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AI concept image of Adobe courtyard plunge pool in Santa Fe: a freeform pool with a hot tub.
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Santa Fe, NM · Townhouse courtyard

Adobe courtyard plunge pool in Santa Fe

A small plunge between thick adobe walls, with a separate hot tub for the cold nights and a pair of fire bowls.

One photo of your yard is all it needs.

Suits: Spanish and Mediterranean houses on a townhouse courtyard in Arizona, Nevada and the desert Southwest.

Drawn for a Pueblo revival adobe house in warm earth-colored stucco with rounded corners, vigas and a blue wooden door, with a walled courtyard with piñon pine, chamisa, a red chile ristra and a stone path, mountains beyond the wall.

Planning cost, NM
$30,000 to $85,000
A range from published prices, not a quote
Build time
2 to 4.5 months
Contract to first swim
Size
16 × 8 ft
3.5 to 5 ft deep
Water
about 3,200 gal
Water surface
100 sq ft
Hot tub
7 ft round
about 850 gal

Quick answers about this design

Worked out from this design's own model, so they differ from page to page.

How much water does this plunge pool hold?
About 3,200 gallons. It is 16 by 8 ft with about 100 sq ft of water, 3.5 ft deep at the steps and 5 ft at the deep end. The gallons come from adding up the depth over the real floor, steps and shelf included.
How big a yard does it need?
Plan on a clear area of about 38 by 34 ft for the pool, the tub, 4 ft of deck around the water and 5 ft to the fence line. The deck as drawn here is about 37 by 33 ft.
What does this design cost?
A planning range for NM is $30,000 to $85,000 all in: the pool, deck, coping, fence and features listed on this page. Permits and engineering are not in it. It is a range built from published prices, not a quote, and real jobs usually land inside it rather than on its edges.
How long does it take to build?
Plan on about 2 to 4.5 months from a signed contract to the first swim. Permits take from a few days to several months, depending on the town, before work starts.

Chapter 1 of 4

The design

What is in this pool, and how it turns in 3D.

The design, spelled out

Every choice in this pool, what it is, and why it suits this house and this part of the country.

Depth profile

The floor is 3.5 ft deep at the steps and stays level for about 4 ft, slopes over about 5 ft, then runs level at 5 ft for the last 6 ft.

3.5 ft5 ftwater line16 ft long

Design notes

Written with AI tools from this design's own measurements and sources, not by a pool builder. How we write

Why it works here

Thick adobe walls hold the day's warmth after sunset, which suits a small plunge with a separate tub on the far side and two fire bowls. Midnight plaster and charcoal tile sit quietly against the earth tones, and flagstone coping keeps the edge natural. Only 3,200 gallons are in play.

What to watch

Santa Fe winters bring freeze and thaw, which is hard on flagstone and plumbing, so even a small plunge needs winter care. The model leaves out the walls, so check how the pool fits the real courtyard.

How it reads

Midnight plaster and a charcoal waterline give the water a deep, still look inside the earth-colored walls. Flagstone coping and concrete pavers keep the edge low and quiet next to the blue door. The fire bowls give the only bright accent, and the round tub on the far side adds a second small circle of water. At golden hour the stucco glows orange, and after dark the dark water carries the flames as small, wavering lights.

Through the year

Santa Fe has warm, dry summer days and cold winters, so the plunge is a summer and early fall pool and the tub carries the cold months. Winter freeze is the main edge of the season. Close the pool for the cold months, and keep the fire bowls and the dining table clear of the tub.

Every choice, row by row (13)
ShapeFreeform

A pool with natural, flowing curves. Curves relax a yard and work with planting, a rock feature or a tub, at the cost of a more complicated cover.

Size16 × 8 ft

A small pool about 8 ft wide and 16 ft long. A plunge pool is for cooling off, soaking and a small yard, not for swimming laps. That is about 100 sq ft of water and about 3,200 gallons.

StepsCorner steps

Steps tucked into a corner. Keeps the water free for swimming and saves space in a small pool. The steps lead into water 3.5 ft deep.

Hot tubSeparate tub, 7 ft round

A hot tub on the deck, apart from the pool. It has its own water and heater, so you can run it alone on a cold night without heating the pool. The tub holds about 850 gallons.

Pool finishPlaster

A smooth cement-based finish. A clean, classic surface that typically needs resurfacing sooner than pebble. In strong sun, a lighter finish fades less and hides scale from hard water.

Finish colorMidnight finish, dark, mirror-like water

A midnight interior. Gives dark, mirror-like water that reflects the sky and the house.

Waterline tileCharcoal

Charcoal glass at the waterline. A bold, modern line that deepens the water color. It runs about 39 linear ft around this pool.

CopingFlagstone

Natural flagstone with irregular edges. Gives a natural, informal look that blends with planting and rock. It runs about 39 linear ft around this pool. A light coping stays cooler on bare feet in summer.

DeckConcrete pavers

Grey interlocking concrete pavers. Pavers move with the ground and can be lifted and reset, which helps where the soil freezes or shifts. The deck is about 990 sq ft here. Here the deck is the hottest thing in the yard, so surface color matters as much as material.

PlantingDesert

Gravel, agave, succulents and boulders. Uses little water and keeps leaves out of the pool. A low-water planting plan keeps leaves out of the water and the bill down.

Water featuresFire bowls
  • Fire bowls: Fire bowls on pedestals at the edge. Adds drama at night. They run on gas, so wind and the gas line need a plan.
  • Moving water raises evaporation, so keep features modest and run them on a timer.
FurnitureDining table

Dining table: An outdoor dining table and chairs. Turns the pool into the place where meals happen.

LightGolden hour

Shown in golden-hour light. Low sun is when the finish, the tile and the planting look their best.

Coping
39 linear ft
Deck
990 sq ft

Why it fits the townhouse courtyard

The yard: a walled courtyard with piñon pine, chamisa, a red chile ristra and a stone path, mountains beyond the wall. A courtyard or rooftop pool is a small, walled room, so every inch has to do a job. Walls give privacy and shade, and also limit access and sun. A compact plunge pool with a clean edge and a single feature water element fits better than a bigger pool crowding the seating. On a roof the same rule holds, and a structural engineer signs off on the weight of the water.

Why it fits the Spanish and Mediterranean house

The house is a Pueblo revival adobe house in warm earth-colored stucco with rounded corners, vigas and a blue wooden door. A Spanish or Mediterranean house wants curves, warm stone and plenty of shade. Roman ends, travertine and terracotta tones echo the stucco and tile roof. A pergola and potted planting finish the courtyard feel.

Turn this design around in 3D

This is the model behind the numbers above, with this design's own shape, steps, finish and deck. It loads when you scroll to it.

The same choices as the picture, as a model you can turn.

AI concept image of Adobe courtyard plunge pool in Santa Fe: a freeform pool with a hot tub.

Turn it, zoom in, switch the dimension lines on.

In your yard

How would this swimming pool look on your home?

See this exact design as a photorealistic video, filmed in your own yard, from one photo.

You pick the film, add one photo, and see the picture before you decide anything.

A sample yard photo

A frame from an example film

A sample yard photo on the left, and on the right a frame from an example AI film of a pool in a backyard.

Chapter 2 of 4

Will it work for you

Your yard, your climate, and what the pool asks of you after the build.

Will this fit your yard?

A planning estimate, built from the model's own dimensions. Your town's setbacks decide the real answer.

Clear area to plan on

38 × 34 ft

About 1,292 sq ft. The pool and tub alone is 20 × 16 ft.

Plan on a clear area of about 38 by 34 ft for the pool, the tub, 4 ft of deck around the water and 5 ft to the fence line. The deck as drawn here is about 37 by 33 ft.

The 4 ft walkway and 5 ft setback are our planning allowances, not code. Towns set their own distances from the water to the lot line and the house, so ask yours before you commit to a layout.

Will it fit your yard?

Enter the clear area, from the house to the back fence and side to side.

Arizona, Nevada and the desert Southwest: what the climate asks of this pool

In the desert Southwest, a pool is a cooling tool, so shade, water loss and finish fade shape the design.

  • Sun and dry air evaporate water quickly. Expect to top up often, and ask about a cover or a smaller surface if water cost matters to you.
  • Strong sun fades dark finishes and tile faster, and hard water leaves scale on tile at the waterline. Lighter finishes hide it better.
  • Decks can get hot enough to burn bare feet. Choose light, cool-to-touch surfaces and add shade near the steps.
  • Desert planting uses little water and keeps leaves out of the pool. Gravel yards still need a clear drainage plan for monsoon storms.

Keeping it up

What this pool asks of its owner, by finish, climate, deck and feature.

  • Plaster in this climate

    Plaster is the finish most likely to etch or scale in hot, hard-water country, so keep the calcium and pH in range and plan for an earlier resurfacing.

  • When it is resurfaced

    Plaster is usually redone every 5 to 15 years, depending on the water and the builder (HomeAdvisor, pool resurfacing and Shasta Pools, plaster versus pebble). On this pool that is about 260 sq ft of interior.

  • Concrete pavers deck

    Sweep sand into the paver joints each year and pull weeds early, before they lift the pavers.

  • Fire bowls

    Have the gas lines and the burners checked once a year, and cover or switch off the bowls in a storm.

  • The hot tub

    A hot tub is a second body of water with its own chemistry. Keep it covered between uses and drain and clean it on the maker's schedule.

  • Sun and water loss

    Heat and dry air take water out of the pool quickly. A cover, a pool shade and a smaller surface all cut the top-ups.

  • Yearly running cost

    Owners commonly budget $3,000 to $5,000 a year for chemicals, power, service and repairs (HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, 2026).

Chapter 3 of 4

Cost and timeline

A sourced range to plan with, and how long it takes.

What this design costs: a planning range

Built line by line from this design's own measurements and published prices. It is a range to plan with, not a quote.

Planning range, NM

$30,000 to $85,000

Everything on this page, built: the pool, the deck, the coping, the fence and the features. It is a range, not a quote. Every line is at its lowest published price for the low end and its highest for the high end, so a real job lands inside it rather than on an edge.

Prices are scaled for NM by a damped regional factor of 0.96 (the state's cost of living is 92.2 against 100 for the US, and we use half the gap). Land clearing, landscaping beyond what is listed, a pool house's interior and financing are not in it.

Where the range comes from

The pool
$19,000 to $38,000
102 sq ft of water at $90 to $250 a square foot (shell, excavation, plumbing, equipment, plaster), held to the small concrete pool price. Steps and the sun shelf are part of the shell.
Coping
$1,500 to $2,000
39 linear ft at $40 to $55 a foot.
Deck
$3,000 to $6,500
991 sq ft at $3 to $7 a square foot installed. HomeAdvisor's installed figure. Fixr's $6 to $8 is materials only.
Hot tub
$6,000 to $17,000
A spa added to a new pool. A separate tub still needs its own plumbing and equipment.
Fire bowls
$500 to $2,500
2 bowls. Each, from the gas fire pit price band. No source prices pool-side fire bowls.
Tight access
Up to $19,000
Up to $20,000 more when the site is hard to access. Bob Vila puts the average excavation at $3,400, which the base pool price already includes, and says it can reach $20,000 when access is hard. Nothing extra if the machines get in.
How we built this range, and the sources

We measure this design in the 3D model (water area, shell area, coping, deck, tub, what stands on the deck), multiply each quantity by a published price range per unit, add the lines and scale them for the state. The prices are from the pages below, collected in October 2026. Where two sources disagree the range spans both, and the line says so.

The method is written out, with every rate, at docs/POOL-IDEAS-COST-MODEL.md in our repository, and one file holds the rates, so a change of price changes every page at once.

  • HomeAdvisor's installed figure. Fixr's $6 to $8 is materials only.

How to get a number you can trust

Ask two or three local builders to quote the same scope in writing: the pool, the deck, the fence, the electrical, the permits and the landscaping, each on its own line. Then compare the lines, not the totals. Share this page with them: the size, the choices and the 3D model give a builder a starting point. To see how the published prices are built up and where they disagree, read inground pool cost, line by line.

How long it takes to build

From a signed contract to the first swim, before the yard additions.

Contract to first swim

2 to 4.5 months

Permits take from a few days to several months, depending on the town, before work starts. Weather, inspections and the builder's schedule move every date.

  • Tight access slows excavation and delivery. Ask how the crew gets machines and materials in.
  • The hot tub is built with the pool, so it adds days of plumbing and tile rather than weeks.

What it is made of

The materials list for this design, with its own quantities from the model.

The materials list (7 lines)
InteriorPlaster, midnightabout 260 sq ft of shell
A smooth cement-based surface. It is the least expensive interior and the one most likely to stain, etch or scale if the water chemistry drifts.
Waterline tileCharcoalabout 39 linear ft, 10 in. band
Charcoal glass makes the water read dark and mirror-like, and it shows mineral spots until they are wiped off.
CopingFlagstoneabout 39 linear ft
Natural, irregular stone. It looks like it was always there and needs its joints watched for movement.
DeckConcrete paversabout 990 sq ft
Interlocking concrete pavers. Easy to repair one piece at a time, and the joints need topping up with sand now and then to keep weeds out.
PlantingDesert
Gravel, agave and succulents: very little water and no lawn, with sharp leaves to keep away from the steps and the barefoot path.
Water featureFire bowls
Gas flames on pedestals at the edge of the pool. They need a gas line, a shut-off and a pedestal set clear of splash and foot traffic.
Hot tubSeparate tub, roundabout 850 gal
Built with the pool, with its own jets, heater share and cover. Tile and coping match the pool.

Chapter 4 of 4

Talk to a builder

What to ask before you sign, and how to bring this design to them.

Questions to ask a builder about this design

Specific to what is in this pool. Ask them before you sign.

  1. 01How will you keep the deck and the water line cool and scale-free in full summer sun?
  2. 02How will the builder get digging equipment into a walled courtyard, and will the existing walls or the hot tub plumbing be disturbed?
  3. 03Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
  4. 04Will a pool this small have room for the equipment, and can I swim in it or only soak?
  5. 05How are the fire bowls fueled, and what happens to them in wind or when the power fails?

Make it yours

Start with this design and add a photo of your own yard. The free visualizer places the pool on it, with your choices ready to change.

See this pool in your yard, freeUpload your yard

More like this

Region:Arizona, Nevada and the desert SouthwestSetting:Courtyard and rooftopHouse style:Spanish and MediterraneanFeature:Pool with a hot tubFeature:Small backyard poolFeature:Plunge poolAll pool ideas

This is a design idea for a sample yard, and every picture is an AI concept image, not a built pool. Sizes, gallons and areas are estimates from the same maths as the 3D model, and the price and time ranges are planning figures from published sources, to help you talk to a builder.

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