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AI concept image of Lakefront craftsman pool on Mercer Island: an L-shaped pool with a hot tub and a sun shelf.Save

Mercer Island, WA · Lake or waterfront lot

Lakefront craftsman pool on Mercer Island

An L-shaped pool with brick coping and a long lawn down to the dock on Lake Washington.

One photo of your yard is all it needs.

Suits: Craftsman houses on a lake or waterfront lot in Pacific Northwest.

Drawn for a large craftsman lake house with stone piers, cedar shingle siding, wide eaves and a deep porch, with a gently sloping lawn to Lake Washington with Douglas fir, rhododendron, a dock and distant hills.

Planning cost, WA
$85,000 to $210,000
A range from published prices, not a quote
Build time
3 to 6 months
Contract to first swim
Size
36 × 18 ft
3.5 to 6 ft deep
Water
about 12,300 gal
Water surface
480 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 12,300 gallons. It is 36 by 18 ft with about 480 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 66 by 36 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 68 by 38 ft.
What does this design cost?
A planning range for WA is $85,000 to $210,000 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 10 ft, slopes over about 12 ft, then runs level at 6 ft for the last 14 ft. A sun shelf sits at the other end.

3.5 ft6 ftwater line36 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

Cedar shingles, stone piers and a deep porch call for warm, traditional materials, which is why brick coping and a stamped concrete deck suit this house. The L-shape fits a long lawn running to the dock, a pergola gives shade, and a separate round tub at the left end keeps hot water apart from the 12,300 gallon pool.

What to watch

Lake water is not drawn in the model, and a sloping lot near it can mean extra drainage work. Brick coping also gets slippery when wet and can hold moss in damp shade.

How it reads

Blue pebble with blue glass waterline tile gives the water a lake-like color that sits easily on a lawn running down to the dock. Brick coping and stamped concrete in warm tones suit the cedar shingles and stone piers, and the black aluminum fence draws a thin dark line across the grass. Evenings bring golden light onto the brick, and the pergola throws a patterned shadow over the dining table.

Through the year

The pool is busiest in the dry summer months, and the sun shelf is the first spot people claim. Cool wet weather, wind off the water and fir needles mark the shoulder seasons. The round tub is separate, so run it on its own for chilly evenings instead of heating the whole pool.

Every choice, row by row (15)
ShapeL-shape

Two rectangles joined at a right angle. One arm is for lengths and the other for play, which suits a family with different ages in the water.

Size36 × 18 ft

A pool about 18 ft wide and 36 ft long. Room for lengths and a group, and a yard that can hold the larger deck it needs. That is about 480 sq ft of water and about 12,300 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 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 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 finishPebble

An exposed pebble aggregate finish, in the Pebble Tec style. Durable and textured, which hides small marks, but rougher on bare feet. Cool, wet weather means more leaves and less sun, so a darker finish helps warm the water.

Finish colorBlue finish, classic deep blue water

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

Waterline tileBlue glass

Blue glass mosaic at the waterline. Adds sparkle and a clear blue edge to the water. It runs about 108 linear ft around this pool.

CopingBrick

Red brick with a rolled edge. A traditional edge that suits brick houses and colonial or Tudor styles. It runs about 108 linear ft around this pool.

DeckStamped concrete

Tan stamped concrete with a stone pattern. An affordable deck poured in one piece. It needs a sealer and a grit additive so it is not slippery when wet. The deck is about 1,960 sq ft here. A textured surface and good drainage keep this deck safe through a wet week.

PlantingLawn and hedges

A green lawn with clipped hedges. Gives kids a soft place to play and a formal frame to the deck. Keep needles and leaves away from the skimmer by planting away from the water's edge.

Pool fenceBlack aluminum

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

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.

FurnitureDining table, Outdoor sofa
  • Dining table: An outdoor dining table and chairs. Turns the pool into the place where meals happen.
  • Outdoor sofa: An outdoor sofa and lounge chairs. Makes the deck feel like a living room outside.
LightGolden hour

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

Coping
108 linear ft
Deck
1,960 sq ft

Why it fits the lake or waterfront lot

The yard: a gently sloping lawn to Lake Washington with Douglas fir, rhododendron, a dock and distant hills. 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.

Why it fits the Craftsman house

The house is a large craftsman lake house with stone piers, cedar shingle siding, wide eaves and a deep 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 Lakefront craftsman pool on Mercer Island: an L-shaped 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

66 × 36 ft

About 2,376 sq ft. The pool and tub alone is 48 × 18 ft.

Plan on a clear area of about 66 by 36 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 68 by 38 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.

Pacific Northwest: what the climate asks of this pool

In the Pacific Northwest, a pool is for the dry months and the warm tub in the wet ones, so heat and a cover are the design.

  • Rain and cool nights mean a heater, a solar cover or a heat pump is part of the plan, not an upgrade for later.
  • Shade from tall evergreens is a trade-off: it keeps the deck cool and fills the pool with needles, so keep the water away from the drip line when you can.
  • Wet weather is hard on slick surfaces. A textured deck and a covered area for the hot tub or seating extend the season.
  • Small city lots are common, so a compact pool with a narrow deck and a fire feature can fit better than a classic rectangle.

Keeping it up

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

  • Pebble in this climate

    A dark pebble warms the water a little in a cool, wet climate. Keep leaves and needles out, because debris sits in the texture.

  • When it is resurfaced

    Pebble is usually redone every 15 to 20 or more years, depending on the water and the builder (Shasta Pools, plaster versus pebble and Pebble Technology, support). On this pool that is about 850 sq ft of interior.

  • Stamped concrete deck

    Reseal the stamped concrete every few years with a non-slip additive, or it fades and gets slippery when wet.

  • 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.

  • Leaves and rain

    Wet weather brings leaves, needles and slick surfaces. Put a cover on for the wet months, keep the skimmer baskets clear and brush the steps.

  • 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, WA

$85,000 to $210,000

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 WA by a damped regional factor of 1.04 (the state's cost of living is 107.0 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
$45,000 to $124,000
479 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.
Pebble interior
$5,500 to $5,500
851 sq ft of shell at $6 a square foot above plaster. Pebble is $10 a square foot against $4 for plaster in both sources.
Coping
$3,000 to $3,500
108 linear ft at $25 to $30 a foot.
Deck
$24,000 to $41,000
1,958 sq ft at $12 to $20 a square foot installed. HomeAdvisor's installed figure, labor included. Fixr's $15 to $30 is materials only.
Hot tub
$6,000 to $19,000
A spa added to a new pool. A separate tub still needs its own plumbing and equipment.
Pergola
$2,000 to $6,500
A 10 by 12 ft pergola. The one source is dated 2022.
Pool fence
$3,500 to $7,500
212 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, labor included. Fixr's $15 to $30 is materials only.

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 (8 lines)
InteriorPebble, blueabout 850 sq ft of shell
Small stones set in cement. It is textured, hides wear and holds color well, and it is rougher on bare feet than the other finishes.
Waterline tileBlue glassabout 108 linear ft, 10 in. band
Glass mosaic reads bright in sun and is easy to wipe clean of the waterline scum ring.
CopingBrickabout 108 linear ft
Rolled-edge brick gives a traditional line. The mortar joints need attention over the years and the surface can be uneven underfoot.
DeckStamped concreteabout 1,960 sq ft
Poured concrete pressed with a stone pattern. It should be sealed with a non-slip additive and resealed on a schedule, or it fades and gets slick.
Pool fenceBlack aluminumabout 210 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.
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.
Yard additionPergola
A shade structure over part of the deck. It has to be anchored for local wind and snow loads.
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. 01What heating and cover system do you recommend here, and how will water drain off the deck in a wet week?
  2. 02Since the lawn slopes toward the water, how will groundwater and drainage be handled around the pool shell, and can the pool ever lift when emptied?
  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. 05Will the fence meet the barrier code, and is the gate self-closing and self-latching?

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:Pacific NorthwestSetting:Lake or waterfront lotHouse style:CraftsmanFeature: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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