: Anyone who wants a still, quiet pool, and windy yards, where the arcs scatter.
What it adds: $300 to $700 each, deck jets.Installed.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: Simplified Pools, water features guide.
Upkeep: Small nozzles can clog with debris and mineral scale, so they get checked and cleaned now and then.
Builder's tip: Ask for the jets on their own switch, so you run them for a party and leave them off the rest of the week. The arcs land where the nozzle points, so plan the spacing against the width of the pool.

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Opens the free visualizer with deck jets already chosen.

AI concept image: an infinity edge pool on a slope with the water meeting a hazy valley view at golden hour

An infinity edge lets the water run over one side so it meets the view

An infinity edge, also called a vanishing edge, lets the water spill over one side into a hidden catch basin, so the pool seems to run into the view.

Good for: Yards on a slope or with a view, and modern designs where the water is the main show.
Skip it if: Flat yards with nothing to look at, since the effect is lost, and tight budgets.
What it adds: $15,000 to $35,000, the premium over a standard pool.
$5,500 to $23,000, on a slope, a retaining wall and an engineer.Where the yard needs holding back to make room for the pool.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: Fixr, infinity pool, Pool Research, infinity pools, HomeAdvisor, infinity pool cost, Pool Research, pool retaining wall.
Upkeep: The catch basin and its pump are extra equipment to keep running, and the edge has to stay level or the sheet of water breaks up.
Builder's tip: Ask what you will see from where you actually sit. The effect works from the side facing the view, and from inside the pool looking out, not from every seat on the patio.

See it in your yard Pool ideas with infinity edge (1)

Opens the free visualizer with infinity edge already chosen.

Designs that include it: Hillside vanishing edge pool in the Oakland Hills.

AI concept image: a modern house and a pool lit warm white at night, the water glowing from within

AI concept image: a pool lit in blue, teal and violet at night, palms lit from below

Pool lighting decides how the yard looks after dark, in warm white or colour

Pool lights are fixtures in the pool wall and around the deck that light the water and the yard after dark, in warm white or in colour.

Good for: Anyone who swims or sits outside in the evening, which is most people.
Skip it if: Colour changing lights, if you want a calm, natural look. Warm white reads closer to a real evening.
What it adds: $200 to $1,500 each, an underwater light.Installed.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, Alan Smith Pools, Southern California costs.
Upkeep: Lights are sealed units. A failed fixture is a job for a technician, so ask who services them and how it is done.
Builder's tip: Plan the lights before the pool is poured, since the fixture niches are built into the wall. Ask for the count and the positions on the plan, and for a switch you can reach from the house.

See it in your yard Pool ideas with lighting (1)

Opens the free visualizer with lighting already chosen.

Designs that include it: Mediterranean Roman pool at night in Coral Gables.

AI concept image: copper fire bowls on a raised stone wall beside still pool water at twilight

Fire bowls put flame beside still water, and the reflection does half the work

Fire bowls are bowl shaped gas burners on a wall or pedestal at the pool edge, so flame and still water sit side by side.

Good for: Evening entertainers, and a calm, modern look that comes alive at dusk.
Skip it if: Households where small kids run along the pool edge, and very windy sites.
What it adds: $300 to $1,400 each, a fire bowl.From gas fire pit prices, since no source prices pool side bowls on their own.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: Fixr, fire pit.
Upkeep: Gas bowls need a gas line and an occasional check of the igniter, and the bowls need keeping clear of leaves.
Builder's tip: Ask where the gas line runs and where the shutoff is. Local codes set how close a flame can sit to the water, the house and the seating, so check them before you fall for a layout.

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Opens the free visualizer with fire bowls already chosen.

AI concept image: a sunken conversation pit with built in seating around a fire bowl beside a backyard pool at dusk

Sunken seating is a built-in pit a few steps below the patio, often around a fire pit

A sunken seating area is a built-in pit set a few steps below the patio, often around a fire pit, so people sit close and the fire stays low.

Good for: Evening hangouts after a swim, and breezy yards, since a pit shelters the group.
Skip it if: Anyone who wants no steps on the patio, yards with poor drainage, and small yards that cannot spare the room.
What it adds: $300 to $3,000, the fire pit itself, wood or gas.The sunken seating around it is not priced in the sources we use.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: Fixr, fire pit, HomeAdvisor, outdoor kitchen.
Upkeep: A pit collects rain and leaves, so it needs a drain, and the cushions need storing out of the weather.
Builder's tip: Settle the drainage first. A sunken pit is a basin, so your builder should show where the water leaves it. Keep seat backs a safe distance from the flame.

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Opens the free visualizer with sunken seating and fire pit already chosen.

AI concept image: a built in outdoor kitchen with a grill and bar counter under a pergola, facing a backyard pool

An outdoor kitchen keeps the cook in the party, in sight of the water

An outdoor kitchen is a built-in grill and counter, often with a bar, set where the cook can see the pool.

Good for: People who cook outside most weekends and entertain around the pool.
Skip it if: Anyone who grills a few times a year. A good portable grill does that job for much less.
What it adds: $6,000 to $27,000, a built-in outdoor kitchen.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: HomeAdvisor, outdoor kitchen.
Upkeep: Stainless and stone near chlorine and sun need regular wiping down, and a cover in the off season.
Builder's tip: Put the grill downwind of the seating and away from the splash zone. Ask where the gas, power and water come from and how far they run, since the run is part of the price.

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Opens the free visualizer with outdoor kitchen already chosen.

AI concept image: a frameless glass pool fence along a backyard pool with a hillside view at golden hour

A glass pool fence surrounds the water and keeps the view

A glass pool fence is a barrier of clear panels around the pool, so you meet the fence rule and keep the view.

Good for: Yards with a view worth keeping, and parents who want to see the pool from the house.
Skip it if: Anyone who does not want to wipe glass. It shows water spots and fingerprints.
What it adds: $95 to $210 a foot, glass fencing.Installed.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: Fixr, pool fence.
Upkeep: Glass needs a regular wipe, and the hardware near the pool can corrode, so ask about the finish.
Builder's tip: Check your local fence rules first. They set the height and the gate latch, and the glass has to meet them. Ask the maker for the panel thickness and its rating.

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Opens the free visualizer with glass fence already chosen.

AI concept image: a backyard pool half covered by a flush slatted automatic cover with neat coping

An automatic cover closes the pool at the push of a button

An automatic cover is a lid that slides across the pool at the push of a button and sits in a track at the edge.

Good for: Cold or leafy climates, households who want a safety layer, and people who would like less debris and less lost heat.
Skip it if: Anyone who wants an open, track free edge, and complex shapes, which are harder to fit.
Upkeep: The track and motor need keeping clear of debris, and the cover itself needs a rinse now and then.
Builder's tip: Choose the cover before you settle the shape and the coping. A cover needs a track and room for its mechanism, and a pool drawn first can leave no space for it.

See it in your yard

The visualizer does not draw a cover yet. Start with the pool and ask your builder how the cover fits.

AI concept image: a plastered concrete pool with a raised stone wall and a tile band in mid morning light

The finish inside the pool sets the feel underfoot and the colour of the water

The finish is the surface inside a concrete pool, usually plaster, quartz, pebble or tile, and it shapes how the water looks and how the floor feels.

Good for: Anyone building a concrete pool, where the finish is a real choice.
Skip it if: Pool types that arrive with their own finish, like fiberglass, where the surface is part of the shell.
What it adds: $1 to $8 a square foot, quartz, above plaster.Plaster is the price the base pool already includes.
$4 to $15 a square foot, pebble, above plaster.
$8 to $30 a square foot, all tile, above plaster.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Sources: HomeAdvisor, pool resurfacing, Alan Smith Pools, Southern California costs, Fixr, gunite and concrete pool.
Upkeep: Plaster is redone every 5 to 15 years, quartz every 10 to 18, pebble every 15 to 20.
Builder's tip: Water colour depends on the finish, the light and the depth, so look at real finished pools in your area as well as photos. The colours in AI images are an idea, not a promise.

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Opens the free visualizer with pool finish already chosen.

Questions people ask

Is a sun shelf the same as a tanning ledge?

Yes. A sun shelf, a tanning ledge and a Baja shelf are three names for the same shallow ledge. Builders use all three, so use whichever you like when you ask for it.

Which pool features add the most to the price?

In the published cost guides we use, the biggest add-ons are an infinity edge ($15,000 to $35,000), an outdoor kitchen ($6,000 to $27,000) and a spa ($6,000 to $18,000). Your own quote will differ by region and design.

Can I see a feature in my own yard before I decide?

Yes. The free pool visualizer takes a photo of your yard, lets you pick features like a sun shelf, a spa or deck jets, and draws a concept picture. It is an idea to talk through with a builder, not a plan.

Do I have to decide on everything before the pool is built?

Some features are far easier to plan in from the start, like lights, a cover and a vanishing edge. Others, like a fire pit or a kitchen, can often come later. Ask your builder which ones are hard to add after the pool is poured.

Are the prices on this page a quote?

No. They are planning ranges from published cost guides, collected on October 6, 2026. Prices change with your town and your yard, so ask local builders for itemised written quotes.

Sources and date checked

Links checked October 6, 2026. If one has moved or no longer says this, tell us (see our editorial policy) and we will fix it.

Every picture on this page is an AI concept image: a design idea, not a built pool. The ranges are planning numbers from the sources above, and a feature with no range has no published price we could stand behind. See how we write and check pages in our editorial policy.

Not sure which ones fit your yard?

Add a photo of your yard to the free visualizer, pick the features you are weighing, and look at the picture before you talk to a builder.

See it in your yard Browse pool ideas