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AI concept image of Blue Ridge mountain pool with a firepit in Asheville: a rectangular pool with a hot tub.
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Asheville, NC · Mountain

Blue Ridge mountain pool with a firepit in Asheville

A small rectangle with a raised hot tub and a fire pit, on a wooded ridge with the Blue Ridge fading behind.

One photo of your yard is all it needs.

Suits: mountain lodge houses on a mountain in Southeast.

Drawn for a timber and stone mountain house with a green metal roof, big gables and a wraparound deck, with a wooded ridge lot with rhododendron, mountain laurel, hemlock, boulders and layered blue ridgelines behind.

Planning cost, NC
$85,000 to $210,000
A range from published prices, not a quote
Build time
3 to 6 months
Contract to first swim
Size
24 × 12 ft
3.5 to 5 ft deep
Water
about 9,200 gal
Water surface
290 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 pool hold?
About 9,200 gallons. It is 24 by 12 ft with about 290 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 51 by 30 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 54 by 33 ft.
What does this design cost?
A planning range for NC is $85,000 to $210,000 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.

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 7 ft, slopes over about 8 ft, then runs level at 5 ft for the last 9 ft.

3.5 ft5 ftwater line24 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

Ridge lots with boulders and laurel suit a small pool: 24 x 12 feet and about 9,200 gallons, with a raised round tub at the left end spilling in. Flagstone coping and the wood-look deck match the timber and stone house, tan plaster and sea glass tile blend with the rock, and the fire pit adds a second warm spot.

What to watch

Splash and steam from a raised tub land on the deck, and a wet wood-look surface is slippery. A wooded ridge also means leaves, needles and shade that keep the water cooler for more of the season.

How it reads

Tan plaster with sea glass tile gives the water a warm, greenish color that matches the boulders and timber. Flagstone coping is rough and natural, and the wood-look deck links the pool to the house. The raised tub adds steam and sound. In golden hour the ridgelines glow, and the fire pit warms the evening. Underfoot, flagstone grips well, though the wood-look deck gets slick near the raised tub.

Through the year

Mountain pools get shorter, cooler seasons than lowland ones, with cool mornings and nights even in summer. Leaves, needles and heavy rain come with fall, and the tub extends the season into cool evenings. Wipe the wood-look deck near the raised tub, since splash and steam leave it slick. Sweep needles off the shelf of steps often.

Every choice, row by row (13)
ShapeRectangle

A rectangle with square corners. It is the simplest to build, covers neatly and fits a modern or formal house.

Size24 × 12 ft

A pool about 12 ft wide and 24 ft long. Big enough for a few people to cool off and play, small enough for a tight lot. That is about 290 sq ft of water and about 9,200 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 tubRaised, spills over, 7 ft round

A hot tub raised on a wall and spilling over into the pool. The raised wall gives a seat-height edge and a small waterfall, at the price of extra masonry. The tub holds about 850 gallons.

Pool finishPlaster

A smooth cement-based finish. A clean, classic surface that typically needs resurfacing sooner than pebble. Warm, humid water grows algae faster, so a smooth, dense finish is easier to keep clean.

Finish colorTan finish, sandy turquoise water

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

Waterline tileSea glass

Sea-green glass mosaic at the waterline. A soft, coastal line that warms the water. It runs about 72 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 72 linear ft around this pool.

DeckWood-look deck

Warm brown composite wood-look boards. Soft on bare feet and warm to look at. Darker boards can run hot in full sun, so check the color. The deck is about 1,340 sq ft here. Choose a texture that stays safe when wet, because this deck will be damp often.

PlantingKeep what's there

The planting already in the yard. Keeps mature trees and shade in place and saves disruption. Choose planting that tolerates storms and keep it a few feet from the water to limit debris.

Add to the yardFire pit

Fire pit: A round fire pit with seating. Extends the evening. Local burn rules and clearance from the house and plants apply.

FurnitureLoungers, Outdoor sofa
  • Loungers: A pair of chaise loungers. The first thing people want on a pool deck.
  • Outdoor sofa: An outdoor sofa and lounge chairs. Makes the deck feel like a living room outside.
LightGolden hour

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

Coping
72 linear ft
Deck
1,340 sq ft

Why it fits the mountain

The yard: a wooded ridge lot with rhododendron, mountain laurel, hemlock, boulders and layered blue ridgelines behind. A mountain pool works with a slope, a short season and big views, so heat and a cover are part of it. Snow load, freeze and thaw and a short season shape the build. A heater, a cover and a deck material rated for freeze make it usable and keep it lasting.

Why it fits the mountain lodge house

The house is a timber and stone mountain house with a green metal roof, big gables and a wraparound deck. A mountain lodge wants rough stone, timber and a pool that sits in the landscape. Natural stone coping, a rock waterfall and a fire feature fit big timber and views, and a heater and a cover earn their place at altitude.

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 Blue Ridge mountain pool with a firepit in Asheville: a rectangular 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

51 × 30 ft

About 1,530 sq ft. The pool and tub alone is 32.5 × 12 ft.

Plan on a clear area of about 51 by 30 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 54 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.

Southeast: what the climate asks of this pool

A Southeast pool is used for a long, humid season, so shade, drainage and old-yard constraints decide the design.

  • Heat and humidity mean shade, ceiling fans under a pergola and a deck that does not hold water make the yard usable.
  • Red clay and mature trees are common. Roots, drainage and soil movement all shape the excavation.
  • Summer thunderstorms are frequent. Plan where the water runs off the deck and keep electrical equipment high and dry.
  • Historic and coastal neighborhoods can have design review. Ask about fence, structure and lighting rules early.

Keeping it up

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

  • Plaster in this climate

    Plaster can stain and grow algae in warm, wet weather. Brush it and keep the chemistry steady.

  • 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 600 sq ft of interior.

  • Wood-look deck deck

    Wash the composite boards with soap and water, and keep furniture feet from scratching a dark color.

  • 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.

  • Algae and storms

    Warm, damp weather grows algae fast, so keep the sanitizer steady and circulation running. Secure loose furniture before a storm.

  • 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, NC

$85,000 to $210,000

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 NC by a damped regional factor of 0.97 (the state's cost of living is 94.3 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
$25,000 to $70,000
288 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.
Coping
$3,000 to $4,000
72 linear ft at $40 to $55 a foot.
Deck
$52,000 to $104,000
1,339 sq ft at $40 to $80 a square foot installed. HomeAdvisor's installed figure for composite, labor included. Fixr's $8 to $16 is for the boards alone.
Hot tub
$6,000 to $17,000
A spa added to a new pool.
Raised tub wall
$2,000 to $8,000
The raised wall, where there is none.
Fire pit
$500 to $3,000
A fire pit, wood or gas.
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 for composite, labor included. Fixr's $8 to $16 is for the boards alone.

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

3 to 6 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.

  • 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 (6 lines)
InteriorPlaster, tanabout 600 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 tileSea glassabout 72 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.
CopingFlagstoneabout 72 linear ft
Natural, irregular stone. It looks like it was always there and needs its joints watched for movement.
DeckWood-look deckabout 1,340 sq ft
Composite boards that look like timber. They stay splinter free but can get hot in direct sun, and a dark color shows scratches and fades first.
Yard additionFire pit
A round fire pit with seating. It needs clear space from the house, the plants and the pool, and a town that allows it.
Hot tubRaised, spills over, 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 protect the existing trees and drain the deck in a summer thunderstorm?
  2. 02Is there a catch for the raised tub's overflow so it runs into the pool and not across the wood-look deck, and how does the ridge drain?
  3. 03Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
  4. 04What clearance does the fire pit need from the house and the plants, and does the town allow it?
  5. 05How hot does this composite get in the sun, and what is the warranty on the color?

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:SoutheastSetting:MountainHouse style:Mountain lodgeFeature:Pool with a hot tubFeature:Small backyard 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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