# Pool on a steep Pittsburgh lot with a city view

A rectangle on a terrace cut into the hill, a raised wall on the downhill side and the rivers in the distance. Drawn for a brick and stone mid-century ranch house with a low roof, a daylight basement and a big deck, with a steep wooded lot with maples, oaks, a stone retaining wall and a distant view of the city and rivers.

A design idea for Pittsburgh, PA. Mid-Atlantic, hillside or slope, 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 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.

### Pool finish: Plaster

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

### 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 90 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 90 linear ft around this pool.

### 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 1,230 sq ft here.

### 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: Midday sun

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

## Why it suits this house

The yard: a steep wooded lot with maples, oaks, a stone retaining wall and a distant view of the city and rivers. 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 brick and stone mid-century ranch house with a low roof, a daylight basement 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 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.

## 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 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 PA 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

Steep ground needs a flat cut, so a terrace into the hill and a raised wall on the downhill side make sense for a 30 x 15 pool of about 14,900 gallons. Flagstone coping and stamped concrete tie in with the stone retaining wall and the brick ranch, and the black fence guards the drop.

What to watch: This model sits on a flat site, so the retaining walls, the cut and the drainage are not drawn. Hillsides hold and move water, and wooded lots drop leaves into the pool.

## What this will cost: a planning range

$65,000 to $180,000 for PA, 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: $3,500 to $5,000. 90 linear ft at $40 to $55 a foot.
- Deck: $15,000 to $24,000. 1,225 sq ft at $12 to $20 a square foot installed.
- Raised wall: $2,000 to $8,000. A raised bond-beam wall.
- Pool fence: $2,500 to $6,000. 170 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); [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.

## 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: Grey stone (about 90 linear ft, 10 in. band). A stone-look porcelain: matte, calm and forgiving of fingerprints and water spots.
- Coping: Flagstone (about 90 linear ft). Natural, irregular stone. It looks like it was always there and needs its joints watched for movement.
- Deck: Stamped concrete (about 1,230 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 170 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.

## Keeping it up

- Plaster in this climate: Plaster works in a mixed climate if the water is kept balanced, and it is the easiest finish to repair.
- 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.
- Stamped concrete deck: Reseal the stamped concrete every few years with a non-slip additive, or it fades and gets slippery when wet.
- 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.
- 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?
- Who engineers the retaining wall on the downhill side, and is the pool's water load designed together with it?
- How is the raised wall engineered, and who signs off on it?
- Will the fence meet the barrier code, and is the gate self-closing and self-latching?
- How is the stamped concrete sealed so it is not slippery when wet?

Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=steep-lot-pool-pittsburgh