# Hillside pool with a Pikes Peak view in Colorado Springs

A kidney on a terraced slope, with a raised wall at the low side and the mountain filling the horizon. Drawn for a long walkout ranch house with stone and cedar siding, a low roof and a big deck, with a terraced slope with scrub oak, ponderosa pine, native grasses and boulders, Pikes Peak rising in the distance.

A design idea for Colorado Springs, CO. Mountain West, hillside or slope, Ranch. Updated 2026-10-06.

## The numbers

- Size: 30 × 15 ft (3.5 to 5.5 ft deep)
- Water surface: 320 sq ft
- Water: about 10,400 gal
- Coping: 78 linear ft
- Deck: 1,710 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 8 ft, slopes over about 10 ft, then runs level at 5.5 ft for the last 11 ft.

### Shape: Kidney

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.

### Size: 30 × 15 ft

A pool about 15 ft wide and 30 ft long. A common family size with room for play and a short swim. That is about 320 sq ft of water and about 10,400 gallons.

### Steps: Steps 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.

### 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.

### Hot tub: Separate tub, 7 ft square

A hot tub on the deck, apart from the pool. It has its own water and heater, so you can run it alone on a cold night without heating the pool. 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. A freeze season stresses plaster, so ask how the pool is winterized to protect the finish.

### Finish color: Blue finish, classic deep blue water

A blue interior. Gives a classic, deeper 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 78 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 78 linear ft around this pool. Coping takes the worst of freeze and thaw, so it should be rated for it and set in a flexible joint.

### Deck: Stamped concrete

Tan stamped concrete with a stone pattern. An affordable deck poured in one piece. It needs a sealer and a grit additive so it is not slippery when wet. The deck is about 1,710 sq ft here. Where it freezes, the base and the joints matter more than the surface.

### Planting: Keep what's there

The planting already in the yard. Keeps mature trees and shade in place and saves disruption.

### Pool fence: Black aluminum

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

### 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: Golden hour

Shown in golden-hour light. Low sun is when the finish, the tile and the planting look their best.

## Why it suits this house

The yard: a terraced slope with scrub oak, ponderosa pine, native grasses and boulders, Pikes Peak rising in the distance. A hillside pool is built into the slope, so retaining walls and drainage are part of the design. A slope can give a dramatic view and a vanishing edge, and it brings walls, drainage, soil reports and extra engineering. Plan on a longer approval and a more detailed build.

The house is a long walkout ranch house with stone and cedar siding, a low roof and a big deck. A ranch house is low and wide, so the pool should be relaxed and easy to walk out to. A freeform or kidney shape, a broad deck and shade trees suit a single-story house and a lawn that runs right up to the water.

## Will it fit your yard?

Plan on a clear area of about 60 by 33 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 62 by 35 ft.

## Mountain West: what the climate asks of this pool

In the Mountain West, a pool has to handle a real winter, intense sun and a short, bright swim season.

- Freeze and thaw cycles crack decks that are not built for them. Choose paving that is rated for freezing and set on a well drained base.
- Cold nights and thin air chill the water fast, so heating and a cover are what extend the season.
- The sun is strong at altitude and the air is dry. Sunscreen on a deck, shade and light surfaces make long afternoons easier.
- The pool is winterized or kept running with a heater, and either way the equipment needs frost protection.

## Quick answers

**How much water does this pool hold?** About 10,400 gallons. It is 30 by 15 ft with about 320 sq ft of water, 3.5 ft deep at the steps and 5.5 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 60 by 33 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 62 by 35 ft.

**What does this design cost?** A planning range for CO is $65,000 to $180,000 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

Terraced slopes ask for a shape that follows the land, and a kidney with a raised wall at the low side suits that. Flagstone coping and a stamped concrete deck match the stone and cedar of the walkout ranch, while steps with a bench and a separate square tub at the left end keep it easy to use.

What to watch: Slope, retaining walls and the view below the edge are not drawn, because the model sits on a flat site. On the real lot, those walls and footings can change the layout and the work.

## What this will cost: a planning range

$65,000 to $180,000 for CO, a range from published prices and not a quote.

- The pool: $29,000 to $81,000. 319 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: $3,000 to $4,500. 78 linear ft at $40 to $55 a foot.
- Deck: $21,000 to $35,000. 1,713 sq ft at $12 to $20 a square foot installed.
- Hot tub: $6,000 to $18,000. A spa added to a new pool. A separate tub still needs its own plumbing and equipment.
- Raised wall: $2,000 to $8,000. A raised bond-beam wall.
- Pool fence: $3,000 to $7,000. 194 linear ft around the deck as drawn, at $15 to $35 a foot installed.
- Slope work: $5,500 to $23,000. A retaining wall ($5,000 to $20,000) and a structural engineer ($500 to $3,000).

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); [Simplified Pools, water features guide](https://simplifiedpools.com/blog/pool-water-features-fountains-guide/); [Fixr, pool fence](https://www.fixr.com/costs/swimming-pool-fence); [Pool Research, pool retaining wall](https://poolresearch.com/?p=2044)

## 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.

- Slope work comes first: walls, drainage and an engineer's sign-off. One builder describes a complex sloped project as a few months of work on its own.
- 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, blue (about 660 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 78 linear ft, 10 in. band). A stone-look porcelain: matte, calm and forgiving of fingerprints and water spots.
- Coping: Flagstone (about 78 linear ft). Natural, irregular stone. It looks like it was always there and needs its joints watched for movement.
- Deck: Stamped concrete (about 1,710 sq ft). Poured concrete pressed with a stone pattern. It should be sealed with a non-slip additive and resealed on a schedule, or it fades and gets slick.
- Pool fence: Black aluminum (about 195 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.
- Hot tub: Separate tub, 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: A quartz finish needs the water balanced before the pool is closed, because a freeze season is hard on any cement-based surface.
- Stamped concrete deck: Reseal the stamped concrete every few years with a non-slip additive, or it fades and gets slippery when wet.
- 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.
- Winter: Close the pool before the first hard freeze: lower the water, blow out the lines, drain or turn off the features and fit a cover. A heater or heat pump is an option for the shoulder seasons.
- 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

- Do you winterize this pool or keep it running, and how is the plumbing protected from a hard freeze?
- Who engineers the retaining walls and the raised pool wall on this slope, and does the soil need testing before anything is drawn?
- How is the raised wall engineered, and who signs off on it?
- Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
- Will the fence meet the barrier code, and is the gate self-closing and self-latching?

Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=pikes-peak-hillside-pool-colorado-springs