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AI concept image of Formal pool with a pergola in Myers Park, Charlotte: a rectangular pool with a hot tub.Save

Charlotte, NC · Inner-ring suburb

Formal pool with a pergola in Myers Park, Charlotte

A rectangle with brick coping behind a Georgian house, under willow oaks, with a pergola and a lawn to walk on.

One photo of your yard is all it needs.

Suits: Colonial houses on a inner-ring suburb in Southeast.

Drawn for a red brick Georgian house with white columns, black shutters and a symmetrical slate roof, with a tree-shaded lot with huge willow oaks, boxwood, azaleas, a manicured lawn and a brick garden wall.

Planning cost, NC
$75,000 to $205,000
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 22,100 gal
Water surface
650 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 22,100 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 63 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 65 by 38 ft.
What does this design cost?
A planning range for NC is $75,000 to $205,000 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

Willow oaks throw big shade over a 36 x 18 rectangle of about 22,100 gallons, with a round tub spilling in at the right end. Brick coping and the brick garden wall match the Georgian house, and steps with a bench give a seat in the pergola shade.

What to watch

Big oaks mean heavy leaf loads in fall and pollen in spring, and roots near the dig can complicate the work. Brick coping and concrete pavers also run hot in humid sun.

How it reads

Blue quartz and white waterline tile give crisp, bright water beside the red brick and white columns. Brick coping and concrete pavers add a warm, traditional edge, and the round tub breaks the long rectangle. Under the willow oaks the light is dappled. In golden light the brick wall glows and the pergola draws long stripes of shade. Underfoot, brick coping and pavers feel firm, and shade from the oaks keeps them cooler.

Through the year

Charlotte summers are hot and humid, so the pool is busy from late spring until the leaves turn. Willow oak leaves, pollen and catkins reach the water in spring and fall. Keep the tub's cover clear of debris, since leaves in a still tub turn the water brown quickly. Bring in the umbrella when storms roll through.

Every choice, row by row (14)
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 22,100 gallons.

StepsSteps and a bench

Steps with a bench along one wall. Gives adults a place to sit and talk in the water while the kids play. The steps lead into water 3.5 ft deep.

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. Warm, humid water grows algae faster, so a smooth, dense finish is easier to keep clean.

Finish colorBlue finish, classic deep blue water

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

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.

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.

DeckConcrete pavers

Grey interlocking concrete pavers. Pavers move with the ground and can be lifted and reset, which helps where the soil freezes or shifts. The deck is about 1,660 sq ft here. Choose a texture that stays safe when wet, because this deck will be damp often.

PlantingLawn and hedges

A green lawn with clipped hedges. Gives kids a soft place to play and a formal frame to the deck. Choose planting that tolerates storms and keep it a few feet from the water to limit debris.

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.

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
1,660 sq ft

Why it fits the inner-ring suburb

The yard: a tree-shaded lot with huge willow oaks, boxwood, azaleas, a manicured lawn and a brick garden wall. An inner-ring suburb lot is mid sized, so the design balances the pool, the deck and the lawn. Established neighborhoods have mature trees, older houses and neighbors close by. A pool that matches the house and keeps privacy with planting or a clean fence tends to feel at home.

Why it fits the Colonial house

The house is a red brick Georgian house with white columns, black shutters and a symmetrical slate roof. A colonial house wants symmetry, brick or flagstone and a formal edge. A tidy rectangle, stone coping and a calm palette respect the house's proportions. Clipped hedges and simple furniture keep the formality.

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 Formal pool with a pergola in Myers Park, Charlotte: a rectangular pool with a hot tub.

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

63 × 36 ft

About 2,268 sq ft. The pool and tub alone is 44.5 × 18 ft.

Plan on a clear area of about 63 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 65 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.

Southeast: what the climate asks of this pool

A Southeast pool is used for a long, humid season, so shade, drainage and old-yard constraints decide the design.

  • Heat and humidity mean shade, ceiling fans under a pergola and a deck that does not hold water make the yard usable.
  • Red clay and mature trees are common. Roots, drainage and soil movement all shape the excavation.
  • Summer thunderstorms are frequent. Plan where the water runs off the deck and keep electrical equipment high and dry.
  • Historic and coastal neighborhoods can have design review. Ask about fence, structure and lighting rules early.

Keeping it up

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

  • Quartz in this climate

    A smooth quartz surface is easier to keep algae-free than a textured one, but it still needs a steady sanitizer level in warm water.

  • Concrete pavers deck

    Sweep sand into the paver joints each year and pull weeds early, before they lift the pavers.

  • 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.

  • Algae and storms

    Warm, damp weather grows algae fast, so keep the sanitizer steady and circulation running. Secure loose furniture before a storm.

  • 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, NC

$75,000 to $205,000

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 NC by a damped regional factor of 0.97 (the state's cost of living is 94.3 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
$57,000 to $157,000
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
$2,500 to $3,000
108 linear ft at $25 to $30 a foot.
Deck
$5,000 to $11,000
1,660 sq ft at $3 to $7 a square foot installed. HomeAdvisor's installed figure. Fixr's $6 to $8 is materials only.
Hot tub
$6,000 to $17,000
A spa added to a new pool.
Pergola
$2,000 to $6,500
A 10 by 12 ft pergola. The one source is dated 2022.
Pool fence
$3,000 to $7,000
205 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. Fixr's $6 to $8 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)
InteriorQuartz, blueabout 1,140 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.
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.
DeckConcrete paversabout 1,660 sq ft
Interlocking concrete pavers. Easy to repair one piece at a time, and the joints need topping up with sand now and then to keep weeds out.
Pool fenceBlack aluminumabout 205 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 tubSpills into the pool, 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. 01How will you protect the existing trees and drain the deck in a summer thunderstorm?
  2. 02Do the willow oak roots reach the excavation, and how will the builder protect the trees or deal with the roots?
  3. 03Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
  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.

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More like this

Region:SoutheastSetting:Inner-ring suburbHouse style:ColonialFeature:Pool with a hot tubAll 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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