Southern Pool Designs builds new custom pools and complete rip-and-replace rebuilds in Bay Hill, from lakefront homes on Lake Tibet-Butler, Lake Chase and Lake Blanche to fairway lots around Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Bay Hill projects typically land in our Signature tier ($175,000 to $325,000) or Monument tier ($325,000 to $1,000,000+), and removing an older pool adds $8,000 to $20,000 for demolition. See more of our work as a custom pool builder in Orlando.
What Shapes a Pool Project in Bay Hill
Bay Hill grew up around its golf course. Dick Wilson’s first 18 holes opened in 1961 on land that had been part of Dr. P. Phillips’ holdings, Arnold Palmer leased the club in 1970 and later bought it, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational has been played there every March since 1979. Today the club has 27 holes, and the homes around it span more than five decades, so Bay Hill projects vary a lot from street to street. 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.
Orange County permits, and no single HOA
Bay Hill is a census-designated place of about 5,000 residents in unincorporated Orange County, so every pool permit goes through Orange County rather than a city building department. Bay Hill also has no single community-wide homeowners association. Gated enclaves such as Emerson Pointe and Osprey Isle have their own associations, while much of the original North Bay and South Bay area is ungated. Whether your lot needs architectural approval depends on its subdivision documents, which we pull before design. The county side is covered in more depth on our Dr. Phillips pool builder page, which includes Bay Hill.
Three Butler Chain lakes
Bay Hill touches three lakes on the Butler Chain, which the state designated an Outstanding Florida Water in 1985:
- Lake Tibet-Butler, roughly 1,200 acres, is the big water. Bay Point sits on a peninsula into it, and part of gated Emerson Pointe fronts it, with community access to the rest of the chain through Lake Chase. Lots here are about long views, so the height of the pool relative to the lake matters.
- Lake Chase, about 135 acres, is home to the gated Osprey Isle enclave, where lots run around one to one and a half acres.
- Lake Blanche, about 121 acres, is the smallest of the three.
On any of these lots, Orange County measures pool and deck setbacks from the lake’s Normal High Water Elevation, and the distance depends on your zoning. We plot that line on the survey before design.
Draining an old pool on a lake lot
Most Bay Hill rebuilds start with draining an existing pool, and Orange County treats pool water that reaches a lake, storm drain or street as an illicit discharge. The water has to be brought down to 0.01 mg/L total chlorine or less, with pH between 6.5 and 8.0, then released slowly onto the lawn at no more than 25 gallons per minute or hauled away. On a lot that slopes to the water, we plan that before demolition day.
Older homes, older pools
The earliest Bay Hill homes near the club date to the late 1960s and 1970s, with North Bay and South Bay built mostly from the 1980s into the 2000s in Mediterranean and traditional Florida styles. Many of those pools are original. A full rip-and-replace rebuild lets us reset depth, shape, plumbing and deck elevation, and it is the moment to bring pool barriers up to current code. Orange County requires doors and windows with direct access to the pool to have exit alarms (UL 2017, at least 85 dBA at 10 feet) or self-closing, self-latching doors with the latch at least 54 inches high, a real consideration in older homes with walls of sliders.
Design Ideas for Bay Hill Homes
- A lake-facing vanishing edge on Lake Tibet-Butler lots, set so the water line reads against the lake. Orange County requires engineering for a disappearing edge down to and including the collection basin. See our infinity edge pools.
- A raised spa with perimeter overflow beside the lanai, framed toward the fairway or the water. Our champagne spa page shows the detail.
- Clean, rectangular updates for 1970s and 1980s homes, with large-format coping and a sun shelf for loungers.
- Privacy on golf lots through planting, raised walls and lighting aimed away from the course.
- Fire features and layered LED lighting that hold up from a boat at night as well as from the house.
What a Bay Hill Pool Costs
- Foundation: $120,000 to $175,000
- Signature: $175,000 to $325,000, our most-built tier
- Monument: $325,000 to $1,000,000+
Bay Hill lakefront and golf course projects typically land in our Signature and Monument tiers. The main cost drivers here are demolition ($8,000 to $20,000), lakefront elevation and vanishing edge engineering, retaining walls on sloped lake lots, barrier upgrades on older homes, and the outdoor living scope around the water. Our pricing page shows what each tier includes.
How a Bay Hill Project Runs
1. Welcome call. We confirm which Bay Hill section you are in, whether it has an HOA, which lake (if any) you front, and whether an old pool comes out.
2. On-site design consultation. We walk the lot, look at the lake or fairway view from inside the house, mark the high water line and trees, and plan access.
3. The Signature Experience. A paid design phase produces your 3D design (here is why we charge a design fee). We coordinate engineering, handle HOA and county submittals, and build under a dedicated project manager, finishing with a walkthrough. Near the course, we schedule heavy deliveries around Arnold Palmer Invitational week in March.
Bay Hill Pool Questions
Who permits a pool in Bay Hill?
Orange County. Bay Hill is an unincorporated census-designated place, so there is no city building department. The county reviews engineered plans, a site plan, a grading and drainage plan and a pool safety affirmation, then inspects the work through a final inspection. We pull the permit as a Florida Certified Pool Contractor (CPC1461548).
Does every Bay Hill home need HOA approval for a pool?
No. Bay Hill has no single community-wide HOA. Gated enclaves such as Emerson Pointe and Osprey Isle have their own associations, while much of North Bay and South Bay is ungated. We check your subdivision’s recorded documents before design so any required approval runs alongside the county permit.
Can we drain our old pool into the lake?
No. Orange County prohibits pool water from reaching a lake, storm drain or street. It has to be dechlorinated and released slowly onto the lawn or hauled away, and we handle that as part of every rip-and-replace.
Is it worth rebuilding a pool from the 1980s?
We build only new pools and full rip-and-replace rebuilds, not resurfacing or repairs. If you want a new shape, depth, spa or edge detail, or the plumbing and equipment are worn out, a rebuild is the cleaner path. Demolition adds $8,000 to $20,000.
Plan Your Bay Hill Pool
Call our Sanford design studio at (407) 339-5800 or request a design consultation, and we will schedule a visit to your Bay Hill property.