# Ranch-style starter pool in a Fort Worth suburb A square-cornered rectangle with a big shallow end and nothing fancy, built around Friday night cookouts. Drawn for a long brick ranch house with a low pitched roof and a covered patio, with a flat yard with a wood privacy fence, Bermuda grass, crape myrtles and a pair of pecan trees. A design idea for Fort Worth, TX. Texas, classic suburb, Ranch. Updated 2026-10-06. ## The numbers - Size: 30 × 15 ft (3.5 to 5.5 ft deep) - Water surface: 450 sq ft - Water: about 14,900 gal - Coping: 90 linear ft - Deck: 1,230 sq ft ## 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: Rectangle A rectangle with square corners. It is the simplest to build, covers neatly and fits a modern or formal house. ### 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 450 sq ft of water and about 14,900 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 finish: Plaster 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 color: Blue finish, classic deep blue water A blue interior. Gives a classic, deeper blue water. ### Waterline tile: Blue glass Blue glass mosaic at the waterline. Adds sparkle and a clear blue edge to the water. It runs about 90 linear ft around this pool. ### Coping: Concrete Smooth, cantilevered poured concrete. A clean, modern edge that sits flush with a concrete or paver deck. It runs about 90 linear ft around this pool. A light coping stays cooler on bare feet in summer. ### Deck: Light 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 1,230 sq ft here. Here the deck is the hottest thing in the yard, so surface color matters as much as material. ### Planting: Lawn and hedges A green lawn with clipped hedges. Gives kids a soft place to play and a formal frame to the deck. A low-water planting plan keeps leaves out of the water and the bill down. ### Pool fence: Removable mesh A removable black mesh safety fence. It is a child-safety barrier you can take down for a party, and it sits in sockets in the deck. ### 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 flat yard with a wood privacy fence, Bermuda grass, crape myrtles and a pair of pecan trees. A classic suburb yard has room for a real pool, so the design is about how the family uses it. A regular lot and a rear yard give room for a pool, a deck and a lawn. Think about sight lines from the kitchen, where the shade falls and where the kids will play. The house is a long brick ranch house with a low pitched roof and a covered patio. 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 48 by 33 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 50 by 35 ft. ## Texas: what the climate asks of this pool A Texas pool earns its keep through long, hot summers, so shade, deck temperature and water loss decide how it feels. - Deck material matters in July. Light concrete, travertine and some porcelains stay far cooler on bare feet than dark pavers. - Heat and wind raise evaporation, so a pool in Texas loses water faster than the same pool in a mild region. A cover or a shade structure helps. - Many parts of the state have expansive clay soil. It moves with wet and dry spells, so the shell, the steel and the deck joints are built for movement. - A pergola or shade sail over part of the deck often decides whether people sit outside at 4 p.m. ## Quick answers **How much water does this pool hold?** About 14,900 gallons. It is 30 by 15 ft with about 450 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 48 by 33 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 50 by 35 ft. **What does this design cost?** A planning range for TX is $40,000 to $115,000 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 Flat ground with a wood privacy fence and a covered patio has room for a square-cornered pool that is simple to build and easy to see from the house. Wide steps give kids shallow footing, light concrete stays cooler in Texas heat, and the removable mesh fence keeps the lawn clear. What to watch: Bermuda grass and pecan trees both find their way into pool water as clippings, nuts and leaves. Removable mesh only works when it is back in place, and a hot, dry summer means regular top-ups. ## What this will cost: a planning range $40,000 to $115,000 for TX, a range from published prices and not a quote. - The pool: $40,000 to $111,000. 450 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. 90 linear ft at $6 to $12 a foot. - Pool fence: $1,500 to $2,500. A removable mesh fence, priced by the job. 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/); [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. ## What it is made of - Interior: Plaster, blue (about 850 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 tile: Blue glass (about 90 linear ft, 10 in. band). Glass mosaic reads bright in sun and is easy to wipe clean of the waterline scum ring. - Coping: Concrete (about 90 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. - Deck: Light concrete (about 1,230 sq ft). A light, textured concrete topping made to stay cooler underfoot. It wears over the years and can be recoated. - Pool fence: Removable mesh (about 170 linear ft around the deck as drawn). A removable mesh fence goes up for children and comes down for a party. It has to be installed tight to meet code, and it has to be put back every time. - 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. ## Keeping it up - 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 850 sq ft of interior. - Light concrete deck: A cool-deck topping wears with use. Wash it, patch chips early and plan to recoat it. - Removable mesh fence: A mesh fence has to be put back and latched every time. Check the anchors and the mesh each spring. - 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). ## Questions to ask a builder - What does the soil report say for this lot, and how is the shell designed for clay that moves? - How will the builder keep lawn runoff and fertilizer from washing across the deck into the pool? - What is in the quote and what is left out, such as the deck, fence, electrical, permits and landscaping? - Who pulls the permit, and how long does approval usually take in this town? - What does the first year of ownership look like for chemicals, cleaning and the cover? Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=ranch-style-starter-pool-fort-worth