French country estate pool in Highland Park, Dallas

A formal Roman-end pool with a long pergola, hedges and a limestone terrace built for parties.

Suits: French country houses on a large estate in Texas.

French country
Luxury tier
Hot tub
Sun shelf

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French country estate pool in Highland Park, Dallas: a French country yard in Dallas, TX, with a formal lawn with mature live oaks, boxwood hedges, crape myrtles and an iron gate. — Drawn for a large French country estate in limestone and brick with a steep slate roof, dormers and arched windows, with a formal lawn with mature live oaks, boxwood hedges, crape myrtles and an iron gate.

Size: 40 × 20 ft; 3.5 to 6 ft deep
Water surface: 770 sq ft
Water: about 20,300 gal
Coping: 113 linear ft
Deck: 1,990 sq ft
Hot tub: 7 ft round; about 850 gal

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.

ShapeRoman: A rectangle with a half-round bump-out at one short end. The curved end gives a natural place for steps and a softer, classic look.
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 770 sq ft of water and about 20,300 gallons.
StepsCurved steps: Curved, wedding-cake steps. A formal, graceful way into a Roman or larger pool. The steps lead into water 3.5 ft deep.
Sun shelfWith an umbrella: A sun shelf with an umbrella in the water. Adds shade so the shelf is usable at midday.
Hot tubSpills into the pool, 7 ft round: 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 850 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. In strong sun, a lighter finish fades less and hides scale from hard water.
Finish colorLight grey finish, soft turquoise water: A light grey interior. Gives soft turquoise water that suits most houses.
Waterline tileWhite: White porcelain at the waterline. A clean, bright line that looks crisp against dark water. It runs about 113 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 113 linear ft around this pool. A light coping stays cooler on bare feet in summer.
DeckTravertine pavers: Ivory travertine pavers. Light and cool underfoot, and a natural fit with Mediterranean and French styles. The deck is about 1,990 sq ft here. Here the deck is the hottest thing in the yard, so surface color matters as much as material.
PlantingLawn and hedges: A green lawn with clipped hedges. Gives kids a soft place to play and a formal frame to the deck. A low-water planting plan keeps leaves out of the water and the bill down.
Water featuresSheer descents, Scuppers: 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.
Scuppers: Spouts on a wall that pour water into the pool. A classic, tactile feature that suits stone and masonry walls.
Moving water raises evaporation, so keep features modest and run them on a timer.
Add to the yardPergola, Outdoor kitchen: 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.
Outdoor kitchen: An outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill and counter. Keeps the cook near the pool. It needs gas or power, water and a drain, and usually a permit.
FurnitureLoungers, Umbrella, Dining table: 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.
Dining table: An outdoor dining table and chairs. Turns the pool into the place where meals happen.
LightGolden hour: Shown in golden-hour light. Low sun is when the finish, the tile and the planting look their best.

Why it fits the large estate

The yard: a formal lawn with mature live oaks, boxwood hedges, crape myrtles and an iron gate. 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 French country house

The house is a large French country estate in limestone and brick with a steep slate roof, dormers and arched windows. A French country house wants soft stone, lawn and a pool that feels like a garden room. A Roman end, travertine, scuppers and a pergola with an outdoor kitchen give a relaxed, formal look suited to a larger lot.

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.

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?

Width, ftDepth, ft

Enter the clear area, from the house to the back fence and side to side.

Texas: what the climate asks of this pool

A Texas pool earns its keep through long, hot summers, so shade, deck temperature and water loss decide how it feels.

Deck material matters in July. Light concrete, travertine and some porcelains stay far cooler on bare feet than dark pavers.
Heat and wind raise evaporation, so a pool in Texas loses water faster than the same pool in a mild region. A cover or a shade structure helps.
Many parts of the state have expansive clay soil. It moves with wet and dry spells, so the shell, the steel and the deck joints are built for movement.
A pergola or shade sail over part of the deck often decides whether people sit outside at 4 p.m.

What this will cost: ask a local builder for a quote

We do not print a price for this design. The public ranges we checked disagree widely, and soil, access, local labor and permit rules move the real number more than any picture can.

What moves the price on this design

Size. This pool has about 770 sq ft of water surface and about 20,300 gallons. More surface means more excavation, steel, finish and equipment.
Deck. About 1,990 sq ft of paving is a large line item on its own. Ask for the deck priced separately so you can compare materials.
The built-in hot tub, its heater, plumbing and equipment pad.
Water features (scuppers, sheer descents), each with its own plumbing and pump capacity.
The yard additions (pergola, outdoor kitchen), which are often permitted and priced separately.

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, so the first conversation is about your yard instead of a blank sheet.

Questions to ask a builder about this design

Specific to what is in this pool. Ask them before you sign.

01What does the soil report say for this lot, and how is the shell designed for clay that moves?
02Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
03How deep is the sun shelf, and can a chair sit on it without tipping?
04Does the pergola need a permit or engineering for wind or snow, and who builds it?
05Where do the gas, power and drain for the outdoor kitchen run, and is it permitted with the pool?
06What pump runs the sheer descents, and how loud is it at night?