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AI concept image of Waterfront contemporary pool on Sarasota Bay: a Grecian-corner pool with a hot tub and a sun shelf.Save

Sarasota, FL · Lake or waterfront lot

Waterfront contemporary pool on Sarasota Bay

A pool with cut corners, a wood-look deck and an open view across the water to the keys.

One photo of your yard is all it needs.

Suits: contemporary houses on a lake or waterfront lot in Gulf Coast.

Drawn for a low contemporary house with deep overhangs, wide glass and a cedar-clad entry in the Sarasota modern style, with a bayfront lot with sea oats, sabal palms, a short dock and open water to the horizon.

Planning cost, FL
$160,000 to $375,000
A range from published prices, not a quote
Build time
3 to 6 months
Contract to first swim
Size
36 × 18 ft
3.5 to 6 ft deep
Water
about 15,600 gal
Water surface
630 sq ft
Hot tub
7 ft square
about 1,100 gal

Quick answers about this design

Worked out from this design's own model, so they differ from page to page.

How much water does this pool hold?
About 15,600 gallons. It is 36 by 18 ft with about 630 sq ft of water, 3.5 ft deep at the steps and 6 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 63 by 36 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 65 by 38 ft.
What does this design cost?
A planning range for FL is $160,000 to $375,000 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.

Chapter 1 of 4

The design

What is in this pool, and how it turns in 3D.

The design, spelled out

Every choice in this pool, what it is, and why it suits this house and this part of the country.

Depth profile

The floor is 3.5 ft deep at the steps and stays level for about 10 ft, slopes over about 12 ft, then runs level at 6 ft for the last 14 ft. A sun shelf sits at the other end.

3.5 ft6 ftwater line36 ft long

Design notes

Written with AI tools from this design's own measurements and sources, not by a pool builder. How we write

Why it works here

Bayfront lots with open water want a glass fence, so the view from the low house stays clear. The cut corners of the Grecian shape echo the clean lines of the house. The wood-look deck resists moisture and salt air better than real wood, and the fire pit and sofa sit back from the water.

What to watch

Salt air and wind off the bay are hard on metal hardware, and glass spots quickly, so the panels need regular rinsing. A wood-look deck in dark tones also gets hot in direct sun.

How it reads

White pebble with grey stone at the waterline gives the Grecian pool a pale, cool shine against the cedar entry and the wood-look deck. Porcelain coping keeps a crisp, thin edge, and the glass fence lets the bay show through. In golden hour light the water mirrors the sky over the bay. After dark the fire pit and the low house lights carry the warmth, and the sea oats and palms sway at the edges.

Through the year

Sarasota is warm for most of the year, so the pool and the fire pit see regular use even in the cooler months. Summer brings humid air, storms and a salt breeze off the bay. Rinse the glass panels and any metal hardware with fresh water often, and keep the loungers and sofa cushions covered or stored before storms.

Every choice, row by row (15)
ShapeGrecian

A rectangle with cut corners (Grecian). It reads more formal than a simple rectangle and adds interest without becoming a curve.

Size36 × 18 ft

A pool about 18 ft wide and 36 ft long. Room for lengths and a group, and a yard that can hold the larger deck it needs. That is about 630 sq ft of water and about 15,600 gallons.

StepsWide 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.

Sun shelfWith loungers

A sun shelf sized for chairs in the water. Lets you sit in the cool water in the sun with a drink, which is why it works well in a hot climate.

Hot tubSpills into the pool, 7 ft square

A hot tub built into the pool and level with the deck, spilling into it. It shares the pool's water and equipment, so one heater and one set of chemistry cover both. The tub holds about 1,100 gallons.

Pool finishPebble

An exposed pebble aggregate finish, in the Pebble Tec style. Durable and textured, which hides small marks, but rougher on bare feet. Warm, humid water grows algae faster, so a smooth, dense finish is easier to keep clean.

Finish colorWhite finish, bright light blue water

A white interior. Gives the brightest, lightest blue water.

Waterline tileGrey stone

Grey stone-look porcelain at the waterline. A quiet, natural band that goes with concrete and wood. It runs about 101 linear ft around this pool.

CopingPorcelain

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 101 linear ft around this pool.

DeckWood-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 1,670 sq ft here. Choose a texture that stays safe when wet, because this deck will be damp often.

PlantingModern

Ornamental grasses, gravel strips and square planters. A tidy, low-maintenance frame that suits clean architecture. Choose planting that tolerates storms and keep it a few feet from the water to limit debris.

Pool fenceGlass

A frameless glass pool fence. It keeps the view open. Your town's barrier code sets the height, the gate and the latch, so ask before you design around it.

Add to the yardFire pit

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

FurnitureLoungers, Outdoor sofa
  • Loungers: A pair of chaise loungers. The first thing people want on a pool deck.
  • Outdoor sofa: An outdoor sofa and lounge chairs. Makes the deck feel like a living room outside.
LightGolden hour

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

Coping
101 linear ft
Deck
1,670 sq ft

Why it fits the lake or waterfront lot

The yard: a bayfront lot with sea oats, sabal palms, a short dock and open water to the horizon. A waterfront lot is regulated land, so the rules decide how close the pool can sit to the shore. Shoreline setbacks, flood zones and sometimes environmental review limit where a pool can go. The view is the point, so a low edge, glass fence or vanishing edge can frame it.

Why it fits the contemporary house

The house is a low contemporary house with deep overhangs, wide glass and a cedar-clad entry in the Sarasota modern style. 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.

Turn this design around in 3D

This is the model behind the numbers above, with this design's own shape, steps, finish and deck. It loads when you scroll to it.

The same choices as the picture, as a model you can turn.

AI concept image of Waterfront contemporary pool on Sarasota Bay: a Grecian-corner pool with a hot tub and a sun shelf.

Turn it, zoom in, switch the dimension lines on.

In your yard

How would this swimming pool look on your home?

See this exact design as a photorealistic video, filmed in your own yard, from one photo.

You pick the film, add one photo, and see the picture before you decide anything.

A sample yard photo

A frame from an example film

A sample yard photo on the left, and on the right a frame from an example AI film of a pool in a backyard.

Chapter 2 of 4

Will it work for you

Your yard, your climate, and what the pool asks of you after the build.

Will this fit your yard?

A planning estimate, built from the model's own dimensions. Your town's setbacks decide the real answer.

Clear area to plan on

63 × 36 ft

About 2,268 sq ft. The pool and tub alone is 44.5 × 18 ft.

Plan on a clear area of about 63 by 36 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 65 by 38 ft.

The 4 ft walkway and 5 ft setback are our planning allowances, not code. Towns set their own distances from the water to the lot line and the house, so ask yours before you commit to a layout.

Will it fit your yard?

Enter the clear area, from the house to the back fence and side to side.

Gulf Coast: what the climate asks of this pool

On the Gulf Coast, a pool has to handle humidity, salt air and storm surge risk as well as the heat.

  • Humid air keeps decks damp, so a textured, light-colored surface that dries quickly is safer underfoot.
  • Low, flat lots can hold standing water after heavy rain. Deck drainage and where the pool overflow goes matter more here than in a dry region.
  • Salt air is hard on metals. Stainless and aluminum parts should be marine rated, and fire features need their gas lines sized and protected for wind.
  • In a flood zone, the pool, the equipment and the fence may all have extra rules. Check the flood map for the lot before you fall for a layout.

Keeping it up

What this pool asks of its owner, by finish, climate, deck and feature.

  • Pebble in this climate

    Warm, wet weather feeds algae. Pebble's texture gives algae something to hold on to, so brush it and keep the sanitizer steady.

  • When it is resurfaced

    Pebble is usually redone every 15 to 20 or more years, depending on the water and the builder (Shasta Pools, plaster versus pebble and Pebble Technology, support). On this pool that is about 970 sq ft of interior.

  • Wood-look deck deck

    Wash the composite boards with soap and water, and keep furniture feet from scratching a dark color.

  • 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.

  • Glass fence

    Glass fence panels show water spots. Wipe them down and rinse the hardware.

  • Algae and storms

    Warm, damp weather grows algae fast, so keep the sanitizer steady and circulation running. Secure loose furniture before a storm.

  • 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).

Chapter 3 of 4

Cost and timeline

A sourced range to plan with, and how long it takes.

What this design costs: a planning range

Built line by line from this design's own measurements and published prices. It is a range to plan with, not a quote.

Planning range, FL

$160,000 to $375,000

Everything on this page, built: the pool, the deck, the coping, the fence and the features. It is a range, not a quote. Every line is at its lowest published price for the low end and its highest for the high end, so a real job lands inside it rather than on an edge.

Prices are scaled for FL by a damped regional factor of 1.02 (the state's cost of living is 103.4 against 100 for the US, and we use half the gap). Land clearing, landscaping beyond what is listed, a pool house's interior and financing are not in it.

Where the range comes from

The pool
$58,000 to $161,000
631 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.
Pebble interior
$6,000 to $6,000
966 sq ft of shell at $6 a square foot above plaster. Pebble is $10 a square foot against $4 for plaster in both sources.
Coping
$2,000 to $4,000
101 linear ft at $20 to $40 a foot.
Deck
$68,000 to $136,000
1,666 sq ft at $40 to $80 a square foot installed. HomeAdvisor's installed figure for composite, labor included. Fixr's $8 to $16 is for the boards alone.
Hot tub
$6,000 to $18,000
A spa added to a new pool.
Fire pit
$500 to $3,000
A fire pit, wood or gas.
Pool fence
$20,000 to $44,000
205 linear ft around the deck as drawn, at $95 to $210 a foot installed.
How we built this range, and the sources

We measure this design in the 3D model (water area, shell area, coping, deck, tub, what stands on the deck), multiply each quantity by a published price range per unit, add the lines and scale them for the state. The prices are from the pages below, collected in October 2026. Where two sources disagree the range spans both, and the line says so.

The method is written out, with every rate, at docs/POOL-IDEAS-COST-MODEL.md in our repository, and one file holds the rates, so a change of price changes every page at once.

  • HomeAdvisor's installed figure for composite, labor included. Fixr's $8 to $16 is for the boards alone.

How to get a number you can trust

Ask two or three local builders to quote the same scope in writing: the pool, the deck, the fence, the electrical, the permits and the landscaping, each on its own line. Then compare the lines, not the totals. Share this page with them: the size, the choices and the 3D model give a builder a starting point. To see how the published prices are built up and where they disagree, read inground pool cost, line by line.

How long it takes to build

From a signed contract to the first swim, before the yard additions.

Contract to first swim

3 to 6 months

Permits take from a few days to several months, depending on the town, before work starts. Weather, inspections and the builder's schedule move every date.

  • The hot tub is built with the pool, so it adds days of plumbing and tile rather than weeks.

What it is made of

The materials list for this design, with its own quantities from the model.

The materials list (8 lines)
InteriorPebble, whiteabout 970 sq ft of shell
Small stones set in cement. It is textured, hides wear and holds color well, and it is rougher on bare feet than the other finishes.
Waterline tileGrey stoneabout 101 linear ft, 10 in. band
A stone-look porcelain: matte, calm and forgiving of fingerprints and water spots.
CopingPorcelainabout 101 linear ft
Large, flat porcelain slabs with a square edge. Very modern, and the joints and the edge profile need a careful installer.
DeckWood-look deckabout 1,670 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.
Pool fenceGlassabout 205 linear ft around the deck as drawn
Frameless glass keeps the view open and needs wiping to stay clear. Its height, gate and hardware have to meet your town's barrier rules.
PlantingModern
Ornamental grasses, gravel strips and square planters. Tidy and low water, with the beds kept away from the skimmer.
Yard additionFire 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 tubSpills into the pool, squareabout 1,100 gal
Built with the pool, with its own jets, heater share and cover. Tile and coping match the pool.

Chapter 4 of 4

Talk to a builder

What to ask before you sign, and how to bring this design to them.

Questions to ask a builder about this design

Specific to what is in this pool. Ask them before you sign.

  1. 01Is the lot in a flood zone, and where does the pool equipment have to sit to meet that rule?
  2. 02What is the glass fence hardware made of, and how will it hold up to salt air along the coping?
  3. 03Do the pool and the tub share a heater, and can the tub run alone in cold weather?
  4. 04How deep is the sun shelf, and can a chair sit on it without tipping?
  5. 05What does the town's barrier code require for the glass height and the gate, and how do you clean it?

Make it yours

Start with this design and add a photo of your own yard. The free visualizer places the pool on it, with your choices ready to change.

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More like this

Region:Gulf CoastSetting:Lake or waterfront lotHouse style:ContemporaryFeature:Pool with a hot tubFeature:Pool with a sun shelfAll pool ideas

This is a design idea for a sample yard, and every picture is an AI concept image, not a built pool. Sizes, gallons and areas are estimates from the same maths as the 3D model, and the price and time ranges are planning figures from published sources, to help you talk to a builder.

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