# 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. 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.

A design idea for Asheville, NC. Southeast, mountain, Mountain lodge. Updated 2026-10-06.

## The numbers

- Size: 24 × 12 ft (3.5 to 5 ft deep)
- Water surface: 290 sq ft
- Water: about 9,200 gal
- Coping: 72 linear ft
- Deck: 1,340 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 7 ft, slopes over about 8 ft, then runs level at 5 ft for the last 9 ft.

### Shape: Rectangle

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

### Size: 24 × 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.

### Steps: Corner 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 tub: Raised, 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 finish: Plaster

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 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 72 linear ft around this pool.

### Coping: Flagstone

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.

### Deck: Wood-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.

### Planting: Keep 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 yard: Fire pit

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

### Furniture: Loungers, 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.

### Light: Golden hour

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

## Why it suits this house

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.

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.

## Will it fit your yard?

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.

## 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.

## Quick answers

**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.

## 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.

## What this will cost: a planning range

$85,000 to $210,000 for NC, a range from published prices and not a quote.

- 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.
- 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.

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/); [Pool Research, pool coping cost](https://poolresearch.com/coping-cost/); [HomeAdvisor, pool deck cost](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/pool-deck); [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); [Simplified Pools, water features guide](https://simplifiedpools.com/blog/pool-water-features-fountains-guide/); [Fixr, fire pit](https://www.fixr.com/costs/fire-pit); [HomeAdvisor, outdoor kitchen](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/outdoor-living/build-an-outdoor-kitchen)

## 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: Plaster, tan (about 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 tile: Sea glass (about 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.
- Coping: Flagstone (about 72 linear ft). Natural, irregular stone. It looks like it was always there and needs its joints watched for movement.
- Deck: Wood-look deck (about 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 addition: Fire 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 tub: Raised, spills over, 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

- 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).

## Questions to ask a builder

- How will you protect the existing trees and drain the deck in a summer thunderstorm?
- Is 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?
- Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
- What clearance does the fire pit need from the house and the plants, and does the town allow it?
- How hot does this composite get in the sun, and what is the warranty on the color?

Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=blue-ridge-mountain-pool-asheville