# 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. 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.

A design idea for Boulder, CO. Mountain West, inner-ring suburb, Craftsman. Updated 2026-10-06.

## The numbers

- Size: 40 × 10 ft (4 to 5 ft deep)
- Water surface: 400 sq ft
- Water: about 13,500 gal
- Coping: 100 linear ft
- Deck: 1,620 sq ft
- Hot tub: 7 ft round (about 850 gal)

## The design, spelled out

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.

### Shape: Rectangle

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

### Size: 40 × 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.

### 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 4 ft deep.

### Pool edge: Raised 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 tub: Separate 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 finish: Plaster

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 color: Blue finish, classic deep blue water

A blue interior. Gives a classic, deeper 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 100 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 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.

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

### Planting: Modern

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

### Pool fence: Black aluminum

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

### Furniture: Loungers

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

### Light: Midday sun

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

## Why it suits this house

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.

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.

## Will it fit your yard?

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.

## 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.

## Quick answers

**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.

## 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.

## What this will cost: a planning range

$115,000 to $275,000 for CO, a range from published prices and not a quote.

- 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.
- 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.

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, 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.

- 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, blue (about 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 tile: Grey stone (about 100 linear ft, 10 in. band). A stone-look porcelain: matte, calm and forgiving of fingerprints and water spots.
- Coping: Flagstone (about 100 linear ft). Natural, irregular stone. It looks like it was always there and needs its joints watched for movement.
- Deck: Wood-look deck (about 1,620 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 fence: Black aluminum (about 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.
- Planting: Modern. Ornamental grasses, gravel strips and square planters. Tidy and low water, with the beds kept away from the skimmer.
- Hot tub: Separate tub, 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 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).

## Questions to ask a builder

- Do you winterize this pool or keep it running, and how is the plumbing protected from a hard freeze?
- How will the raised wall be finished and kept level along 40 feet, and where does the water sit against the flagstone coping?
- Is this long enough and even enough in depth for real laps, and how do the ends handle the turn?
- How is the raised wall engineered, and who signs off on it?
- Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?

Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=flatirons-craftsman-pool-boulder