Not every backyard has room for a big pool, and not every family wants one. If you want a place to cool off, soak and gather while keeping room for a patio, turf or a play area, a plunge pool, cocktail pool or spool may be the right build. We are Meraki Pools AZ, a family-owned Tucson pool builder, and we design and build small custom pools in concrete with our own crew.
This page is about hiring us to build your small pool. If you are still learning the difference between a plunge pool, a spool and a compact pool, start with our full guide to small pools, plunge pools and spools in Tucson, then come back here when you are ready to plan yours.
What small pools do we build?
Every pool we build is custom, so these are starting points rather than fixed models. Most of our small pool projects fall into one of four styles.
| Small pool style | What we build | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Plunge pool | A compact concrete pool, mostly at standing depth, with built-in benches and steps | Cooling off, soaking and floating on a tight lot |
| Cocktail pool | A small, shallow lounging pool, often with a bench or ledge for sitting in the water | Entertaining and relaxing more than swimming |
| Spool (pool-spa combo) | A small pool with a heater and spa jets so it runs warm or cool | Year-round use in one compact body of water |
| Small geometric pool | A scaled-down rectangular or geometric pool that lines up with the patio and back wall | Families who still want room to splash on a compact lot |
If you want a full pool with a separate raised spa, see our custom spas and pool-spa combos page. If your yard has room for a larger build, our custom pool construction page covers the full process.
Small pools for compact new-subdivision lots
A lot of the small pools we design are for newer subdivisions around Tucson, in places like Marana, Vail, Sahuarita and Rita Ranch. Many of these yards are compact and mostly flat, with a block wall around the edge and a covered patio taking up part of the space.
Once you account for setbacks from the house and walls, room for the pool equipment, a walkway and somewhere to put a grill, the space left for water can be small. That is where careful design matters more than size. We measure the yard on our first visit, mark where the setbacks and utilities fall, and design to what actually fits rather than squeezing a big pool into a small yard.
The goal is a pool that feels like it belongs in the yard: lined up with the patio cover, sized so you still have a place to sit in the shade, and placed so the equipment is not under a bedroom window.
Features we build into small pools
A small pool has less room, so every feature has to earn its place. These are the ones we build most often.
Benches and seating
In a plunge pool or cocktail pool, built-in seating is the main event. We form benches along one or two walls in the shotcrete shell, so they are part of the structure. We plan bench depth and height around the people who will use them.
Tanning ledges and steps
A small tanning ledge gives kids a place to play and adults a place to lounge in a few inches of water. Wide entry steps can double as seating. Our tanning ledge and pool steps guide explains the options.
Spa jets and heating
Adding jets and a heater turns a small pool into a spool you can use like a hot tub on cool fall and winter nights. Less water means it heats faster than a large pool. We size the heater with your Pentair equipment during design. Our pool heating guide compares heat pumps, gas and solar.
A water feature
One well-placed water feature adds sound and movement without crowding a small yard. A raised wall with a sheer descent or scuppers is a common choice, and the raised wall can also help screen a neighbor’s view. A fire bowl next to the water is another option. See our pool water features guide for ideas.
Finish, tile and lighting
We use StoneScapes Mini Pebble interior finishes and match the waterline tile and coping to your deck. LED lighting and Pentair automation let you run the lights, pump and heat from your phone. In a small pool, a darker finish and good lighting can make the water look deeper and more inviting at night.
How we handle tight side-yard access
On many compact lots, the only way into the backyard is a narrow side yard between the house and the property wall. That can make or break a small pool project, so we plan for it from the first visit.
- We own our excavation equipment. We are not waiting on a subcontractor’s schedule or their idea of what fits through your gate. We pick the machine for your access.
- We plan the dig and the haul-off. A small pool still produces a lot of dirt, and it all has to come back out through that same side yard. We plan the route before we start.
- We tell you if a wall has to open. Sometimes the best answer is to take down a short section of block wall for access and rebuild it afterward. If that is needed, you will know before you sign, and we build block walls and pool fences ourselves.
- We protect what is there. Patios, landscaping and the side of the house all get planned around.
Tight access and hard caliche are two of the most common reasons a small pool takes extra time to dig. Our post on building a pool in caliche explains how we deal with hard ground.
Pool barriers still apply to small pools
A small pool is still a pool. Barrier rules apply to plunge pools, cocktail pools and spools just as they do to large pools, and your city, town or HOA may add requirements of its own.
We build every pool barrier to at least 5 feet. On compact lots, the barrier often works together with the existing block walls, so we plan gates, walls and the house side of the yard as part of the design instead of treating them as an afterthought. Our Arizona pool barrier and fence rules guide explains what is generally required.
HOA approval and permits
Many newer subdivisions have an HOA with architectural review. Read your HOA’s architectural guidelines early, and plan on getting approval before the permit is issued. We give you the 3D design and site plan for your HOA package. Our HOA pool approval guide covers what committees usually ask to see.
Every in-ground pool and spa needs a permit, and which office issues it depends on where your home sits. We prepare the plans, submit them, answer any corrections and schedule every inspection. The Tucson pool permits guide walks through the process.
What is included when we build your small pool
When you hire us to build a plunge pool, cocktail pool or spool, the scope covers the full build:
- Site visit. We measure the yard, check setbacks, utilities, equipment space and side-yard access, and talk through how you want to use the water.
- 3D design and VR walkthrough. You see your small pool in your actual yard and can stand on the deck in VR. It is much easier to choose between two sizes or bench layouts when you can see both. Learn more about our 3D and VR design process.
- Written, line-item quote. The pool, heater, jets, water feature and deck each show as their own line.
- HOA package and permits. We prepare the drawings and handle permits and inspections.
- Excavation, steel and plumbing. Dug with our own equipment, then steel and plumbing set to the engineered plans.
- Shotcrete shell. Benches, ledges, steps and any raised wall are formed in the concrete.
- Tile, coping, deck and barrier. Our in-house crew handles masonry, tile and decking, and builds the barrier to at least 5 feet.
- Equipment, finish and startup. Pentair equipment, StoneScapes Mini Pebble finish, fill and a walkthrough of how to run your pool.
You will have one team from the first measurement to the first swim. A written warranty schedule is part of every contract.
How much does a small pool cost?
We do not give a price for small pools, because size is only one of many factors. Most new custom pools we build run about $40,000 to $120,000 or more. Smaller pools tend toward the lower part of that range, but a small pool does not cost a small fraction of a large one. Permits, equipment, the barrier and getting machinery into the yard cost about the same no matter how big the pool is.
What moves the price on a small pool:
- Side-yard access and how much dirt has to be hauled out
- Caliche or rock in the dig
- A heater and spa jets for a spool
- Raised walls, water features and fire bowls
- Tile, coping and how much deck you want
- Gas and electrical runs to the equipment
Our pool cost guide explains how these add up. Financing is available through Lyon Financial and Credit Union West on our financing page. The fastest way to a real number is a free design and line-item quote for your yard.
What we do not build
To save you time: we only build concrete pools. We do not install fiberglass plunge pools, prefab or stock-tank pools, or above-ground pools. We also do not offer pool cleaning, maintenance or repair. We do build custom pergolas, ramadas and shade structures, and we can install a shade you buy elsewhere on concrete footings set in the ground, so a small pool can get afternoon shade.
Why hire Meraki for your small pool
- Family-owned and hands-on. The owners are on the job, not just at the sales table.
- Concrete only. Shotcrete lets us shape a small pool to your exact yard.
- Our own equipment and crew. Excavation, steel, masonry, tile and decks are handled by our people.
- 3D and VR on every project. You see your pool before you pay to build it.
- Clear quotes and a written warranty schedule. Line by line, in writing.
We can also add turf, landscaping and irrigation or a paver or travertine deck, and we can build a pony wall to screen your pool equipment if you ask.
Where we build small pools
We build plunge pools, cocktail pools and spools across Tucson and the Catalina Foothills, plus Marana (including Gladden Farms, Dove Mountain and Continental Ranch), Oro Valley, Vail, Rita Ranch, Sahuarita, Green Valley, SaddleBrooke and Rio Rico.
Plan your plunge pool or cocktail pool
If you have a small yard and want water you will actually use, we would like to see it. We will measure, design your pool in 3D and give you a line-item quote. Contact us or call (520) 342-8335 to book your free consultation. Meraki Pools AZ is licensed under AZ ROC #352797 (KA-5 Dual Swimming Pool Contractor) and #342505 (CR-21).
