What buying a pool looks like, from first call to first swim.
Custom pools in Florida start at $120,000, and buying one should never be a guessing game. We agree on your investment first, design your backyard to it, and hand you a fixed, itemized price before you sign a construction contract. Here is every step, what it costs you and how long it takes.
Why our process looks different
Most builders design first and price later. We agree on the number first, then design to it.
Investment before design
We set your target investment on the first call. Everything we design is built to fit it, so you never fall in love with a backyard you cannot afford.
Buildable before beautiful
Your survey comes first, so we know your property lines, easements and setbacks before anyone designs in the wrong spot.
A fixed, itemized price
Your Design Book includes an itemized construction price that shows where every dollar goes, and it holds for 60 days.
Designed by the people who build it
A beautiful design is only half the job. The other half is knowing what it costs to build.
Our designers work next to the estimators, engineers and project managers who build our pools. Every line in your design is priced from the real cost of the pools we build every year, so it is buildable, engineered for Florida and value engineered before you ever see it.
| Comparison | Design-only studio | SPD Design Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Who prices your design | An estimate from a separate builder | The team that builds it, as a fixed, itemized price held 60 days |
| Value engineering | Depends on outside builder feedback | Built into every revision, priced line by line from our own cost data |
| Engineering and hydraulics | Left for your builder to work out after design | Designed in from day one by our build team |
| If design and build do not match | Two companies to sort it out | One company, one license, one warranty |
| Design fee | Paid on top of construction | Credited toward your build |
The pool buying process at a glance
Phase 1 · Steps 1 to 4
Find the fit
Survey, intro call, Zoom consultation and a site visit. You leave with a written Site Assessment and a recommended design package.
Phase 2 · Steps 5 to 8
Design it
Laser scan, discovery session, 3D design, revisions and your Design Book with a fixed price.
Phase 3 · After you sign
Build it
Engineering, permits and construction, with your dedicated project manager and weekly updates.
Phase 1: your free pool design consultation
Free. No obligation.
01
5 minutes · Required firstSend your survey
The first step to buying a pool with us is your survey. Upload it with a few details about your project. Your survey shows property lines, easements and setbacks, which decide where a pool can go and how large it can be. We review it before we call, so the first conversation is about what you can actually build.
What to send: your house survey (usually in your closing documents or available from your title company), your investment range, your timeline, inspiration photos and your HOA guidelines if you have them. Upload it here.
02
15 minutes · PhoneIntro call and your investment
A quick call to hear what you have in mind and settle the most important number: your target investment. Knowing it now means we design to what is possible, not to a wish list we have to cut later. If we are not the right fit, we will say so and save you the time.
Foundation
$120K to $175KSignature
$175K to $325KMonument
$325K to $1M+You leave with: a confirmed investment range and a Zoom consultation on the calendar. See what drives pool cost in Florida.
03
About 30 minutes · ZoomZoom design consultation
We meet with your survey and an aerial of your property on screen. We walk through what your lot allows, show you real projects we have built at your investment level, look at your inspiration, and explain exactly how design and construction work from here.
You leave with: a site visit on the calendar.
04
About 60 minutes · On siteSite visit and your Site Assessment
We walk your property with you and study what drives design and cost: grade changes, equipment access, drainage, soil and water table, sun, views from inside the house, utilities and the best spot for the equipment pad. Then we put it in writing.
Your Site Assessment includes
- Your buildable area, marked on your survey
- Equipment access and construction path
- Site conditions that affect cost, with typical ranges
- Where your wish list lands: Foundation, Signature or Monument
- Photos of comparable SPD projects
- Your recommended design package and exact fee
You get: your Site Assessment within 2 business days, yours to keep whether or not you design with us.
Phase 2: design it
Through the SPD Design Studio. Design fee credited when you build.
05
Design fee · CreditedStart your design
Sign your design agreement and reserve your designer. We then laser scan your property to build an accurate 3D model of your yard. Sign at your site visit and we scan before we leave. Your design fee is based on your target investment, and it is credited toward construction when you build with us.
Pool Design
Builds of $120K to $250K
$7,500 flat
Paid at signing · Fully credited
Pool, spa, deck, water and fire features. 30+ renders, one fly-through, two revision rounds.
Estate Master Plan
Builds of $250K to $500K
5% of investment
$12,500 to $25,000 · 50% credited
The whole backyard with our landscape architect partner. 100+ renders, day and night fly-throughs, three revision rounds.
Signature Estate
Builds of $500K and up
5% of investment
From $25,000 · 50% credited
The whole property, front and back, with your architect and interior designer. Three revision rounds plus a final VR review.
Estate fees are paid half at signing and half at the first presentation. Example: a $350,000 target investment means a $17,500 design fee with $8,750 credited toward construction. Credit applies when your construction contract is signed within 90 days of final design approval. See full Design Studio details.
06
Sanford studioDiscovery session
An in-person session at our Sanford design studio. We go deep on how you want to live outside: entertaining, relaxing, kids, privacy, lighting and the materials and finishes you are drawn to.
You get: a design brief your designer works from, written in your words.
07
About 2 to 4 weeksFirst design presentation, then refine
See your backyard before it exists: renders, a fly-through and a VR walkthrough, day and night. Pool Design presents in about 2 weeks, Estate designs in about 4. Then we refine together through your included revision rounds. Every change is priced as we go, and if something pushes past your target investment, we show you smarter ways to get the same look for less.
You get: a design you have walked through, adjusted and approved.
08
Price holds 60 daysDesign Book and fixed price
Your Design Book brings it all together: the approved design, every selection and allowance, and an itemized construction price that holds for 60 days. Take your time, compare bids line by line and ask us anything.
You get: one number you can trust, and everything you need to say yes.
What is in your Design Book
Everything you need to say yes with confidence.
- Scaled plan on your laser-scanned lot
- 3D renders, day and night
- Itemized construction price
- Engineering standards for Florida soil
- Jandy equipment package by model
- Finish, tile and allowance details
- Payment schedule tied to milestones
- Written warranty terms
Phase 3: building your pool
The clock starts the day you sign. Days are business days.
Day 0
Sign and meet your PM
Sign your construction contract, your design credit is applied, and you meet your dedicated project manager.
By day 4
Plan review
Your PM, designer and operations lead review the construction plans together so nothing gets lost between design and build.
By day 7
Engineering
Plans go to our structural engineer. Most pools take 1 to 2 weeks; complex features take 4 to 6.
Same day
Permit submitted
The day stamped engineering comes back, we submit your permit and handle the HOA. Permits typically take 2 to 6 weeks.
10 weeks to several months
Construction
Weekly updates from your PM. You pay in milestone draws as work is completed, never far ahead of it.
Handoff
Final walk and Pool School
Startup, equipment training and a lifetime structural warranty on your gunite shell. Weekly service available through Southern Pool Care.
Questions we hear often
Buying a pool: your questions answered
What are the steps to buying a pool?
Buying a pool with us happens in three phases. First, a free pool design consultation: send your survey, a 15-minute intro call, a 30-minute Zoom and a 60-minute site visit with a written Site Assessment. Second, design: a paid, credited design with 3D renders, revisions and a Design Book with a fixed, itemized price held for 60 days. Third, construction: engineering, permits and the build, managed by your dedicated project manager with weekly updates.
What happens at a pool design consultation?
Our free pool design consultation happens in three short steps: a 15-minute intro call to confirm your goals and target investment, a 30-minute Zoom with your survey on screen, and a 60-minute site visit. Within 2 business days you get a written Site Assessment with your buildable area, cost factors and a recommended design package, yours to keep.
How do I choose the right pool builder?
Ask who prices the design, whether the price is fixed or an estimate, who handles engineering, and who answers if the finished pool does not match the plan. With a design-build pool company like ours, one team designs, prices, engineers and builds your pool under one license, with one warranty and an itemized price you can compare line by line.
Why do you need my survey before a call?
Your survey shows property lines, easements and setbacks, which determine where a pool can go and how large it can be. Reviewing it first means our time together is spent on what you can actually build. Most homeowners find it in their closing documents.
Is the site visit free?
Yes. After your intro call and Zoom consultation, we visit your property at no cost and follow up within 2 business days with a written Site Assessment. It is yours to keep, whether or not you design with us.
Why talk investment so early?
Because your investment shapes the design, not the other way around. Your target investment sets your design package and fee, and every design decision is checked against it. That is how we avoid redesigns and surprise numbers at the end.
Is the design fee credited toward my pool?
Yes. The Pool Design fee is fully credited. Estate Master Plan and Signature Estate fees are 50% credited. Credit applies when your construction contract is signed within 90 days of final design approval.
How long is my price good for?
The itemized construction price in your Design Book holds for 60 days.
Why is your price higher than another bid I got?
Compare scope line by line. Lower bids often leave out items that come back later as change orders. Our itemized price shows exactly what is included, so you can compare on equal terms.
How long will my pool project take?
Most of our projects take about 16 to 28 weeks from the first design meeting to first swim. Design takes about 2 to 6 weeks, engineering 1 to 2 weeks for most pools, permits 2 to 6 weeks, and construction runs from about 10 weeks for simpler pools to several months for estate projects. See the full Florida pool timeline.
Who do I talk to during construction?
Your dedicated project manager, from signing to handoff, with weekly updates. And when you call the office, a person answers.
It starts with your survey.
Send it with your investment range and timeline, and we will set up a 15-minute call. No pressure, just a clear next step.