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AI concept image of Small mid-century pool on a Tempe infill lot: a kidney-shaped pool.
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Tempe, AZ · Small infill lot

Small mid-century pool on a Tempe infill lot

A pocket kidney in a 1960s neighborhood, white plaster and a cool deck, just big enough to float in.

One photo of your yard is all it needs.

Suits: mid-century modern houses on a small infill lot in Arizona, Nevada and the desert Southwest.

Drawn for a small 1960s mid-century house with a low roof, a breeze-block wall and a bright turquoise front door, with a compact yard with a block wall, a palo verde tree, agave and red gravel.

Planning cost, AZ
$20,000 to $80,000
A range from published prices, not a quote
Build time
3 to 6 months
Contract to first swim
Size
24 × 12 ft
3.5 to 5 ft deep
Water
about 6,500 gal
Water surface
205 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 6,500 gallons. It is 24 by 12 ft with about 205 sq ft of water, 3.5 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 42 by 30 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 43 by 31 ft.
What does this design cost?
A planning range for AZ is $20,000 to $80,000 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 7 ft, slopes over about 8 ft, then runs level at 5 ft for the last 9 ft.

3.5 ft5 ftwater line24 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

Small 1960s lots reward restraint. A pocket kidney at 24 by 12 keeps the breeze-block wall, palo verde and red gravel in the picture, while white plaster and a light concrete deck reflect heat. Corner steps leave the rest of the pool open for floating.

What to watch

White plaster shows stains and mineral scale from hard water, and a light concrete deck throws glare in midday sun. A kidney curve at only 12 feet wide also limits lap swimming.

How it reads

White plaster and white tile give the water a pale, bright turquoise that suits the turquoise door and the breeze-block wall. A concrete coping and a light concrete deck stay low and flat, so the kidney curve is the only soft line in the yard. At midday everything is bright, with the red gravel as the only color against the white. In the evening the palo verde throws a loose shadow over the deck.

Through the year

Tempe is hot for a long summer, so swimming bunches up in the early morning and after sunset, with spring and fall the easiest months. Winter is short and mild. The palo verde drops flowers and tiny leaves in spring, so skim every few days and hose the deck down before the sun gets high.

Every choice, row by row (12)
ShapeKidney

A curved pool with a wide and a narrow end. A classic shape that separates a swimming zone from a play zone in a regular yard.

Size24 × 12 ft

A pool about 12 ft wide and 24 ft long. Big enough for a few people to cool off and play, small enough for a tight lot. That is about 205 sq ft of water and about 6,500 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.

Pool finishPlaster

A smooth cement-based finish. A clean, classic surface that typically needs resurfacing sooner than pebble. In strong sun, a lighter finish fades less and hides scale from hard water.

Finish colorWhite finish, bright light blue water

A white interior. Gives the brightest, lightest blue water.

Waterline tileWhite

White porcelain at the waterline. A clean, bright line that looks crisp against dark water. It runs about 62 linear ft around this pool.

CopingConcrete

Smooth, cantilevered poured concrete. A clean, modern edge that sits flush with a concrete or paver deck. It runs about 62 linear ft around this pool. A light coping stays cooler on bare feet in summer.

DeckLight concrete

Light, textured concrete finished to stay cool. A practical choice where the summer sun is strong and kids run barefoot. The deck is about 1,060 sq ft here. Here the deck is the hottest thing in the yard, so surface color matters as much as material.

PlantingDesert

Gravel, agave, succulents and boulders. Uses little water and keeps leaves out of the pool. A low-water planting plan keeps leaves out of the water and the bill down.

Pool fenceBlack aluminum

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

FurnitureLoungers

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

LightMidday sun

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

Coping
62 linear ft
Deck
1,060 sq ft

Why it fits the small infill lot

The yard: a compact yard with a block wall, a palo verde tree, agave and red gravel. A small infill lot asks for a compact pool and a deck that does double duty. Neighbors are close, setbacks bite into the usable area and the house often fills the lot. A narrow rectangle with a corner step and a shared deck for dining and lounging uses the space best.

Why it fits the mid-century modern house

The house is a small 1960s mid-century house with a low roof, a breeze-block wall and a bright turquoise front door. A mid-century modern house pairs a low, horizontal pool with natural materials. A long rectangle, a wood-look deck and a glass fence keep sight lines open and honor the house's flat roof and big windows.

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 Small mid-century pool on a Tempe infill lot: a kidney-shaped 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

42 × 30 ft

About 1,260 sq ft. The pool alone is 24 × 12 ft.

Plan on a clear area of about 42 by 30 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 43 by 31 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.

Arizona, Nevada and the desert Southwest: what the climate asks of this pool

In the desert Southwest, a pool is a cooling tool, so shade, water loss and finish fade shape the design.

  • Sun and dry air evaporate water quickly. Expect to top up often, and ask about a cover or a smaller surface if water cost matters to you.
  • Strong sun fades dark finishes and tile faster, and hard water leaves scale on tile at the waterline. Lighter finishes hide it better.
  • Decks can get hot enough to burn bare feet. Choose light, cool-to-touch surfaces and add shade near the steps.
  • Desert planting uses little water and keeps leaves out of the pool. Gravel yards still need a clear drainage plan for monsoon storms.

Keeping it up

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

  • Plaster in this climate

    Plaster is the finish most likely to etch or scale in hot, hard-water country, so keep the calcium and pH in range and plan for an earlier resurfacing.

  • 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 470 sq ft of interior.

  • Light concrete deck

    A cool-deck topping wears with use. Wash it, patch chips early and plan to recoat it.

  • 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.

  • Sun and water loss

    Heat and dry air take water out of the pool quickly. A cover, a pool shade and a smaller surface all cut the top-ups.

  • 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, AZ

$20,000 to $80,000

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.

The deck is not in this range. No guide we use prices cool-deck separately; Fixr prices the coating at about $200. Ask your builder.

Prices are scaled for AZ by a damped regional factor of 1.00 (the state's cost of living is 100.7 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
$20,000 to $51,000
204 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
$500 to $1,000
62 linear ft at $6 to $12 a foot.
Pool fence
$2,000 to $5,000
147 linear ft around the deck as drawn, at $15 to $35 a foot installed.
Tight access
Up to $20,000
Up to $20,000 more when the site is hard to access. Bob Vila puts the average excavation at $3,400, which the base pool price already includes, and says it can reach $20,000 when access is hard. Nothing extra if the machines get in.
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.

Nothing in this design adds a stage beyond the usual order: excavate, steel and plumbing, shell, tile and coping, deck, finish, fill.

What it is made of

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

The materials list (6 lines)
InteriorPlaster, whiteabout 470 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 tileWhiteabout 62 linear ft, 10 in. band
White porcelain shows a waterline ring more than a darker tile, so it wants a regular wipe.
CopingConcreteabout 62 linear ft
Cast or poured concrete with a clean, square line. Plain, tough and the easiest to repair, though it can heat up in direct sun.
DeckLight concreteabout 1,060 sq ft
A light, textured concrete topping made to stay cooler underfoot. It wears over the years and can be recoated.
Pool fenceBlack aluminumabout 145 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.
PlantingDesert
Gravel, agave and succulents: very little water and no lawn, with sharp leaves to keep away from the steps and the barefoot path.

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 will you keep the deck and the water line cool and scale-free in full summer sun?
  2. 02How close is the palo verde to the pool shell, and what will the builder do about its roots and leaf drop in white plaster?
  3. 03Will the fence meet the barrier code, and is the gate self-closing and self-latching?
  4. 04How do you keep the gravel and the planting out of the pool and the filter?
  5. 05What is in the quote and what is left out, such as the deck, fence, electrical, permits and landscaping?

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:Arizona, Nevada and the desert SouthwestSetting:Small infill lotHouse style:Mid-century modernFeature:Small backyard poolAll 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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