# Oceanfront contemporary pool in Virginia Beach

A rectangular pool with a wood deck and a shelf for loungers, a short walk across the dunes to the surf. Drawn for a gray contemporary beach house with cedar siding, big windows and a flat roof with a rooftop deck, with a sandy lot with dune grass, sea oats, a boardwalk, a few wind-bent trees and the ocean behind.

A design idea for Virginia Beach, VA. Mid-Atlantic, coastal, Contemporary. Updated 2026-10-06.

## The numbers

- Size: 24 × 12 ft (3.5 to 5 ft deep)
- Water surface: 290 sq ft
- Water: about 6,100 gal
- Coping: 72 linear ft
- Deck: 1,150 sq ft
- Hot tub: 7 ft square (about 1,100 gal)

## The design, spelled out

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. A sun shelf sits at the other end.

### Shape: Rectangle

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

### Size: 24 × 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 290 sq ft of water and about 6,100 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.

### Sun shelf: With loungers

A sun shelf sized for chairs in the water. Lets you sit in the cool water in the sun with a drink, which is why it works well in a hot climate.

### Hot tub: Spills into the pool, 7 ft square

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 1,100 gallons.

### 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: White finish, bright light blue water

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

### Waterline tile: Grey stone

Grey stone-look porcelain at the waterline. A quiet, natural band that goes with concrete and wood. It runs about 72 linear ft around this pool.

### Coping: Porcelain

Large-format grey porcelain with a square edge. Crisp and low maintenance, ideal beside a modern house. Check it is rated for exterior use where it freezes. It runs about 72 linear ft around this pool.

### Deck: Wood-look deck

Warm brown composite wood-look boards. Soft on bare feet and warm to look at. Darker boards can run hot in full sun, so check the color. The deck is about 1,150 sq ft here.

### Planting: Modern

Ornamental grasses, gravel strips and square planters. A tidy, low-maintenance frame that suits clean architecture.

### Pool fence: Glass

A frameless glass pool fence. It keeps the view open. Your town's barrier code sets the height, the gate and the latch, so ask before you design around it.

### Furniture: Loungers, Umbrella

Loungers: A pair of chaise loungers. The first thing people want on a pool deck. Umbrella: A market umbrella. Cheap shade that you can move with the sun.

### Light: Midday sun

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

## Why it suits this house

The yard: a sandy lot with dune grass, sea oats, a boardwalk, a few wind-bent trees and the ocean behind. A coastal pool deals with wind, salt and a view, so materials and shelter shape the design. Wind chills the water and carries salt. A low wall, a glass fence and tough fittings let the pool take in the view without punishment from the weather.

The house is a gray contemporary beach house with cedar siding, big windows and a flat roof with a rooftop deck. A contemporary house asks for hard edges, quiet colors and one confident feature. Rectangles, large-format porcelain or concrete, and a single water feature keep the yard calm and let the architecture lead.

## Will it fit your yard?

Plan on a clear area of about 51 by 30 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 52 by 31 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 6,100 gallons. It is 24 by 12 ft with about 290 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 51 by 30 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 52 by 31 ft.

**What does this design cost?** A planning range for VA is $95,000 to $225,000 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

Sand and salt shape this one: porcelain coping, a wood-look deck and white quartz handle wet feet and wind better than real wood would. The small 24 x 12 pool of about 6,100 gallons holds a sun shelf with loungers and a square tub spilling in at the left end, and the glass fence keeps the view.

What to watch: When a tub spills into a small pool, the two share water, so the tub's heat runs into the pool and the pool's chemistry becomes the tub's. Wind off the ocean also blows heat out and sand in.

## What this will cost: a planning range

$95,000 to $225,000 for VA, a range from published prices and not a quote.

- The pool: $26,000 to $72,000. 288 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: $1,500 to $3,000. 72 linear ft at $20 to $40 a foot.
- Deck: $46,000 to $93,000. 1,154 sq ft at $40 to $80 a square foot installed.
- Hot tub: $6,000 to $18,000. A spa added to a new pool.
- Pool fence: $16,000 to $35,000. 164 linear ft around the deck as drawn, at $95 to $210 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, pool deck cost](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/pool-deck); [HomeAdvisor, hot tub cost](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/install-a-hot-tub); [Shasta Pools, Arizona costs](https://shastapools.com/blog/breaking-down-the-cost-of-an-arizona-pool); [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 hot tub is built with the pool, so it adds days of plumbing and tile rather than weeks.

## What it is made of

- Interior: Quartz, white (about 490 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: Grey stone (about 72 linear ft, 10 in. band). A stone-look porcelain: matte, calm and forgiving of fingerprints and water spots.
- Coping: Porcelain (about 72 linear ft). Large, flat porcelain slabs with a square edge. Very modern, and the joints and the edge profile need a careful installer.
- Deck: Wood-look deck (about 1,150 sq ft). Composite boards that look like timber. They stay splinter free but can get hot in direct sun, and a dark color shows scratches and fades first.
- Pool fence: Glass (about 165 linear ft around the deck as drawn). Frameless glass keeps the view open and needs wiping to stay clear. Its height, gate and hardware have to meet your town's barrier rules.
- Planting: Modern. Ornamental grasses, gravel strips and square planters. Tidy and low water, with the beds kept away from the skimmer.
- Hot tub: Spills into the pool, square (about 1,100 gal). Built with the pool, with its own jets, heater share and cover. Tile and coping match the pool.

## Keeping it up

- Quartz in this climate: Quartz is a middle path for a mixed climate: smoother than pebble and tougher than plaster.
- Wood-look deck deck: Wash the composite boards with soap and water, and keep furniture feet from scratching a dark color.
- 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.
- Glass fence: Glass fence panels show water spots. Wipe them down and rinse the hardware.
- 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?
- As the tub spills into a 24 foot pool, can it be heated and balanced on its own, and what keeps sand from fouling both?
- Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
- How deep is the sun shelf, and can a chair sit on it without tipping?
- What does the town's barrier code require for the glass height and the gate, and how do you clean it?

Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=oceanfront-contemporary-pool-virginia-beach