# Venice bungalow plunge pool with a seat wall A small black-tile plunge on a beach-town lot, a raised wall to sit on and a wood deck from fence to fence. Drawn for a small modern bungalow with white stucco, a black steel door and a wood-clad second-floor volume, with a tiny yard with a high wood fence, a few palms, bird of paradise and succulents in concrete planters. A design idea for Venice, CA. Southern California, small infill lot, Contemporary. Updated 2026-10-06. ## The numbers - Size: 16 × 8 ft (3.5 to 5 ft deep) - Water surface: 130 sq ft - Water: about 3,500 gal - Coping: 48 linear ft - Deck: 630 sq ft ## The design, spelled out The floor is 3.5 ft deep at the steps and stays level for about 4 ft, slopes over about 5 ft, then runs level at 5 ft for the last 6 ft. ### Shape: Rectangle A rectangle with square corners. It is the simplest to build, covers neatly and fits a modern or formal house. ### Size: 16 × 8 ft A small pool about 8 ft wide and 16 ft long. A plunge pool is for cooling off, soaking and a small yard, not for swimming laps. That is about 130 sq ft of water and about 3,500 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. ### Pool finish: All tile A fully tiled interior in small mosaic tile. The most durable and the most striking, and it asks the most from the budget. ### Finish color: Midnight finish, dark, mirror-like water A midnight interior. Gives dark, mirror-like water that reflects the sky and the house. ### 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 48 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 630 sq ft here. ### Planting: Modern Ornamental grasses, gravel strips and square planters. A tidy, low-maintenance frame that suits clean architecture. ### Furniture: Loungers Loungers: A pair of chaise loungers. The first thing people want on a pool deck. ### 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 tiny yard with a high wood fence, a few palms, bird of paradise and succulents in concrete planters. A small infill lot asks for a compact pool and a deck that does double duty. Neighbors are close, setbacks bite into the usable area and the house often fills the lot. A narrow rectangle with a corner step and a shared deck for dining and lounging uses the space best. The house is a small modern bungalow with white stucco, a black steel door and a wood-clad second-floor volume. 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 34 by 26 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 33 by 25 ft. ## Southern California: what the climate asks of this pool Southern California pools are an outdoor room, so the design is about the view, the shade and the way the yard flows. - The season is long and the winters are mild, so lighting, fire and seating matter as much as the water. - Lots are often small or sloped. Retaining walls, raised spas and vanishing edges show up a lot, and each one brings engineering and a permit. - Water rules and drought restrictions can affect filling, covers and water features. Ask what your water district allows. - Near the coast, marine air is hard on metal and fades finishes. Pick fittings and fences made for it. ## Quick answers **How much water does this plunge pool hold?** About 3,500 gallons. It is 16 by 8 ft with about 130 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 34 by 26 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 33 by 25 ft. **What does this design cost?** A planning range for CA is $50,000 to $140,000 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 2 to 4.5 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 With a high wood fence and no spare room, the deck runs from fence to fence and the raised wall doubles as seating. Steps and a bench stay inside the shell, and all midnight tile with porcelain coping sits cleanly against the black door and wood cladding. What to watch: A raised wall is also a fall edge for small children, and a 16 by 8 plunge is for dipping and floating, not laps. Splash from a pool this small lands on the wood-look deck. ## What this will cost: a planning range $50,000 to $140,000 for CA, a range from published prices and not a quote. - The pool: $21,000 to $42,000. 128 sq ft of water at $90 to $250 a square foot (shell, excavation, plumbing, equipment, plaster), held to the small concrete pool price. Steps and the sun shelf are part of the shell. - All-tile interior: $2,500 to $9,500. 304 sq ft of shell at $8 to $30 a square foot above plaster. Tile is priced $4 to $30 a square foot as a finish, plus the extra labor over plaster. - Coping: $1,000 to $2,000. 48 linear ft at $20 to $40 a foot. - Deck: $26,000 to $53,000. 626 sq ft at $40 to $80 a square foot installed. - Raised wall: $2,000 to $8,500. A raised bond-beam wall. - Tight access: $0 to $21,000. Up to $20,000 more when the site is hard to access. Bob Vila puts the average excavation at $3,400, which the base pool price already includes, and says it can reach $20,000 when access is hard. Nothing extra if the machines get in. 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/); [HomeAdvisor, pool resurfacing](https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/swimming-pools-hot-tubs-and-saunas/pool-resurfacing); [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/); [Bob Vila, in-ground pool cost](https://www.bobvila.com/articles/inground-pool-cost/) ## How long it takes 2 to 4.5 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: All tile, midnight (about 300 sq ft of shell). Small glass or porcelain tile over the whole shell. It is the most durable and cleanest looking interior, and the one with the most grout joints to keep tight. - Coping: Porcelain (about 48 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 630 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. - Planting: Modern. Ornamental grasses, gravel strips and square planters. Tidy and low water, with the beds kept away from the skimmer. ## Keeping it up - All tile in this climate: Tile is a long-lived choice here. Keep the waterline free of scale and the grout sealed. - When it is resurfaced: An all-tile interior is not replastered. The upkeep is in the grout and the waterline, which should be checked every year. - Wood-look deck deck: Wash the composite boards with soap and water, and keep furniture feet from scratching a dark color. - Dry season: A long dry season means steady evaporation and dust. Top up on a schedule and keep the filter clean. - 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 soil and slope engineering does this lot need, and what does your water district say about filling a new pool? - How high is the raised wall, and is it built to take weight as a seat without the tile or coping loosening over time? - How is the raised wall engineered, and who signs off on it? - Will a pool this small have room for the equipment, and can I swim in it or only soak? - How is the tile set and grouted for this climate, and how is it warrantied? Start with this design in the free visualizer: https://rendersplash.com/pool-visualizer?idea=venice-small-lot-plunge-pool