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Bryn Mawr, PA · Large estate

Stone estate pool on the Main Line near Philadelphia

A formal rectangle with a raised wall, lawn on all sides and a stone pergola, behind a fieldstone house.

One photo of your yard is all it needs.

Suits: Tudor houses on a large estate in Mid-Atlantic.

Drawn for a large fieldstone Tudor manor with a slate roof, tall chimneys, leaded windows and a stone porte-cochere, with formal grounds with copper beech trees, boxwood, a stone wall, a gravel path and sweeping lawn.

  • Tudor
  • Luxury tier
Planning cost, PA
$90,000 to $240,000
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 22,900 gal
Water surface
650 sq ft

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 22,900 gallons. It is 36 by 18 ft with about 650 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 54 by 36 ft for the pool, 4 ft of deck around the water and 5 ft to the fence line. The deck as drawn here is about 56 by 38 ft.
What does this design cost?
A planning range for PA is $90,000 to $240,000 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.

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

Stone houses want formal water, and a raised wall with sheer descents gives a 36 x 18 pool that edge. Travertine pavers and flagstone coping keep the stone house company, light grey quartz and white tile look calm under copper beech shade, and about 22,900 gallons leave lawn on every side.

What to watch

Raised walls add height to climb or see over, and the black aluminum fence must still meet the wall cleanly. Sheer descents also lose water to splash and evaporation, and they run only while the pump does.

How it reads

Light grey quartz with white tile makes calm, bright water beside the fieldstone house. Flagstone coping and travertine pavers stay pale, and the raised wall adds a clean, formal line. Copper beech leaves add deep red against the water. In midday sun the pool is crisp, and the sheer descents turn bright as they catch the light. Underfoot, travertine stays cool and flagstone gives the wet edge a firm grip.

Through the year

Main Line pools are used from late spring through early fall, with leaves from the copper beeches landing in fall. Pollen coats the water in spring, and the pool needs a full winter close. Run the sheer descents on a timer, so they sound good during gatherings and do not lose water to evaporation all day.

Every choice, row by row (15)
ShapeRectangle

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

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 650 sq ft of water and about 22,900 gallons.

StepsWide 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.

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.

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.

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 108 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 108 linear ft around this pool.

DeckTravertine pavers

Ivory travertine pavers. Light and cool underfoot, and a natural fit with Mediterranean and French styles. The deck is about 1,390 sq ft here.

PlantingLawn and hedges

A green lawn with clipped hedges. Gives kids a soft place to play and a formal frame to the deck.

Pool fenceBlack aluminum

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

Water featuresSheer descents

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.

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.

FurnitureLoungers, Dining table
  • Loungers: A pair of chaise loungers. The first thing people want on a pool deck.
  • Dining table: An outdoor dining table and chairs. Turns the pool into the place where meals happen.
LightMidday sun

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

Coping
108 linear ft
Deck
1,390 sq ft

Why it fits the large estate

The yard: formal grounds with copper beech trees, boxwood, a stone wall, a gravel path and sweeping lawn. 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 Tudor house

The house is a large fieldstone Tudor manor with a slate roof, tall chimneys, leaded windows and a stone porte-cochere. A Tudor house wants brick, stone and a pool that looks like it has always been there. Flagstone or brick coping, formal planting and a dark, still surface suit steep gables and half timbering.

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 Stone estate pool on the Main Line near Philadelphia: a rectangular pool.

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

54 × 36 ft

About 1,944 sq ft. The pool alone is 36 × 18 ft.

Plan on a clear area of about 54 by 36 ft for the pool, 4 ft of deck around the water and 5 ft to the fence line. The deck as drawn here is about 56 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.

Mid-Atlantic: what the climate asks of this pool

A Mid-Atlantic pool gets four seasons, so it needs to cope with hot, humid summers and a winter that freezes.

  • Summers are hot and sticky and winters freeze, so you plan for both a cover and a cooler deck surface.
  • Freeze and thaw moves paving. Choose a material rated for it and a base that drains.
  • Mature trees are common. They give shade and drop leaves, so skimmer placement and a cover matter.
  • Older neighborhoods can have setbacks, easements and tree rules that shape where the pool can go.

Keeping it up

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

  • Quartz in this climate

    Quartz is a middle path for a mixed climate: smoother than pebble and tougher than plaster.

  • Travertine pavers deck

    Seal the travertine as the maker says and rinse it after salt or chlorine splashes. Use a stone-safe cleaner, never an acid wash.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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, PA

$90,000 to $240,000

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 PA by a damped regional factor of 0.99 (the state's cost of living is 97.6 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
$58,000 to $160,000
648 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
$4,500 to $6,000
108 linear ft at $40 to $55 a foot.
Deck
$21,000 to $37,000
1,391 sq ft at $15 to $27 a square foot installed.
Raised wall
$2,000 to $8,000
A raised bond-beam wall.
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.
Pergola
$2,000 to $6,500
A 10 by 12 ft pergola. The one source is dated 2022.
Pool fence
$3,000 to $6,500
188 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.

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.

What it is made of

The materials list for this design, with its own quantities from the model.

The materials list (8 lines)
InteriorQuartz, light greyabout 1,160 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 tileWhiteabout 108 linear ft, 10 in. band
White porcelain shows a waterline ring more than a darker tile, so it wants a regular wipe.
CopingFlagstoneabout 108 linear ft
Natural, irregular stone. It looks like it was always there and needs its joints watched for movement.
DeckTravertine paversabout 1,390 sq ft
Natural stone pavers. Cooler than most paving in the sun, but porous: it needs sealing and a quick rinse after salt or chlorine splashes.
Pool fenceBlack aluminumabout 190 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.
Water featureSheer 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 additionPergola
A shade structure over part of the deck. It has to be anchored for local wind and snow loads.

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. 01How do you handle a mature tree near the pool, and what is the winterizing routine for this design?
  2. 02How high is the raised wall, and how will the aluminum fence and the sheer descents be fitted to it without gaps?
  3. 03How is the raised wall engineered, and who signs off on it?
  4. 04Will the fence meet the barrier code, and is the gate self-closing and self-latching?
  5. 05Does the pergola need a permit or engineering for wind or snow, and who builds it?

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:Mid-AtlanticSetting:Large estateHouse style:TudorAll 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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