# Arcadia ranch pool under the citrus trees in Phoenix

An irrigated lawn, orange trees and a freeform pool with a hot tub out to one side, the classic Arcadia yard. Drawn for a long low brick ranch house with a wide carport and a flat porch roof, with a green flood-irrigated lawn with mature citrus trees, a palm and a block wall, Camelback in the haze.

A design idea for Phoenix, AZ. Arizona, Nevada and the desert Southwest, classic suburb, Ranch. Updated 2026-10-06.

## The numbers

- Size: 30 × 15 ft (3.5 to 5.5 ft deep)
- Water surface: 360 sq ft
- Water: about 12,200 gal
- Coping: 73 linear ft
- Deck: 1,690 sq ft
- Hot tub: 7 ft round (about 850 gal)

## The design, spelled out

The floor is 3.5 ft deep at the steps and stays level for about 8 ft, slopes over about 10 ft, then runs level at 5.5 ft for the last 11 ft.

### Shape: Freeform

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.

### Size: 30 × 15 ft

A pool about 15 ft wide and 30 ft long. A common family size with room for play and a short swim. That is about 360 sq ft of water and about 12,200 gallons.

### Steps: Wide steps

Wide steps across one end. Easy for kids and older swimmers, and a place to sit in the shallow water. The steps lead into water 3.5 ft deep.

### Hot tub: Separate 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 finish: Pebble

An exposed pebble aggregate finish, in the Pebble Tec style. Durable and textured, which hides small marks, but rougher on bare feet. In strong sun, a lighter finish fades less and hides scale from hard water.

### Finish color: Tan finish, sandy turquoise water

A tan interior. Gives a green-blue lagoon look.

### Waterline tile: Sea glass

Sea-green glass mosaic at the waterline. A soft, coastal line that warms the water. It runs about 73 linear ft around this pool.

### Coping: Travertine

Ivory travertine with a rounded edge. Stays cooler underfoot than most stone and gives a warm, classic edge. It runs about 73 linear ft around this pool. A light coping stays cooler on bare feet in summer.

### Deck: Light concrete

Light, textured concrete finished to stay cool. A practical choice where the summer sun is strong and kids run barefoot. The deck is about 1,690 sq ft here. Here the deck is the hottest thing in the yard, so surface color matters as much as material.

### Planting: Lawn and hedges

A green lawn with clipped hedges. Gives kids a soft place to play and a formal frame to the deck. A low-water planting plan keeps leaves out of the water and the bill down.

### Pool fence: Black aluminum

A black aluminum picket fence. A standard, durable barrier that disappears in the planting and meets most barrier codes.

### Furniture: Loungers, Umbrella

Loungers: A pair of chaise loungers. The first thing people want on a pool deck. Umbrella: A market umbrella. Cheap shade that you can move with the sun.

### Light: Midday sun

Shown in midday sun. Shows the true color of the water and the finish.

## Why it suits this house

The yard: a green flood-irrigated lawn with mature citrus trees, a palm and a block wall, Camelback in the haze. A classic suburb yard has room for a real pool, so the design is about how the family uses it. A regular lot and a rear yard give room for a pool, a deck and a lawn. Think about sight lines from the kitchen, where the shade falls and where the kids will play.

The house is a long low brick ranch house with a wide carport and a flat porch roof. A ranch house is low and wide, so the pool should be relaxed and easy to walk out to. A freeform or kidney shape, a broad deck and shade trees suit a single-story house and a lawn that runs right up to the water.

## Will it fit your yard?

Plan on a clear area of about 60 by 33 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 62 by 35 ft.

## 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.

## Quick answers

**How much water does this pool hold?** About 12,200 gallons. It is 30 by 15 ft with about 360 sq ft of water, 3.5 ft deep at the steps and 5.5 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 60 by 33 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 62 by 35 ft.

**What does this design cost?** A planning range for AZ is $45,000 to $125,000 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 3 to 6 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.

## Why it works here

Citrus trees and a flood-irrigated lawn mean the yard is already green, so a freeform pool with lawn and hedges settles in naturally. The round hot tub on the right end stays clear of the wide steps, and light concrete with travertine coping is easier on bare feet than dark paving would be.

What to watch: Citrus blossoms, leaves and fruit end up in the water, and lawn clippings and fertilizer follow. A freeform shape with a separate tub also has more edge to clean than a plain rectangle.

## What this will cost: a planning range

$45,000 to $125,000 for AZ, a range from published prices and not a quote.

- The pool: $32,000 to $90,000. 359 sq ft of water at $90 to $250 a square foot (shell, excavation, plumbing, equipment, plaster). Steps and the sun shelf are part of the shell.
- Pebble interior: $4,000 to $4,000. 693 sq ft of shell at $6 a square foot above plaster. Pebble is $10 a square foot against $4 for plaster in both sources.
- Coping: $3,500 to $4,000. 73 linear ft at $45 to $55 a foot.
- Hot tub: $6,000 to $18,000. A spa added to a new pool. A separate tub still needs its own plumbing and equipment.
- Pool fence: $3,000 to $7,000. 194 linear ft around the deck as drawn, at $15 to $35 a foot installed.

Sources: [US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state](https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area); [HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/inground-pool); [Fixr, gunite and concrete pool](https://www.fixr.com/costs/inground-gunite-concrete-swimming-pool); [Pool Research, plunge pool cost](https://poolresearch.com/plunge-pool-cost/); [ThePricer Media, pool resurfacing (quoting Angi, April 2026 data)](https://www.thepricer.org/how-much-does-pool-resurfacing-cost/); [Willsha Pools, pool finishes](https://willshapools.com/?p=5877); [Pool Research, pool coping cost](https://poolresearch.com/coping-cost/); [HomeAdvisor, hot tub cost](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/install-a-hot-tub); [Shasta Pools, Arizona costs](https://shastapools.com/blog/breaking-down-the-cost-of-an-arizona-pool); [Fixr, pool fence](https://www.fixr.com/costs/swimming-pool-fence)

## How long it takes

3 to 6 months from contract to first swim. Permits take from a few days to several months, depending on the town, before work starts.

- The hot tub is built with the pool, so it adds days of plumbing and tile rather than weeks.

## What it is made of

- Interior: Pebble, tan (about 690 sq ft of shell). Small stones set in cement. It is textured, hides wear and holds color well, and it is rougher on bare feet than the other finishes.
- Waterline tile: Sea glass (about 73 linear ft, 10 in. band). Sea-green glass adds color without matching the water, and it needs the same regular wipe as any glass tile.
- Coping: Travertine (about 73 linear ft). Natural stone with a rounded edge. It stays comfortable underfoot but should be sealed, and it needs a gentle cleaner rather than an acid wash.
- Deck: Light concrete (about 1,690 sq ft). A light, textured concrete topping made to stay cooler underfoot. It wears over the years and can be recoated.
- Pool fence: Black aluminum (about 195 linear ft around the deck as drawn). Black aluminum pickets are light, strong and the usual choice for a barrier. Near salt air, ask for a marine-rated finish.
- Planting: Lawn and hedges. A lawn and clipped hedges. It softens the yard and brings grass clippings and fertilizer, so it should be kept away from the water.
- Hot tub: Separate tub, round (about 850 gal). Built with the pool, with its own jets, heater share and cover. Tile and coping match the pool.

## Keeping it up

- Pebble in this climate: Pebble handles sun well but not hard water: scale is the most common problem on it, and the maker's own support page says scale removal is not covered by warranty. In a dry region, test calcium and balance the water on a schedule.
- When it is resurfaced: Pebble is usually redone every 15 to 20 or more years, depending on the water and the builder (Shasta Pools, plaster versus pebble and Pebble Technology, support). On this pool that is about 690 sq ft of interior.
- Light concrete deck: A cool-deck topping wears with use. Wash it, patch chips early and plan to recoat it.
- 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.
- Black aluminum fence: A black aluminum fence needs a wash and a check of its gate latch. Near salt air, rinse it and touch up any chipped finish.
- 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).

## Questions to ask a builder

- How will you keep the deck and the water line cool and scale-free in full summer sun?
- How will the plumbing and heater serve the separate round tub at the right end, and can it run on its own without heating the whole pool?
- Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
- Will the fence meet the barrier code, and is the gate self-closing and self-latching?
- Is the pebble finish rough on bare feet here, and how long does it last in my water?

Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=arcadia-citrus-yard-pool-phoenix