Who Are the Best Pool and Landscape Companies in Phoenix? 9 Builders to Compare in 2026

Quick answer

Disclosure and methodology

AE Outdoor Living publishes this article and competes in the Greater Phoenix pool-and-landscape market.

The companies below are listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking, scorecard, endorsement, or claim that these are the only qualified contractors in the area. No company paid to be included, and AE is not affiliated with the companies listed.

AE was intentionally excluded from the competitor list because ranking ourselves would not be useful.

Companies were selected because their official websites publicly represented that they serve portions of the Greater Phoenix market and provide new pool construction, pool renovation, landscaping, hardscaping, or broader outdoor-living services. Descriptions are based primarily on information published by the companies themselves.

Competitor information was last checked on June 21, 2026. Services, personnel, ownership, pricing, service areas, and availability can change. Verify current information directly with each contractor and check the appropriate Arizona contractor-license records before hiring. AE has not audited, endorsed, certified, or guaranteed any of the companies listed.

What does "best" actually mean?

The biggest company is not automatically the best company for your project. Neither is the oldest company, the least expensive company, or the company with the flashiest photographs.

The right contractor depends on what you are building.

You may need:

• A straightforward pool or pool-and-spa package
• A highly customized pool
• A pool renovation or equipment upgrade
• A landscape-focused project
• A luxury estate-level outdoor environment
• A complete pool-and-landscape design-build project
• A master plan that can be built in phases

A contractor can be highly capable and still be the wrong type of contractor for your project.

Before requesting proposals, decide whether you want a pool with a few surrounding features or a complete outdoor environment that must be designed and built as one system.

What makes the Greater Phoenix market different?

Building a backyard in Arizona is not simply a matter of drawing a pool and digging a hole.

The design may need to account for:

• Intense sun and the location of usable shade
• Summer surface temperatures
• Monsoon drainage and finished elevations
• Equipment access
• Utility locations
• Easements and setbacks
• Pool-barrier requirements
• HOA review
• City permitting and inspections
• Tight side-yard access
• Existing walls and gates
• Soil and caliche
• Material behavior in extreme heat
• Water use and maintenance expectations

Those decisions affect the design, budget, schedule, and long-term usability of the yard. They should be addressed before construction rather than discovered halfway through the project.

Phoenix pool and landscape companies to research

Listed alphabetically. Last verified June 21, 2026.

Side-by-side comparison

Same alphabetical order. This table summarizes publicly emphasized services; verify current scope with each company.

Where does AE Outdoor Living fit?

AE is not included in the list above because ranking ourselves would not be credible.

Here is where we fit instead.

AE Outdoor Living is a Peoria-based outdoor-living contractor serving portions of Greater Phoenix. We design and build pools, landscapes, hardscapes, shade structures, kitchens, lighting, and complete outdoor environments.

Our strongest fit is usually a homeowner who wants the entire property planned together, even when the work will be built in phases.

We can complete an individual pool, patio, turf installation, pergola, or specialty feature. Our design-build model becomes especially valuable when multiple parts of the yard need to work together.

For example:

• Pool elevations affect deck drainage.
• Shade placement affects how comfortable the space is in July.
• Outdoor-kitchen utilities should be planned before finished paving.
• Pergola footings should be coordinated before decks and turf are installed.
• Pool fencing affects traffic flow and views.
• Equipment placement affects sound, access, and future service.
• Landscape irrigation must be coordinated with hardscape and structures.
• Lighting, speakers, misting, gas, and power are easier to install before final finishes.

Planning those systems together can reduce avoidable demolition, rework, change orders, and compromises later.

What can AE include in a backyard design?

Depending on the property, budget, and priorities, an AE project may include:

• Custom pools and spas
• Baja shelves, benches, raised spas, and water features
• Pool decking, paver patios, walkways, and driveways
• Landscape design and installation
• Artificial turf and putting greens
• Pergolas, gazebos, and shade structures
• Outdoor kitchens and BBQ islands
• Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces
• Residential splash pads
• High-pressure misting systems
• Outdoor sound systems
• In-ground trampolines
• Glass pool fencing through Sonoran Glass & Fence
• Permanent architectural trim lighting through AE LEDs
• Drainage, grading, utility coordination, and site restoration when included in the contracted scope

Every proposal should state exactly what is included. Do not assume a feature is included simply because it appears in a rendering.

Who is a good fit for AE Outdoor Living?

AE may be a strong fit when you:

• Want a custom design rather than a basic package.
• Need the pool and landscape designed as one environment.
• Want to review the yard in 3D before construction.
• Prefer one company to coordinate multiple outdoor scopes.
• Want clear information about materials, costs, timeline, allowances, and exclusions.
• Plan to build in phases but want the full yard planned first.
• Care about shade, traffic flow, entertaining, safety, drainage, and maintenance.
• Are willing to compare long-term value rather than choosing only the lowest initial price.

AE may not be the right fit when:

• Your only goal is the least expensive bare-bones pool.
• You want to act as your own general contractor and manage every trade.
• You need only a minor equipment repair.
• You need weekly pool cleaning rather than design and construction.
• You want a contractor to start before the design, scope, selections, and approvals are ready.

There are companies structured specifically for those needs, and hiring one of them may make more sense.

How AE builds a pool and landscape

Every property is different, but a typical project follows this sequence.

How much does a custom pool and landscape cost in Phoenix?

There is no responsible way to quote a complete custom backyard without understanding the design and property.

As a planning range, many custom pool projects may fall around $60,000 to $120,000 or more, while a simpler project can be lower and a complex pool, spa, hardscape, and landscape environment can be substantially higher.

Major cost variables include:

• Pool size, perimeter, depth, and geometry
• Spa, Baja shelf, raised walls, and water features
• Interior finish, tile, coping, and decking
• Equipment, heating, automation, sanitation, and lighting
• Access and excavation conditions
• Caliche, rock, unsuitable soil, or engineering
• Electrical service and gas requirements
• Drainage, grading, retaining, and utility relocation
• Permits, barriers, HOA requirements, and inspections
• Pavers, landscape, irrigation, turf, shade, kitchens, and specialty features
• Demolition and site restoration
• Design changes after construction begins

The surrounding hardscape, landscape, fencing, furniture, and specialty features can add a meaningful amount to the pool investment. Full outdoor environments can exceed the pool price itself.

These figures are planning guidance, not a quote. Pricing guidance last reviewed June 21, 2026.

How long does pool construction take?

• A relatively straightforward pool may require roughly six to eight weeks of active construction after work begins.
• A more complex pool, spa, landscape, and outdoor-living project may require eight to sixteen weeks or longer after permits, depending on scope, inspections, weather, materials, access, and changes.

Design, engineering, city review, HOA review, selections, and preconstruction occur before active construction and may add a month or considerably more.

Do not promise an exact completion date months in advance. Inspections, monsoon weather, extreme heat, site conditions, utility conflicts, owner changes, and product availability can affect the schedule.

How should you compare pool and landscape proposals?

A $65,000 proposal and a $110,000 proposal may not describe the same project.

One might include upgraded equipment, decking, drainage, electrical work, permits, landscaping, barriers, and site restoration. The other might exclude those items or treat them as allowances and later change orders.

Before choosing a contractor, ask every company to provide written information for the following:

1. Pool dimensions: perimeter, surface area, depths, steps, benches, Baja shelf, spa.
2. Structure: engineering, steel, plumbing, shotcrete, inspections.
3. Equipment: brand, model, quantity, pump, filter, sanitation, automation, heater, lights, warranty.
4. Finishes: interior finish, tile, coping, stone, and allowance amounts.
5. Decking and hardscape: product, square footage, excavation, base, drainage, edge restraint, sealing.
6. Utilities: electrical, gas, water, sewer, equipment pad, trenching, relocations.
7. Landscape: plants, turf, irrigation, grading, drainage, lighting, restoration.
8. Permits and engineering: responsibility, included fees, owner obligations.
9. Barriers: fencing, gates, alarms, glass, municipality requirements.
10. Allowances and exclusions: anything that can become an added cost.
11. Payment schedule: amount due at each milestone.
12. Warranty: structure, equipment, finish, hardscape, landscape, workmanship.
13. Communication: assigned contact, update frequency, escalation process.
14. Schedule: estimated sequence, dependencies, owner decisions needed.
15. Startup and closeout: cleanup, water startup, orientation, punch list, manuals, warranty documents.

Never compare only the total price. Normalize the scope first.

Printable pool-builder comparison worksheet

Use the worksheet below to compare up to three proposals side by side. Nothing is saved, nothing is sent. Print when you're ready or take it to your next consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Which company should you choose?

There is no single company that is right for every homeowner.

Get two or three serious proposals from licensed contractors that regularly build your type of project. Compare their designs, specifications, exclusions, communication, warranty, schedule, and construction process — not only their total prices.

A lower number is not a better deal when it leaves out work you will need later.

The right company is the one that:

• Understands how you want to use the space
• Provides a design appropriate for the property
• Clearly explains what is and is not included
• Uses construction methods appropriate for Arizona
• Communicates honestly about cost and scheduling
• Has the license and experience required for the contracted scope
• Gives you confidence that it can manage the project responsibly

At AE Outdoor Living, the goal is not to pressure every homeowner into signing a contract. The goal is to help you understand what you are buying and determine whether our integrated outdoor-living approach is right for your family.

Use the questions in this guide even if you choose another company. They can help you avoid incomplete bids, mismatched expectations, and expensive omissions.