Lake Nona Golf & Country Club Pool Builder

Building Inside Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club is a private, gated golf community in southeast Orlando, built around an 18-hole course designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1986. Tavistock Development Company is the master developer, and the community continues to add homesites: in 2024 Tavistock released lots in a new section called Cromwell, along the south shore of Lake Nona, with lots ranging from about a quarter acre to a half acre and custom builders starting homes on them. Every project starts in our custom pool design studio, where you see the full design in 3D and know the cost before we break ground.

That mix shapes pool design here. Some homes sit on mature fairway lots; others are new custom homes on smaller lakefront parcels, where the pool should be planned with the house rather than added later.

The Lakes: Lake Nona and Buck Lake

Lake Nona covers about 587 acres and lies within the City of Orlando, in the Lake Hart watershed. The city monitors its water quality. Buck Lake borders part of the golf course, and some homesites look across it toward the fairways. On either lake, the pool layout has to respect the city’s lakefront setbacks, and the design has to account for what you see from the water as well as from the house.

City of Orlando Permitting for Club Homes

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club is inside Orlando city limits, so pool permits go through the City of Orlando, not Orange County. The city’s residential pool requirements are specific, and several of them matter more on lakefront and golf course lots than they do elsewhere.

• Multiple permits. A typical residential pool and spa needs at least three permits: building, electrical, and engineering, plus plumbing or gas when a heater or gas features are included.
• Signed and sealed documents. The city requires a topographic survey from a Florida licensed surveyor, and any regrading needs a grading and drainage plan signed and sealed by a Florida registered engineer or architect.
• Lakefront setbacks. The pool and its deck must stay at least 15 feet from the normal high water line. A screen enclosure 12 feet tall or less follows the same 15 feet; a taller screen enclosure or a solid-roof enclosure must be 50 feet back.
• Equipment location. Pool equipment must sit at least 20 feet from a lake or wetland and be screened from the street, common areas, lakes, and neighboring property.
• Floodplain. If any part of the lot is in the 100-year floodplain, mechanical and electrical equipment must be elevated at least one foot above the base flood elevation.
• Sector standards. Lake Nona is part of the city’s Southeast Orlando Sector, which carries additional standards beyond the citywide checklist.

We prepare the submittal and handle city comments for you.

Community Design Approval

The City of Orlando asks applicants to reflect any HOA requirements on the site plan. If your home falls under community design review, which your governing documents will spell out, we prepare renderings, site plans, finish selections, and equipment screening details for that submittal and run it in parallel with the city permit so neither one stalls the other.

Design Ideas for Club Homes

Lakefront Lots on Lake Nona and Buck Lake

The screen enclosure question comes first. Because a taller-than-12-foot or solid-roof enclosure must sit 50 feet from the normal high water line, an enclosed pool may have to move back toward the house, while an unscreened pool can come as close as 15 feet. Leaving the pool open keeps the view clean. A vanishing edge aimed at the lake works well where the lot falls toward the water, and lighting design matters, because the pool is seen from the lake after dark.

Fairway Lots

On golf course lots, we orient the pool and seating to frame the fairway while keeping privacy from passing carts. Landscape screening, raised planters, and the position of a spa can block sightlines into the most-used seating area without walling off the view. Afternoon sun across the course affects where a champagne spa or sun shelf is most comfortable.

Smaller New Construction Lots

On quarter-acre to half-acre homesites, every foot of setback counts. Compact, architectural designs fit well: a knife edge or perimeter overflow pool that reads as part of the house, a spa built into the pool’s geometry, a sun shelf placed off the main living room, and LED lighting and fire features that let a smaller footprint feel finished. For contemporary homes, see our modern luxury pools.

Technology That Stays Out of Sight

We design pools with smart automation for temperature, lighting scenes, and features, and we place the equipment where it meets the city’s 20-foot lake rule, stays screened, and stays quiet near outdoor living areas.

Working With Your Custom Home Builder

For new homes in the club, the best time to bring us in is during house design, not after the slab is poured. Early coordination lets us set finished floor and deck elevations together, run conduit and plumbing sleeves before hardscape, reserve the right spot for equipment, and keep the pool’s structure clear of the home’s foundations. We work directly with custom home builders and architects on new construction. Read how our builder program works.

Selected Projects From Our Portfolio

What a Pool in the Club Costs

Pools in Lake Nona Golf & Country Club typically land in our Signature tier ($175,000 to $325,000), which is our most-built tier, or our Monument tier ($325,000 to $1,000,000+). Where a project falls depends on edge details, the slope of the lot toward the water, the amount of structure and hardscape, and how much technology and lighting you want built in.

Replacing an existing pool on an older club lot? A full rip and replace adds $8,000 to $20,000 for demolition. Every project begins with a paid design phase that produces your custom 3D design and the detail needed for a firm build price.

Our Process From the Lake Nona Office

• Welcome call. We learn your goals, whether the home is existing or under construction, who your builder or architect is, and which lake or fairway the lot faces.
• On-site design consultation. Our team, based minutes away on Tavistock Lakes Boulevard, walks the lot, checks the normal high water line and grade, and looks at where equipment and access will work.
• The Signature Experience. Custom 3D design, engineering coordination, City of Orlando permits and any community submittal, construction led by a dedicated project manager with real-time tracking and proactive updates, and a final walkthrough.

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club Pool FAQs

Does the City of Orlando or Orange County permit pools in the club?

The City of Orlando. Lake Nona Golf & Country Club is within Orlando city limits, so the pool permit, the related electrical and engineering permits, and the inspections all go through the city. Lake Nona also falls within the city’s Southeast Orlando Sector, which carries additional standards. We prepare the submittal, answer reviewer comments, and schedule inspections as part of our process.

How close to Lake Nona or Buck Lake can I build a pool?

Under the City of Orlando’s residential pool rules, the pool and deck must be at least 15 feet from the normal high water line. A screen enclosure taller than 12 feet or with a solid roof must be 50 feet back, and pool equipment must be at least 20 feet from the lake. We confirm the line from a signed and sealed survey before design.

Should my lakefront pool be screened?

It is a tradeoff. A tall or solid-roof enclosure must sit 50 feet from the normal high water line, which can push the pool toward the house and shrink the deck. An open pool can sit closer and keeps the lake view clear. We model both options in 3D during design so you can see the difference in layout and view before deciding.

When should I bring a pool builder into my new home build?

During house design. Coordinating early lets us align deck and floor elevations, plan plumbing and electrical routes before hardscape goes in, locate equipment where it meets the city’s lake setback, and keep the pool’s structure clear of the home’s foundations. Bringing us in after the house is framed limits options and often costs more.

Do you replace older pools in the club?

Yes, through full rip and replace rebuilds. We remove the existing pool completely and build a new one engineered from scratch, which is the time to rethink layout, edges, and spa placement. We do not resurface or repair pools. Demolition adds $8,000 to $20,000, and the new pool follows the same city permitting as a new build.