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AI concept image of Craftsman lap pool with a view of the Flatirons in Boulder: a rectangular pool with a hot tub.Save

Boulder, CO · Inner-ring suburb

Craftsman lap pool with a view of the Flatirons in Boulder

A narrow lap pool and a raised wall for sitting, a separate hot tub and a long view up to the rock faces.

One photo of your yard is all it needs.

Suits: Craftsman houses on a inner-ring suburb in Mountain West.

Drawn for a craftsman bungalow with a stone porch base, shingled gables and a wide front porch, with a yard with aspens, native grasses, a stone path, a wood fence and the Flatirons rising behind.

Planning cost, CO
$115,000 to $275,000
A range from published prices, not a quote
Build time
3 to 6 months
Contract to first swim
Size
40 × 10 ft
4 to 5 ft deep
Water
about 13,500 gal
Water surface
400 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 13,500 gallons. It is 40 by 10 ft with about 400 sq ft of water, 4 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 70 by 28 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 72 by 30 ft.
What does this design cost?
A planning range for CO is $115,000 to $275,000 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 4 ft deep at the steps and stays level for about 11 ft, slopes over about 14 ft, then runs level at 5 ft for the last 15 ft.

4 ft5 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

At 40 x 10 and about 13,500 gallons, this is a lap pool, and the raised wall edge gives a place to sit and look up at the Flatirons. Flagstone coping, a wood-look deck and a separate round tub at the right end suit a craftsman bungalow with a stone porch base.

What to watch

Long, narrow pools use much of the yard width and leave little room for loungers. The raised wall also adds a step up from the deck, so think about how people get in and out.

How it reads

Blue plaster in a long 40 x 10 rectangle reads as a clean strip of color beside the wood-look deck. The raised wall gives it a crisp, built-up edge, topped with flagstone that matches the grey stone waterline tile and the porch base of the bungalow. Aspens and grasses move around it. At midday it looks bright and graphic, and toward evening the Flatirons throw long shadows across the deck.

Through the year

Sunny days stretch the season well into the shoulder months, but nights turn cold and snow is part of winter. Aspen leaves drift into the water in fall. Because the round tub is separate from the pool, you can use it on cold clear evenings and let the lap pool close first.

Every choice, row by row (14)
ShapeRectangle

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

Size40 × 10 ft

A long, narrow pool about 10 ft wide and 40 ft long, built for swimming lengths. It gives a straight lane and an even depth for exercise, and it fits a long, thin yard better than a wide pool does. That is about 400 sq ft of water and about 13,500 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 4 ft deep.

Pool edgeRaised wall

A seat-height wall along one side of the pool. It adds a place to sit, a spot for a water feature and a visual break, with extra structure to build.

Hot tubSeparate 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 finishPlaster

A smooth cement-based finish. A clean, classic surface that typically needs resurfacing sooner than pebble. A freeze season stresses plaster, so ask how the pool is winterized to protect the finish.

Finish colorBlue finish, classic deep blue water

A blue interior. Gives a classic, deeper blue water.

Waterline tileGrey stone

Grey stone-look porcelain at the waterline. A quiet, natural band that goes with concrete and wood. It runs about 100 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 100 linear ft around this pool. Coping takes the worst of freeze and thaw, so it should be rated for it and set in a flexible joint.

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 1,620 sq ft here. Where it freezes, the base and the joints matter more than the surface.

PlantingModern

Ornamental grasses, gravel strips and square planters. A tidy, low-maintenance frame that suits clean architecture.

Pool fenceBlack aluminum

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

FurnitureLoungers

Loungers: A pair of chaise loungers. The first thing people want on a pool deck.

LightMidday sun

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

Coping
100 linear ft
Deck
1,620 sq ft

Why it fits the inner-ring suburb

The yard: a yard with aspens, native grasses, a stone path, a wood fence and the Flatirons rising behind. An inner-ring suburb lot is mid sized, so the design balances the pool, the deck and the lawn. Established neighborhoods have mature trees, older houses and neighbors close by. A pool that matches the house and keeps privacy with planting or a clean fence tends to feel at home.

Why it fits the Craftsman house

The house is a craftsman bungalow with a stone porch base, shingled gables and a wide front porch. A Craftsman house wants natural materials, warm wood and a pool that tucks into the yard. Wood-look decking, stone coping and planting that reaches the water soften a compact pool so it looks as if it belongs with the porch and beams.

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 Craftsman lap pool with a view of the Flatirons in Boulder: 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

70 × 28 ft

About 1,960 sq ft. The pool and tub alone is 52 × 10 ft.

Plan on a clear area of about 70 by 28 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 72 by 30 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.

Mountain West: what the climate asks of this pool

In the Mountain West, a pool has to handle a real winter, intense sun and a short, bright swim season.

  • Freeze and thaw cycles crack decks that are not built for them. Choose paving that is rated for freezing and set on a well drained base.
  • Cold nights and thin air chill the water fast, so heating and a cover are what extend the season.
  • The sun is strong at altitude and the air is dry. Sunscreen on a deck, shade and light surfaces make long afternoons easier.
  • The pool is winterized or kept running with a heater, and either way the equipment needs frost protection.

Keeping it up

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

  • Plaster in this climate

    Plaster is the finish a freeze season stresses most, so close the pool carefully and do not drain it.

  • 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 850 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.

  • 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.

  • Winter

    Close the pool before the first hard freeze: lower the water, blow out the lines, drain or turn off the features and fit a cover. A heater or heat pump is an option for the shoulder seasons.

  • 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, CO

$115,000 to $275,000

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 CO by a damped regional factor of 1.02 (the state's cost of living is 103.1 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
$37,000 to $102,000
400 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
$4,000 to $5,500
100 linear ft at $40 to $55 a foot.
Deck
$66,000 to $132,000
1,620 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 $18,000
A spa added to a new pool. A separate tub still needs its own plumbing and equipment.
Raised wall
$2,000 to $8,000
A raised bond-beam wall.
Pool fence
$3,000 to $7,000
204 linear ft around the deck as drawn, at $15 to $35 a foot installed.
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 (7 lines)
InteriorPlaster, blueabout 850 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 tileGrey stoneabout 100 linear ft, 10 in. band
A stone-look porcelain: matte, calm and forgiving of fingerprints and water spots.
CopingFlagstoneabout 100 linear ft
Natural, irregular stone. It looks like it was always there and needs its joints watched for movement.
DeckWood-look deckabout 1,620 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.
Pool fenceBlack aluminumabout 205 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.
PlantingModern
Ornamental grasses, gravel strips and square planters. Tidy and low water, with the beds kept away from the skimmer.
Hot tubSeparate tub, 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. 01Do you winterize this pool or keep it running, and how is the plumbing protected from a hard freeze?
  2. 02How will the raised wall be finished and kept level along 40 feet, and where does the water sit against the flagstone coping?
  3. 03Is this long enough and even enough in depth for real laps, and how do the ends handle the turn?
  4. 04How is the raised wall engineered, and who signs off on it?
  5. 05Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?

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:Mountain WestSetting:Inner-ring suburbHouse style:CraftsmanFeature:Pool with a hot tubAll 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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