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

Updated 2026-10-10.

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.

## 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.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#sun-shelf.

## 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, a small concrete pool: $20,000 to $40,000. A pool this small is priced by the job, not by the square foot.
- Upkeep: Less water means smaller equipment, and it also means the chemistry and the temperature swing faster, so test it often in hot weather.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#cocktail-pool.

## 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.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#swim-up-bar.

## 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, a spa added to a new pool: $6,000 to $18,000
- What it adds, a raised wall for the spa, where there is none: $2,000 to $8,000
- 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.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#spa.

## 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, a medium rock waterfall: $4,000 to $10,000. A grotto costs more.
- What it adds, a sheet of water from a wall: $800 to $2,000 each. Installed, where the wall already exists.
- What it adds, a bubbler on a shelf: $200 to $500 each. Installed.
- 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.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#water-features.

## 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, deck jets: $300 to $700 each. Installed.
- Upkeep: Small nozzles can clog with debris and mineral scale, so they get checked and cleaned now and then.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#deck-jets.

## 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, the premium over a standard pool: $15,000 to $35,000
- What it adds, on a slope, a retaining wall and an engineer: $5,500 to $23,000. Where the yard needs holding back to make room for the pool.
- 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.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#infinity-edge.

## 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, an underwater light: $200 to $1,500 each. Installed.
- Upkeep: Lights are sealed units. A failed fixture is a job for a technician, so ask who services them and how it is done.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#lighting.

## 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, a fire bowl: $300 to $1,400 each. From gas fire pit prices, since no source prices pool side bowls on their own.
- Upkeep: Gas bowls need a gas line and an occasional check of the igniter, and the bowls need keeping clear of leaves.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#fire.

## 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, the fire pit itself, wood or gas: $300 to $3,000. The sunken seating around it is not priced in the sources we use.
- Upkeep: A pit collects rain and leaves, so it needs a drain, and the cushions need storing out of the weather.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#sunken-seating.

## 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, a built-in outdoor kitchen: $6,000 to $27,000
- Upkeep: Stainless and stone near chlorine and sun need regular wiping down, and a cover in the off season.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#outdoor-kitchen.

## 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, glass fencing: $95 to $210 a foot. Installed.
- Upkeep: Glass needs a regular wipe, and the hardware near the pool can corrode, so ask about the finish.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#glass-fence.

## 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.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#automatic-cover.

## 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, quartz, above plaster: $1 to $8 a square foot. Plaster is the price the base pool already includes.
- What it adds, pebble, above plaster: $4 to $15 a square foot
- What it adds, all tile, above plaster: $8 to $30 a square foot
- Upkeep: Plaster is redone every 5 to 15 years, quartz every 10 to 18, pebble every 15 to 20.
- A 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.
Anchor: https://rendersplash.com/pool-features#finishes.

## 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](https://rendersplash.com/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

Prices collected 2026-10-06. A planning range from published sources, not a quote.

- [HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, 2026](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/inground-pool)
- [Fixr, gunite and concrete pool, 2025](https://www.fixr.com/costs/inground-gunite-concrete-swimming-pool)
- [Pool Research, plunge pool cost, undated](https://poolresearch.com/plunge-pool-cost/)
- [HomeAdvisor, hot tub cost, 2026](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/install-a-hot-tub)
- [Shasta Pools, Arizona costs, 2026](https://shastapools.com/blog/breaking-down-the-cost-of-an-arizona-pool)
- [Simplified Pools, water features guide, undated](https://simplifiedpools.com/blog/pool-water-features-fountains-guide/)
- [Fixr, infinity pool, 2025](https://www.fixr.com/costs/infinity-pool)
- [Pool Research, infinity pools, undated](https://poolresearch.com/infinity-pools/)
- [HomeAdvisor, infinity pool cost, 2026](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/infinity-pool-costs)
- [Pool Research, pool retaining wall, undated](https://poolresearch.com/?p=2044)
- [Alan Smith Pools, Southern California costs, 2026](https://alansmithpools.com/breaking-down-the-costs-what-you-need-to-know-about-building-a-pool-in-southern-california/)
- [Fixr, fire pit, 2025](https://www.fixr.com/costs/fire-pit)
- [HomeAdvisor, outdoor kitchen, 2026](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/outdoor-living/build-an-outdoor-kitchen)
- [Fixr, pool fence, 2025](https://www.fixr.com/costs/swimming-pool-fence)
- [HomeAdvisor, pool resurfacing, 2026](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/pool-resurfacing)

See a feature in your own yard with the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer