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AI concept image of British colonial estate pool in Palm Beach: a rectangular pool with a hot tub and a sun shelf.Save

Palm Beach, FL · Large estate

British colonial estate pool in Palm Beach

A formal rectangle between clipped hedges, a long loggia and a pair of fire bowls for the evening.

One photo of your yard is all it needs.

Suits: Colonial houses on a large estate in Florida.

Drawn for a grand white British West Indies colonial with louvered shutters, a hipped roof and a columned loggia, with formal grounds with tall clipped ficus hedges, royal palms, a gravel path and manicured lawn panels.

Planning cost, FL
$120,000 to $305,000
A range from published prices, not a quote
Build time
3 to 6 months
Contract to first swim
Size
40 × 20 ft
3.5 to 6 ft deep
Water
about 19,800 gal
Water surface
800 sq ft
Hot tub
7 ft square
about 1,100 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 19,800 gallons. It is 40 by 20 ft with about 800 sq ft of water, 3.5 ft deep at the steps and 6 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 58 by 47 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 60 by 49 ft.
What does this design cost?
A planning range for FL is $120,000 to $305,000 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 11 ft, slopes over about 14 ft, then runs level at 6 ft for the last 15 ft. A sun shelf sits at the other end.

3.5 ft6 ftwater line40 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

Formal hedges and lawn panels need straight lines, so the rectangle follows the loggia and the clipped ficus. White quartz and white tile keep the water bright against travertine, and the pergola shades the sun shelf. Fire bowls and sheer descents add evening interest without breaking the symmetry.

What to watch

White surfaces and pale travertine bounce strong sun back at you by the afternoon. Fire bowls beside a pool also need a gas line and careful placement near the loungers and the sheer descents.

How it reads

White quartz and white tile give the pool a bright, clean blue that matches the white house and its columns. Travertine coping and deck keep the look pale and warm, and the lawn panels and clipped ficus frame it in green. The sheer descents make flat sheets of water, and the fire bowls add orange light at the edge. At golden hour the white surfaces turn peach, and after dark the flames and the water share the stage.

Through the year

Palm Beach has warm days for most of the year, so the pool is in use across all the seasons and busiest on cooler evenings with the fire bowls lit. Summer brings humidity, heavy rain and storm winds. Switch off the fire bowls and the sheer descents in high wind, and have the gas lines and the controls serviced before storm season.

Every choice, row by row (15)
ShapeRectangle

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

Size40 × 20 ft

A pool about 20 ft wide and 40 ft long. A big pool for swimming and entertaining, which needs a generous lot and a strong filtration plan. That is about 800 sq ft of water and about 19,800 gallons.

StepsWide 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.

Sun shelfSun shelf

A shallow ledge a few inches under the water. Kids play and adults lounge on it, and bubblers or a chair fit there.

Hot tubSpills into the pool, 7 ft square

A hot tub built into the pool and level with the deck, spilling into it. It shares the pool's water and equipment, so one heater and one set of chemistry cover both. The tub holds about 1,100 gallons.

Pool finishQuartz

Plaster with quartz aggregate, smooth with a bit of sparkle. Usually holds color and resists staining better than plain plaster, and stays gentle on feet. Warm, humid water grows algae faster, so a smooth, dense finish is easier to keep clean.

Finish colorWhite finish, bright light blue water

A white interior. Gives the brightest, lightest blue water.

Waterline tileWhite

White porcelain at the waterline. A clean, bright line that looks crisp against dark water. It runs about 120 linear ft around this pool.

CopingTravertine

Ivory travertine with a rounded edge. Stays cooler underfoot than most stone and gives a warm, classic edge. It runs about 120 linear ft around this pool.

DeckTravertine pavers

Ivory travertine pavers. Light and cool underfoot, and a natural fit with Mediterranean and French styles. The deck is about 1,940 sq ft here. Choose a texture that stays safe when wet, because this deck will be damp often.

PlantingLawn and hedges

A green lawn with clipped hedges. Gives kids a soft place to play and a formal frame to the deck. Choose planting that tolerates storms and keep it a few feet from the water to limit debris.

Water featuresSheer descents, Fire bowls
  • Sheer descents: Sheets of water pouring from a wall into the pool. A calm, modern sound that masks street noise. It needs a pump sized for the flow.
  • 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.
Add to the yardPergola

Pergola: A pergola over part of the deck. Gives shade and a room feeling. It may need a permit and engineering where it is windy or snowy.

FurnitureLoungers, 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.
LightGolden hour

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

Coping
120 linear ft
Deck
1,940 sq ft

Why it fits the large estate

The yard: formal grounds with tall clipped ficus hedges, royal palms, a gravel path and manicured lawn panels. An estate lot can hold a large pool, so the design is about scale, views and a place to gather. Space lets the pool, the pergola, the outdoor kitchen and the lawn each have room. The risk is a pool that looks lost, so scale the deck and the planting with the house.

Why it fits the Colonial house

The house is a grand white British West Indies colonial with louvered shutters, a hipped roof and a columned loggia. A colonial house wants symmetry, brick or flagstone and a formal edge. A tidy rectangle, stone coping and a calm palette respect the house's proportions. Clipped hedges and simple furniture keep the formality.

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 British colonial estate pool in Palm Beach: a rectangular pool with a hot tub and a sun shelf.

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

58 × 47 ft

About 2,726 sq ft. The pool and tub alone is 40 × 28.5 ft.

Plan on a clear area of about 58 by 47 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 60 by 49 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.

Florida: what the climate asks of this pool

A Florida pool is used most of the year, so heat, storms and screens shape the design.

  • Many Florida pools sit under a screen enclosure, which keeps out bugs and leaves but changes how much sun and breeze the deck gets. Plan planting and furniture around the cage lines.
  • Afternoon storms and hurricane season mean equipment pads, pergolas and loose furniture need to be anchored or easy to stow.
  • A high water table is common near the coast. Builders usually fit a hydrostatic relief valve so the shell does not float when the ground is saturated.
  • Near salt water, salt air is hard on metal fences, light fittings and some stone. Ask which materials are rated for it.

Keeping it up

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

  • Quartz in this climate

    A smooth quartz surface is easier to keep algae-free than a textured one, but it still needs a steady sanitizer level in warm water.

  • Travertine pavers deck

    Seal the travertine as the maker says and rinse it after salt or chlorine splashes. Use a stone-safe cleaner, never an acid wash.

  • Sheer descents

    Sheer descents grow a film of algae on the wall. Wipe it down and run them on a timer rather than all day.

  • 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.

  • 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, FL

$120,000 to $305,000

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 FL by a damped regional factor of 1.02 (the state's cost of living is 103.4 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
$73,000 to $203,000
800 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
$5,500 to $6,500
120 linear ft at $45 to $55 a foot.
Deck
$30,000 to $53,000
1,943 sq ft at $15 to $27 a square foot installed.
Hot tub
$6,000 to $18,000
A spa added to a new pool.
Sheer descents
$1,500 to $4,000
Two descents. Each, installed.
Wall for the water
$2,000 to $8,000
The wall that sheer descents and scuppers pour from, where none exists.
Fire bowls
$500 to $3,000
2 bowls. Each, from the gas fire pit price band. No source prices pool-side fire bowls.
Pergola
$2,000 to $6,500
A 10 by 12 ft pergola. The one source is dated 2022.
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.

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 yard additions are usually built after the pool is finished, so they add weeks that are not in this range.
  • 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 (9 lines)
InteriorQuartz, whiteabout 1,200 sq ft of shell
Plaster with quartz grains mixed in. Smoother than pebble and tougher than plaster, with a little sparkle under the water.
Waterline tileWhiteabout 120 linear ft, 10 in. band
White porcelain shows a waterline ring more than a darker tile, so it wants a regular wipe.
CopingTravertineabout 120 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.
DeckTravertine paversabout 1,940 sq ft
Natural stone pavers. Cooler than most paving in the sun, but porous: it needs sealing and a quick rinse after salt or chlorine splashes.
PlantingLawn 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.
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.
Water featureSheer descents
Thin sheets of water that pour from a wall. They run on the pool pump and can be loud or quiet, so ask to hear one.
Yard additionPergola
A shade structure over part of the deck. It has to be anchored for local wind and snow loads.
Hot tubSpills into the pool, squareabout 1,100 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. 01Which parts of this design need a hurricane tie-down, and does the screen enclosure change the pool layout?
  2. 02Where does the gas line for the fire bowls run in relation to the pool shell, and who inspects it?
  3. 03Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
  4. 04How deep is the sun shelf, and can a chair sit on it without tipping?
  5. 05Does the pergola need a permit or engineering for wind or snow, and who builds it?

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.

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More like this

Region:FloridaSetting:Large estateHouse style:ColonialFeature:Pool with a hot tubFeature:Pool with a sun shelfAll 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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