Sunset-ready backyards, engineered to last
Travertine decks, raised-wall spas, pampas-grass uplighting, ramada lounges — designed and built together as one outdoor room.
Photo: AE Outdoor Living custom pool build in Peoria, AZ.
Standard Pool Designs
Nine pool planning concepts for Phoenix-area projects. They are illustrative configurations — not production-ready, permit-ready, engineered, code-approved or guaranteed packages. Final geometry, depths, equipment, utilities, access, accessibility, safety features, engineering, pricing, permits, HOA requirements and schedule come from site conditions, selected manufacturers, approved documents, the AHJ and the signed scope.
Compact luxury for tight lots and casitas.
Resort-style pool with raised spa and signature spillway.
Curved, naturalistic shape with rock waterfall.
Vanishing-edge pool for view lots.
Architectural pool for front courtyards and entry experiences.
Lap-swim friendly rectangle with attached spa.
Wet-edge pool with full 360° perimeter overflow.
Swim-lane concept with integrated spa.
Family-first design with massive shallow play zone.
Each illustrated design is a planning starting point—not a permit, engineering, fabrication, appliance-cutout, code-approval, or construction drawing. Field measurements, selected manufacturer documents and listings, site and utility conditions, required qualified engineering, AHJ/HOA review, approved documents, and the signed scope control the final project. Installed investment ranges are planning ranges, not quotes.
All design librariesChoose your pool planning concept
Pools differ in more than price: how the water actually gets used, how the geometry sits on your lot, what the equipment and approvals ask of the project, and what you live with afterward. Compare all nine one question at a time, then open the planning board for the concept that fits your yard, your measured space and the way your family will really use it.
- Sonoran PlungeCompact plungeUse and experience
Cooling off, sitting in water and using the yard in the evening rather than swimming laps or playing. Because the envelope is small, the ledge and the seating edge carry most of the daily experience.
Installed range · $58,000 – $85,000Open planning board - Scottsdale Spa SpilloverPool with raised spaUse and experience
Two different uses sharing one body of water — swimming and entertaining in the pool, and a smaller heated gathering spot in the spa that gets used far more often in winter.
Installed range · $95,000 – $140,000Open planning board - Desert Freeform LagoonFreeform lagoonUse and experience
Wading, playing and lingering as much as swimming. The beach entry changes who can use the pool and how, and the waterfall becomes the sound and focal point of the whole yard.
Installed range · $110,000 – $165,000Open planning board - Modern Infinity EdgeVanishing edgeUse and experience
As much a view composition as a swimming pool. It is experienced from the house, the deck and the water looking outward, and the effect depends entirely on where you stand.
Installed range · $165,000 – $260,000Open planning board - Courtyard Reflection PoolArchitectural reflectionUse and experience
Primarily seen rather than swum in. It works on arrival, from inside the house and at night, and its value is the stillness and the reflection rather than recreation.
Installed range · $72,000 – $115,000Open planning board - Family Rectangle ClassicRectangle with spaUse and experience
A flexible family concept — lap swimming along the long axis, kids in the shallow end, adults on the ledge and a spa attached for the cooler months.
Installed range · $78,000 – $115,000Open planning board - Resort Perimeter OverflowPerimeter overflowUse and experience
A signature composition first and a swimming pool second. It is experienced walking up to a water plane that sits flush with the deck, and it changes how the entire outdoor room reads.
Installed range · $220,000 – $360,000Open planning board - Swim-Spa HybridSwim lane and spaUse and experience
Exercise first. A swim-current system lets you swim in place in a short lane, and the spa zone at the end is used for recovery and for the months when swimming is not the point.
Installed range · $92,000 – $135,000Open planning board - Kids Shallow Play PoolShallow play poolUse and experience
Built for young and learning swimmers and for adults sitting in shallow water with them. The shallow zone is where the pool actually gets used, and the deeper zone grows with the family.
Installed range · $82,000 – $120,000Open planning board
Installed ranges are planning ranges, not quotes. Concepts, zones, depths and finishes shown here are concept-stage planning tools — not permit, engineering, hydraulic, electrical, gas, accessibility, barrier, code-approval, safety-inspection, or construction documentation. Equipment is sized and selected from the approved design, hydraulic calculations, the selected manufacturer's current instructions, qualified trades, measured site conditions, current AHJ and HOA requirements, approved documents and the signed scope. No pool, ledge, bench, cover, gate, fence or barrier replaces active adult supervision — designate an undistracted adult Water Watcher whenever children are in or near water.
Spools, swim spas & compact water
Smaller lots and side yards still deserve real water. AE designs and builds spools (compact plunge-style pools), built-in spas, raised spas, swim spas, and plunge pools under the same standard as a full custom pool.
What separates an AE pool build
AE coordinates the pool, deck, landscape, and selected water-feature provisions as one composition. Field measurements, site conditions, selected equipment, required qualified engineering, adopted codes, permitting, inspections, approved documents, and the signed scope control the final project.
- Shell, bond-beam, and reinforcement details established by approved project documents
- Variable-speed pumps, cartridge filtration, salt or chlorine sanitation
- Sample Pentair or Jandy automation and LED lighting selections
- Travertine, porcelain, flagstone or broom-finish decking — never bare pool deck
- Milestone payment schedule: 15/25/25/25/10 — no surprise draws
Frequently asked
- How much does a custom pool cost in Arizona?
- AE Outdoor Living pools typically run $75,000–$250,000+ depending on size, shell type, decking, spa, water features and automation. The library shows installed investment planning ranges, not quotes. Payment follows AE's documented milestone schedule.
- How long does a pool build take in Phoenix?
- 8–14 weeks from permit to plaster on a standard build, longer for infinity edge, perimeter overflow or heavy engineering. Weather is rarely the bottleneck here — plan review, gas/electric utility scheduling and specialty tile lead times are.
- Do I need a permit and engineering?
- In most cases, yes. Which codes are adopted, whether VGB provisions apply, what engineering is required, and who is responsible for permitting and inspections all depend on the jurisdiction, the project and the signed contract — confirm them with your municipality or AHJ. AE prepares drawings and coordinates plan review and inspections where that work is assigned to AE in the signed scope; no one can guarantee a compliance determination, an approval or a timeline.
- Baja shelf, spa, water feature — should I add them now or later?
- Early planning can identify future penetrations, plumbing, gas and conduit before finished surfaces are installed. Feasible phasing depends on the approved design, selected systems, utilities and signed scope.
Five milestone draws — 15 / 25 / 25 / 25 / 10
Every AE new-pool build follows the same draw schedule. Payments are tied to visible, completed construction milestones — never a vague "remainder" or a small deposit that front-loads risk to you.
- Draw 115%Signing
- Draw 225%After excavation
- Draw 325%After steel, plumbing, and shotcrete/gunite
- Draw 425%After decking
- Draw 510%Before interior finish or prefab completion
Applies to: New pool construction and major pool builds. Remodels and equipment-only projects follow separate terms stated in your signed agreement.
This pool feature hits different.
Fire-and-water combo on a custom AE build — how the elevation, plumbing, and gas run come together on the drawings.
This backyard has an outdoor theater.
A pool build with a full outdoor theater integrated into the design — screen, seating, sound, and how it all plays with the pool lighting.