# 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. 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.

A design idea for Bryn Mawr, PA. Mid-Atlantic, large estate, Tudor. Updated 2026-10-06.

## The numbers

- Size: 36 × 18 ft (3.5 to 6 ft deep)
- Water surface: 650 sq ft
- Water: about 22,900 gal
- Coping: 108 linear ft
- Deck: 1,390 sq ft

## The design, spelled out

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.

### Shape: Rectangle

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

### Size: 36 × 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.

### Steps: Wide 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 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.

### Pool finish: Quartz

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 color: Light grey finish, soft turquoise water

A light grey interior. Gives soft turquoise water that suits most houses.

### Waterline tile: White

White porcelain at the waterline. A clean, bright line that looks crisp against dark water. It runs about 108 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 108 linear ft around this pool.

### Deck: Travertine 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.

### Planting: Lawn and hedges

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

### Pool fence: Black aluminum

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

### Water features: Sheer 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 yard: Pergola

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.

### Furniture: Loungers, 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.

### Light: Midday sun

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

## Why it suits this house

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.

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.

## Will it fit your yard?

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.

## 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.

## Quick answers

**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.

## 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.

## What this will cost: a planning range

$90,000 to $240,000 for PA, a range from published prices and not a quote.

- 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.

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, travertine pavers](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/outdoor-living/travertine-pavers-install/); [Simplified Pools, water features guide](https://simplifiedpools.com/blog/pool-water-features-fountains-guide/); [Fixr, pergola](https://www.fixr.com/costs/build-pergola); [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 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

- Interior: Quartz, light grey (about 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 tile: White (about 108 linear ft, 10 in. band). White porcelain shows a waterline ring more than a darker tile, so it wants a regular wipe.
- Coping: Flagstone (about 108 linear ft). Natural, irregular stone. It looks like it was always there and needs its joints watched for movement.
- Deck: Travertine pavers (about 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 fence: Black aluminum (about 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.
- Planting: Lawn 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 feature: Sheer 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 addition: Pergola. A shade structure over part of the deck. It has to be anchored for local wind and snow loads.

## Keeping it up

- 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).

## Questions to ask a builder

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

Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=main-line-stone-estate-pool-philadelphia