Southern Pool Designs designs and builds custom pools for homes in Marsh Landing at Sawgrass, the gated club community in Ponte Vedra Beach where homes look over tidal marsh, lagoons, lakes and golf. Our St. Augustine office handles design, Architectural Review Board approval, St. Johns County permitting and construction. Marsh Landing projects typically land in our Signature tier ($175,000 to $325,000) and Monument tier ($325,000 and up). 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.
The Community
Marsh Landing has more than 1,000 homes in ten neighborhoods, each with its own homeowners association and covenants, including Harbour Island with its marina and lagoon system. The Marsh Landing Country Club course, designed by Ed Seay, runs its front nine through marsh along the Intracoastal Waterway and its back nine through lagoons and tidal marsh, with water in play on every hole. The community is in unincorporated St. Johns County, so the county issues building permits.
The ARB and the Green Book
The Marsh Landing at Sawgrass Master Association reviews all exterior work through its Architectural Review Board (ARB), using standards published as the Green Book. No clearing, digging or construction may start until the ARB issues written approval, and the Green Book advises getting that approval before applying for a building permit. The ARB generally meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month, with submittal deadlines roughly two weeks ahead.
The Green Book’s pool rules are specific, and they shape the design from the first sketch:
- Concrete pools only. Vinyl, fiberglass, metal and above ground pools are prohibited.
- Placement tied to the house. In-ground pools are limited by a 4 foot rule measured from the side walls of the dwelling, so we lay the pool out against the house footprint before anything else.
- A barrier is required. No pool is approved without a compliant fence or screened enclosure with landscape screening.
- Fences. Pool fences run 48 to 54 inches high in black or bronze aluminum or wrought iron, at least 3 feet from property lines and bulkheads. They are not approved along a lake’s edge and must sit at least 10 feet from the top of bank, or 3 feet from the wetland jurisdiction line on marsh lots.
- Screened enclosures. One story unless the architecture calls for two, inside the side walls of the home, out of easements, with bronze or charcoal framing and softening landscape.
- Equipment. Pool equipment must sit above the lot’s base flood elevation, inside a service wall built of materials that match the house and extending 8 inches above the equipment, with landscaping covering at least half the wall height.
- Setbacks. Your neighborhood’s covenants set building setbacks that supersede county requirements, and footings may not encroach into easements or setbacks.
Fees come as two owner checks: a non-refundable processing fee and a refundable Construction Compliance Binder, returned after the final ARB inspection. Construction runs 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, with no work on Sundays or listed holidays.
Marsh, Lagoon and Golf Lots
Marsh lots
Marsh-front lots carry a wetland jurisdiction line, and flood elevation matters for both the equipment pad and the deck. We plot the line, the base flood elevation and the setbacks on the survey first, then shape the pool to face the long view across the marsh. Docks and boatlifts are not allowed on the Intracoastal itself, so the pool terrace often becomes the main waterfront living space.
Lagoon and lake lots
Bulkheads on Harbour Island’s marina and lagoon system fall under Harbour Island’s own documents, and other bulkhead work requires separate ARB review. We keep the pool structure and fence clear of the bulkhead and respect the top-of-bank distance on lake lots.
Golf lots
The Green Book requires landscaping that softens the pool and enclosure as seen from the street, neighboring lots, lakes and the golf course. We design that planting with the pool, not after it.
Replacing an Older Pool
Marsh Landing dates to the mid 1980s, so many homes have original or early pools. A complete rip and replace gives you a new concrete pool, spa, deck and equipment wall that meet today’s Green Book rather than the standards in place when the first pool went in. We do not resurface or repair existing pools.
Design Ideas for Marsh Landing
- Marsh-view vanishing edge: where the grade drops toward the marsh, a vanishing edge sets the waterline against the horizon.
- Screened pool done right: a single-story enclosure in charcoal framing over a knife edge pool, so the structure frames the view instead of blocking it.
- Spa on the axis: a champagne spa with perimeter overflow centered on the main living room and the lagoon beyond.
- Elevated equipment, hidden: a service wall in the home’s stucco or stone, planted to Green Book standards and placed away from the view.
What a Pool in Marsh Landing Costs
- Foundation: $120,000 to $175,000
- Signature: $175,000 to $325,000, our most-built tier
- Monument: $325,000 to $1,000,000+
A pool, spa, fence and full deck on a golf or lake lot often fits Signature. Marsh-front pools with a vanishing edge, enclosure and outdoor living usually reach Monument. Rip and replace adds $8,000 to $20,000 for demolition.
How a Marsh Landing Project Runs
- Welcome call. We confirm your neighborhood, its covenants, and your budget band.
- On-site design consultation. We walk the lot and check the wetland line, base flood elevation, bulkhead and setbacks.
- The Signature Experience. A paid design phase produces your custom 3D design. We coordinate engineering, submit to the ARB on its calendar, obtain the county permit, and build within community hours under a dedicated project manager, ending with a walkthrough and the ARB’s final inspection.
Marsh Landing Pool FAQs
Does Marsh Landing allow fiberglass pools?
No. The ARB Green Book permits concrete pools only and prohibits vinyl, fiberglass, metal and above ground pools. Every pool also needs a compliant fence or screened enclosure with landscape screening before it can be approved.
Can I apply for the county permit before ARB approval?
Marsh Landing is registered with St. Johns County as a notice association, which allows an owner to seek a permit without ARB-stamped plans by filing an affidavit after 30 days. The Green Book still advises getting ARB approval first, and we follow that order to avoid redesigns.
Where does pool equipment go on a marsh lot?
Above the lot’s base flood elevation, inside a service wall that matches the house and extends 8 inches above the equipment, with landscaping covering at least half the wall. We place it out of the main view.
How much does a pool cost in Marsh Landing?
Most projects land in our Signature tier ($175,000 to $325,000) or Monument tier ($325,000 and up). Marsh-front designs with vanishing edges and enclosures tend toward Monument. Replacing an existing pool adds $8,000 to $20,000 for demolition.
Plan Your Marsh Landing Pool
Call our St. Augustine office at (904) 217-0254 or request a design consultation, and we will review your lot against the Green Book before design begins.