# Colonial backyard Roman pool in Montclair, New Jersey

A Roman-end pool with brick coping, a firepit and a separate hot tub, behind a center-hall colonial. Drawn for a stately center-hall colonial in white clapboard with green shutters and a columned front portico, with a leafy yard with a large oak, dogwood, rhododendrons, a clipped lawn and a stone wall.

A design idea for Montclair, NJ. Northeast and New England, inner-ring suburb, Colonial. Updated 2026-10-06.

## The numbers

- Size: 30 × 15 ft (3.5 to 5.5 ft deep)
- Water surface: 435 sq ft
- Water: about 14,700 gal
- Coping: 85 linear ft
- Deck: 1,610 sq ft
- Hot tub: 7 ft round (about 850 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: Roman

A rectangle with a half-round bump-out at one short end. The curved end gives a natural place for steps and a softer, classic look.

### 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 435 sq ft of water and about 14,700 gallons.

### Steps: Curved steps

Curved, wedding-cake steps. A formal, graceful way into a Roman or larger pool. The steps lead into water 3.5 ft deep.

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

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 850 gallons.

### Pool finish: Plaster

A smooth cement-based finish. A clean, classic surface that typically needs resurfacing sooner than pebble. 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: Blue glass

Blue glass mosaic at the waterline. Adds sparkle and a clear blue edge to the water. It runs about 85 linear ft around this pool.

### Coping: Brick

Red brick with a rolled edge. A traditional edge that suits brick houses and colonial or Tudor styles. It runs about 85 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: Concrete 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 1,610 sq ft here. Where it freezes, the base and the joints matter more than the surface.

### Planting: Lawn and hedges

A green lawn with clipped hedges. Gives kids a soft place to play and a formal frame to the deck.

### Pool fence: Black aluminum

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

### Add to the yard: Fire pit

Fire pit: A round fire pit with seating. Extends the evening. Local burn rules and clearance from the house and plants apply.

### 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: Midday sun

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

## Why it suits this house

The yard: a leafy yard with a large oak, dogwood, rhododendrons, a clipped lawn and a stone 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.

The house is a stately center-hall colonial in white clapboard with green shutters and a columned front portico. 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.

## 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.

## Northeast and New England: what the climate asks of this pool

A Northeast pool is built for a short season and a long winter, in yards that are often small and tight.

- Winterizing is a yearly job. A safety cover, drained and blown lines and frost protected equipment are part of the plan.
- Freeze and thaw is hard on stone and concrete. Pick paving that is rated for it and ask how the base is drained.
- Space is tight and access can be hard. A crane, a narrow side yard or a rooftop changes what can be built and how it is brought in.
- Historic districts and homeowner associations can review fences and structures. Check before you commit to a look.

## Quick answers

**How much water does this pool hold?** About 14,700 gallons. It is 30 by 15 ft with about 435 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 NJ is $55,000 to $160,000 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

Roman ends give a 30 x 15 pool soft curves that suit a center-hall colonial, and the brick coping ties to the stone wall. The curved steps and the round tub at the right end repeat those curves, while the fire pit stretches the evening on cool nights. The pool holds about 14,700 gallons.

What to watch: Brick coping gets hot in summer sun and can spall after repeated freeze and thaw. The big oak and dogwood drop leaves and pollen into the water, so expect more skimming than the picture suggests.

## What this will cost: a planning range

$55,000 to $160,000 for NJ, a range from published prices and not a quote.

- The pool: $41,000 to $113,000. 434 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: $2,000 to $2,500. 85 linear ft at $25 to $30 a foot.
- Deck: $5,000 to $12,000. 1,608 sq ft at $3 to $7 a square foot installed.
- Hot tub: $6,500 to $19,000. A spa added to a new pool. A separate tub still needs its own plumbing and equipment.
- Fire pit: $500 to $3,000. A fire pit, wood or gas.
- Pool fence: $3,000 to $7,000. 194 linear ft around the deck as drawn, at $15 to $35 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, fire pit](https://www.fixr.com/costs/fire-pit); [HomeAdvisor, outdoor kitchen](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/outdoor-living/build-an-outdoor-kitchen); [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: Plaster, blue (about 820 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 85 linear ft, 10 in. band). Glass mosaic reads bright in sun and is easy to wipe clean of the waterline scum ring.
- Coping: Brick (about 85 linear ft). Rolled-edge brick gives a traditional line. The mortar joints need attention over the years and the surface can be uneven underfoot.
- Deck: Concrete pavers (about 1,610 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 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.
- 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.
- Yard addition: Fire pit. A round fire pit with seating. It needs clear space from the house, the plants and the pool, and a town that allows it.
- Hot tub: Separate tub, round (about 850 gal). Built with the pool, with its own jets, heater share and cover. Tile and coping match the pool.

## Keeping it up

- Plaster in this climate: Plaster is the finish a freeze season stresses most, so close the pool carefully and do not drain it.
- 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 820 sq ft of interior.
- 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.
- 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

- How will equipment and materials reach this yard, and what does winterizing involve for this layout?
- Will the separate round tub at the right end tie into the Roman end's curves, and how far from the water will the fire pit sit?
- 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?
- What clearance does the fire pit need from the house and the plants, and does the town allow it?

Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=roman-pool-montclair-new-jersey