# Canal-front vanishing edge pool in Fort Lauderdale

A long rectangle that runs out to the seawall so the water meets the canal and the yacht beyond it. Drawn for a white two-story contemporary house with a flat roof, large glass walls and a covered terrace, with a deep lot ending at a seawall on a wide canal, a moored yacht beyond, clusters of foxtail palms.

A design idea for Fort Lauderdale, FL. Florida, lake or waterfront lot, Contemporary. Updated 2026-10-06.

## The numbers

- Size: 40 × 20 ft (3.5 to 6 ft deep)
- Water surface: 800 sq ft
- Water: about 19,800 gal
- Coping: 80 linear ft
- Deck: 1,770 sq ft
- Hot tub: 7 ft square (about 1,100 gal)

## The design, spelled out

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.

### Shape: Rectangle

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

### Size: 40 × 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.

### 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.

### Sun shelf: With loungers

A sun shelf sized for chairs in the water. Lets you sit in the cool water in the sun with a drink, which is why it works well in a hot climate.

### Pool edge: Vanishing edge

One edge where the water spills over a wall into a hidden catch basin. It makes the water look like it runs into the view, and it needs a slope or a retaining wall, a catch basin and more engineering.

### Hot tub: Raised, spills over, 7 ft square

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 1,100 gallons.

### Pool finish: Quartz

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 color: White finish, bright light blue water

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

### Waterline tile: Grey stone

Grey stone-look porcelain at the waterline. A quiet, natural band that goes with concrete and wood. It runs about 80 linear ft around this pool.

### Coping: Porcelain

Large-format grey porcelain with a square edge. Crisp and low maintenance, ideal beside a modern house. Check it is rated for exterior use where it freezes. It runs about 80 linear ft around this pool.

### Deck: Porcelain tile

Large-format light grey porcelain tile. A modern, low maintenance deck that resists stains and fading. The deck is about 1,770 sq ft here. Choose a texture that stays safe when wet, because this deck will be damp often.

### Planting: Tropical

Palms, bird of paradise and big-leaf plants. Creates a resort feel and screens the neighbors in a warm, humid climate. Choose planting that tolerates storms and keep it a few feet from the water to limit debris.

### Pool fence: Glass

A frameless glass pool fence. It keeps the view open. Your town's barrier code sets the height, the gate and the latch, so ask before you design around it.

### Water features: Sheer descents, Deck jets

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. Deck jets: Deck jets that arc water into the pool. A playful feature for kids that adds movement and sound.

### Add to the yard: Cabana

Cabana: A small, open-sided cabana beside the pool. A shady place to change, nap or stash towels. It needs a footing and often a permit.

### 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 deep lot ending at a seawall on a wide canal, a moored yacht beyond, clusters of foxtail palms. A waterfront lot is regulated land, so the rules decide how close the pool can sit to the shore. Shoreline setbacks, flood zones and sometimes environmental review limit where a pool can go. The view is the point, so a low edge, glass fence or vanishing edge can frame it.

The house is a white two-story contemporary house with a flat roof, large glass walls and a covered terrace. A contemporary house asks for hard edges, quiet colors and one confident feature. Rectangles, large-format porcelain or concrete, and a single water feature keep the yard calm and let the architecture lead.

## Will it fit your yard?

Plan on a clear area of about 67 by 38 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 69 by 40 ft.

## 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.

## Quick answers

**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 67 by 38 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 69 by 40 ft.

**What does this design cost?** A planning range for FL is $125,000 to $355,000 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

Running deep to a seawall, the lot lets a long rectangle point at the canal, and the vanishing edge makes pool and water read as one line. The glass fence keeps that view open. Porcelain deck and coping handle sun and salt spray well, and the cabana gives the sun shelf some shade.

What to watch: A vanishing edge sends water over a lip into a catch basin that has to be tuned and kept clean. Wind can empty it fast, and digging beside a canal can hit a high water table.

## What this will cost: a planning range

$125,000 to $355,000 for FL, a range from published prices and not a quote.

- 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: $1,500 to $3,500. 80 linear ft at $20 to $40 a foot.
- Hot tub: $6,000 to $18,000. A spa added to a new pool.
- Raised tub wall: $2,000 to $8,000. The raised wall, where there is none.
- Vanishing edge: $10,000 to $31,000. Pool Research's premium over an average inground pool, and it can run higher.
- 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.
- Deck jets: $1,000 to $2,000. Three jets. Each deck jet, installed.
- Cabana: $7,500 to $31,000. Priced at $150 to $600 a square foot for a custom pool house, over this cabana's footprint.
- Pool fence: $21,000 to $46,000. 217 linear ft around the deck as drawn, at $95 to $210 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/); [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); [Simplified Pools, water features guide](https://simplifiedpools.com/blog/pool-water-features-fountains-guide/); [Pool Research, infinity pools](https://poolresearch.com/infinity-pools/); [Block Renovation, building a pool house](https://www.blockrenovation.com/guides/building-a-pool-house-costs-design-tips); [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.

- A vanishing edge needs the catch basin and its wall built to level, so the schedule runs to the long end. One builder source puts an infinity pool at 12 to 20 weeks.
- 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

- Interior: Quartz, white (about 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 tile: Grey stone (about 120 linear ft, 10 in. band). A stone-look porcelain: matte, calm and forgiving of fingerprints and water spots.
- Coping: Porcelain (about 80 linear ft). Large, flat porcelain slabs with a square edge. Very modern, and the joints and the edge profile need a careful installer.
- Deck: Porcelain tile (about 1,770 sq ft). Large porcelain tile. Very clean and modern. Check its slip rating for a wet area and keep the joints sealed.
- Pool fence: Glass (about 215 linear ft around the deck as drawn). Frameless glass keeps the view open and needs wiping to stay clear. Its height, gate and hardware have to meet your town's barrier rules.
- Planting: Tropical. Palms, big leaves and lush planting. It needs water, wind and cold protection, and it drops leaves in the pool.
- Water feature: Deck jets. Arcs of water thrown from the deck. They run on the pump, lose some water to wind and are the first thing to turn off on a breezy day.
- Water feature: Sheer 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 addition: Cabana. A small open-sided shelter beside the pool: shade, a changing spot and somewhere to keep towels.
- Hot tub: Raised, spills over, square (about 1,100 gal). Built with the pool, with its own jets, heater share and cover. Tile and coping match the pool.

## Keeping it up

- 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.
- Porcelain tile deck: Wash the porcelain with a neutral cleaner and keep the joints sealed. Check the slip rating if it will be wet most days.
- 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.
- Deck jets: Deck jets lose water to wind and evaporation. Run them on a timer and turn them off on a breezy day.
- 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.
- Glass fence: Glass fence panels show water spots. Wipe them down and rinse the hardware.
- 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

- Which parts of this design need a hurricane tie-down, and does the screen enclosure change the pool layout?
- How will the builder handle groundwater and the load near the seawall when digging a 40 by 20 pool this close to the canal?
- How is the catch basin sized and hidden, and what happens to the water on a windy day?
- Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
- How deep is the sun shelf, and can a chair sit on it without tipping?

Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=canal-front-vanishing-edge-pool-fort-lauderdale