Gladden Farms is a master-planned community in Marana, just north of Tangerine Road near I-10. The first homes went up in 2004, and the community has grown to more than 3,000 homes, with newer neighborhoods added over the years. For a lot of families here, the backyard is a blank slate: a block wall, a covered patio and a yard waiting for a pool.
We’re Meraki Pools AZ, a family-owned, licensed pool builder. We build custom concrete pools and spas in Marana with our own crew and our own excavation equipment, and the owners are on site through the build.
If you are still in the research stage, our Gladden Farms pool builder guide covers what to look for in a builder, and our Marana and Gladden Farms pool ideas post goes deep on design ideas. This page is for when you are ready to hire someone to build it.
Why Gladden Farms homeowners hire Meraki
- Concrete only. We build shotcrete pools and spas, never fiberglass. That lets us fit the pool to your exact yard, patio cover and block walls.
- See it first. Every project gets a 3D design and a VR walkthrough. You can stand on your future deck, check the view from the kitchen window and compare sizes before anything is dug.
- A quote you can read. You get a written, line-item quote, so you can see what a spa, tanning ledge or water feature adds.
- Our own crew and equipment. Excavation, steel, masonry, tile and decks are done by our people. We own our excavation equipment, so we are not waiting on someone else’s schedule to dig.
- Written warranty schedule. Every contract includes one.
Building a pool on a newer Marana lot
Yards in Gladden Farms vary from street to street, so we never assume a lot size. We measure yours. That said, newer subdivision yards in Marana tend to share a few things we plan for on every job.
Setbacks and the patio cover. The pool has to sit a set distance from the house, walls and property lines, and the patio cover takes up part of the yard. On a compact lot, those limits often decide the pool’s shape and size before style does.
Equipment placement. Your pump, filter and heater need a spot that meets setbacks and is not right under a bedroom window. If you want the equipment hidden, we can build a pony wall to screen it.
Side-yard access. On many newer lots, the only way into the backyard is a narrow side yard. Because we own our excavation equipment, we choose the machine for your access and plan the haul-off route before we start. If a short section of block wall needs to open for access, you will know before you sign, and we rebuild it afterward.
Caliche. Hard caliche shows up in yards all over Southern Arizona, and you often do not know how much is there until the dig starts. We plan for it in the schedule and the quote. Our post on building a pool in caliche explains how we handle it.
Drainage. Flat yards still need a plan for where monsoon water goes. We grade the deck and plan drainage so runoff moves away from the pool and the house.
HOA architectural review in Gladden Farms
Master-planned communities like Gladden Farms typically require architectural review before you build a pool, and requirements can vary. We cannot speak for your HOA’s rules, so the first step is to read your HOA’s architectural guidelines and find out what they want to see.
What we can do is make the submittal easier. We give you the 3D design, a site plan showing the pool location and distances, and the materials and colors you have chosen. Committees often ask about equipment location, raised wall heights, lighting and how construction will reach the yard, so we plan for those questions up front. Our HOA pool approval guide walks through the process in more detail.
Town of Marana pool permits
Gladden Farms is in the Town of Marana, so your pool permit is issued by the Town. We prepare the plans, submit them, respond to any corrections and schedule every inspection during the build. You do not have to chase paperwork. For the general process, see our Tucson-area pool permits guide.
Pool barriers and safety
Every pool needs a compliant barrier. In most Gladden Farms backyards, the existing block walls form part of it, and the house side of the yard needs a plan too: gates, doors and any openings to the pool area. We build every pool barrier to at least 5 feet and plan it into the design from the start, not at the end. Our Arizona pool barrier and fence rules guide explains what is generally required, and our block walls and pool fences page covers the walls we build.
Design ideas that suit Gladden Farms backyards
These are ideas that tend to work well in newer, mostly flat Marana yards. Your design will depend on your lot and how you want to use it.
- A geometric pool that lines up with the house. A rectangular or geometric pool set square to the patio cover and the back wall makes a compact yard feel organized.
- A tanning ledge near the patio. Put the ledge where it catches afternoon shade from the cover, or add an umbrella sleeve. See our guide to tanning ledges and pool steps.
- A raised back wall with a water feature. A raised wall with a sheer descent or scuppers adds sound and height, and can help screen a neighbor’s two-story windows.
- A raised spa. A spillover spa at one end of the pool gives you a warm place to sit on cool nights. See our spas page.
- Fire near the water. A fire bowl or linear fire trough beside the pool extends evenings outside.
- A small pool or spool. If you want to keep room for turf or a play area, a plunge pool or spool can give you water without taking the whole yard. See our plunge and cocktail pools page.
- Low-upkeep surroundings. Turf, desert plants and drip irrigation around a travertine or paver deck keep weekend chores down.
Interiors are StoneScapes Mini Pebble, and equipment is Pentair, with automation available so you can run the pool from your phone.
The best way to choose between these ideas is to see them in your own yard. In the 3D design, we can show you two or three layouts side by side, then you walk through your favorite in VR before anything is built.
Gladden Farms pools we built, start to finish
You don’t have to imagine how a pool comes together on a Gladden Farms lot. We photographed two of our Gladden Farms builds at every stage, from the layout paint through excavation, steel, the shotcrete shell, tile and masonry, the deck and the first fill:
- Pool and raised spa with a paver deck and turf
- Rectangular pool with a stacked stone raised wall and travertine deck
More nearby builds are on our projects page, including a rectangular pool with raised spa elsewhere in Marana.
How we build your Gladden Farms pool
- Site visit. We come to your home, measure the yard, check setbacks, access and equipment space, and talk about how you want to use the backyard.
- 3D design and VR walkthrough. You see the pool in your yard and adjust size, features and finishes until it feels right.
- Written, line-item quote. Every feature is its own line.
- HOA package and permit. We prepare your HOA drawings, then pull the permit through the Town of Marana once you have approval.
- Build. Our crew handles excavation, steel, plumbing, shotcrete, tile, coping, decking and the barrier.
- Finish and startup. Interior finish, fill and a walkthrough of your equipment.
Financing is available through Lyon Financial and Credit Union West. For budgeting, see our pool cost guide. For the rest of town, visit our Marana pool builder page.
Ready to start your Gladden Farms pool?
Call (520) 342-8335 or reach out here. We’ll walk your yard, look at access and the HOA requirements, and come back with a 3D design and a line-item quote. Meraki Pools AZ is licensed under AZ ROC #352797 (KA-5 Dual Swimming Pool Contractor) and #342505 (CR-21).
Sources
- Town of Marana: Celebrating Gladden Farms’ 20th Anniversary: master-planned community in Marana; first homes built in 2004; more than 3,000 homes.
- Business Wire: Gladden Farms community announcement: located north of Tangerine Road near Interstate 10.
