Who draws the engineering?
Scottsdale lists structural plans and structural calculations in its pool submittal. Ask whether the builder uses a standard engineered plan or a custom one for your lot.
Design
Custom pool design for a Scottsdale yard
The best pool for a lot is usually decided by the lot. Sun angle, views, and the easements on your plat matter as much as the shape you saw online.
This is an independent referral guide. It connects homeowners with independent providers and may receive compensation. It is not a licensed contractor and it does not do the work.
Start with how you will use it
A pool for laps, a pool for kids, and a pool that is mostly a cool place to sit at sunset are three different designs. Write down who swims, how often, and whether you want a spa, a baja shelf, or a deep end. A builder can turn that into a layout. A pretty picture without that list usually turns into a change order later.
In Scottsdale the afternoon sun is the main design force for half the year. Think about where the house and any ramada will throw shade at four in the afternoon in July, because that is when the deck gets too hot to cross barefoot and when the water heats fastest.
Let the plat drive the footprint
The City of Scottsdale asks for a site plan that shows the pool against property lines, easements, and the house. Its standard setback for pools is two feet from the property line unless an easement is involved, and a pool, its deck, and its equipment cannot sit in an easement. Pool equipment also cannot be closer than ten feet to an opening into a living area on a neighboring lot. Those rules shape where the pump and filter pad can go, so ask a designer to draw it early. Source: City of Scottsdale swimming pools page.
Questions to ask a designer
Where does the equipment go?
Noise, the ten foot rule toward a neighbor's opening, and service access all point at one spot. Find it on paper.
What about the barrier?
The city will not approve the pool plan until the fence or wall plan is approved. The barrier is part of the design, not an afterthought.
How do materials get in?
The site plan has to show the access route and a staging area. A tight side yard changes what equipment can reach the backyard.
Keep reading
Permits and engineeringWhat Scottsdale asks for before a pool permit is issued, and why the fence plan is part of it.The build, step by stepDesign, permit, dig, steel, shell, plumbing and electrical, deck, interior finish, and startup.Scottsdale service areaHow lots and rules change across the city.Local guidePermits, barriers, and NAOS in plain words.
Questions on this service
Can I get a price from this page?
No. This guide does not publish prices or ranges as quotes. A builder can only price a design after seeing the yard and the plans.
Do I need a spa?
No. A spa is a choice. If you add one, it needs a barrier or a listed safety cover the city accepts, so ask about that when you design it.
Tell us about the yard
Say which part of Scottsdale you are in, how big the backyard is, and whether you have an HOA or a NAOS easement.