Custom Residential, Landscape Architecture

Choosing the Right Pool for Your Home

Pools are becoming a more and more popular addition to single-family homes, even in the notoriously chilling Pacific Northwest. They’re a great way to enliven your outdoor spaces, but the decisions made when choosing the right pool for your home can be overwhelming. Here is our guide to helping homeowners through the process.

Zack Thomas

July 24, 2025

Adding a pool to your home is more than just a luxury — it's a lifestyle upgrade. A well-designed pool can enhance your outdoor living space, provide a private place to relax or exercise, increase your home's value, and become a hub for family and friends. But deciding what type of pool to build involves many factors. Your budget, property layout, aesthetic goals, maintenance capacity, and how you plan to use the pool will all impact your approach.

How would you like to use your pool? And what is your budget?

Before diving too deep into options, the most important consideration is what you would like to get out of your new pool.
Are you building a pool for relaxation? Exercise? Entertaining and family fun? No pool will do all these things well. It’s best to target the items that will bring you enjoyment.

If you’re looking to swim laps, a long, narrow lap pool or a jetted pool may make sense. If relaxation is the goal, consider adding a spa section or shallow lounging area. For kids, a gradual slope and safety features like fencing are essential.

And, of course, there are other associated amenities that are essential in completing the experience. Have you considered shading, gathering areas, lightings, or perhaps a fire pit?
Most importantly, all the above hinges on your budget. At Board & Vellum, we keep you budget at the forefront of
our conversations throughout the design process. No one wants to get deep into a design for a pool that’s unaffordable. Let’s not go there!

In-ground or above-ground or prefabricated?

Once you have an idea on how you want to use the pool, the next decision is whether to go with an in-ground, above-ground or prefabricated pool.

In-Ground Pools

In-ground pools are more permanent and are generally more aesthetically pleasing. However, they require a building permit to install. They can be made of concrete, fiberglass, metal, or vinyl liner. Depending on the size and type, in-ground pools are generally more expensive. The tradeoff is that these pools also tend to add more value to a home and offer greater customization options in terms of shape, depth, and features like lighting or waterfalls.

In-ground pools are more permanent and are generally more aesthetically pleasing. However, they require a building permit to install. They can be made of concrete, fiberglass, metal, or vinyl liner. Depending on the size and type, in-ground pools are generally more expensive. The tradeoff is that these pools also tend to add more value to a home and offer greater customization options in terms of shape, depth, and features like lighting or waterfalls.

Above-Ground Pools

Above-ground pools, on the other hand, are generally more affordable and quicker to install. These can be ideal for homeowners with limited space and, depending on the size, can usually be installed without a building permit.

While they may not have the same visual appeal or resale value impact of in-ground pools, they are easier to remove or replace. Because these pools sit on the ground, they can be considered “temporary” (like a piece of furniture) and may fall into a grey area that is often not regulated by local permitting authorities. For clients who are interested in a pool of this sort, one of our first steps is to confirm the permitting requirements (or lack thereof) in their jurisdiction.

Prefabricated Pools

Prefabricated pools are an evolving area with several options becoming available in the past decade. Many are designed so they can be either in-ground or above-ground and often come as a complete package (including the mechanical equipment). Some are compact enough that they can be moved into a backyard with limited access (a not uncommon issue in urban areas of the Pacific Northwest).

What pool material option is right for your project?

Once you have a general pool type in mind, your next decision is material.

Concrete

Concrete pools offer maximum flexibility in design and durability. They can be made in any shape or size with the caveat that a complex shape will cost more than a simple rectangle. These pools also require the most maintenance and have a longer installation timeline both for permitting and construction (often 6 months or more). The plaster surface on the inside of the pool is rougher than other pool materials which is a concern for some clients. The plaster will also need to be replaced every 10–15 years.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass pools come pre-molded from the manufacturer and are quicker to install—sometimes in just a few days or weeks. The permitting process is also simpler (no concrete to be structurally reinforced). These pools are lower maintenance and have a smooth surface that resists algae and can be easier on the feet.

While firberglass are generally less expensive, the size/shape/type of pool is also limited to what the manufacturer has available in their catalog. We’ve had the challenge of a client finding a pool they love online only to learn that pool is not available locally.

Vinyl

Vinyl liner pools are the most affordable in-ground option but also the least durable - the liner needs to be replaced on a frequent basis and they’re vulnerable to punctures and tears. We don’t recommend this type of pool to our clients.

Metal

Metal or other prefab pool options are also available. Some popular options include Mod Pools (made from a recycled shipping containers), Bradford Spas (stainless steel with off-the-shelf and custom options), and Soake Pools (precast concrete shells that drop in similar to fiberglass pools).

What are your site’s conditions and access?

Your yard’s size, slope, type of soils, and access to the location where you would like to put the pool will all affect what kind of pool you can build. If your site is steeply sloped, if space is limited, or the access to your backyard is very constrained, a smaller pool or prefabricated model could be the best option. Our process also considers sun exposure, nearby trees (especially needle-bearing species), and privacy when we are configuring the overall pool experience.

Other considerations to keep in mind.

Once you have an idea of what kind of pool you want and what will work best for your site and budget, there are other considerations to take into account.

Saltwater vs. Chlorine

Chlorine or salt systems are the two main options for maintaining the health and safety of the pool’s water. Chlorine is generally what we think of when we imagine an outdoor pool. Saltwater pools are gentler on the skin and require less chemical maintenance, but the salt is harsh on the mechanical systems which must be upgraded to handle the saline water. Additionally, the plaster takes more of a beating so it’s life span may be somewhat reduced. But the saltwater is very nice.

Heating

Should you heat your pool? Yes, in the Pacific Northwest. In the absence of direct sunlight, the water in an in-ground pool will trend towards the temperature of the ground (50 degrees Fahrenheit in the Pacific Northwest). An above ground pool will trend towards the average air temperature.

In both cases these temperatures may limit your use of the pool to only the warmest times of the year (or maybe you would like a cold plunge?). New pool heating technology includes the same high efficiency heat pump technology used on homes so there are options that are more efficient.

Automatic Cleaner

Yes, on this one as well. The options and technology for automatic pool cleaning has really improved in recent years. There is likely a system that will work for you needs. Automatic cleaners tend to increase pool use both for the lightened load of work and because the pool and water are generally cleaner at any given time someone might want to use the pool.

Pool Barriers

Building codes require that a barrier be provided between “publicly accessible areas” and the pool. That is to say, between any area where you, your family, your friends, your neighbors have general access, such as the rest of the yard.

This is to reduce the risk of very small children (generally under 3 years of age) accidentally getting into the pool and drowning. There are two general approaches to this in the Seattle area. The first is to install a minimum 4-foot height, unclimbable barrier (e.g. fence) around the perimeter with locking gates where the locking mechanism cannot be reached or opened by a very young child. This situation gets a bit complicated if the house is one side of the barrier because any doors and some windows that open into the pool area will have to be alarmed or otherwise modified.

Another option is to install an automatic pool safety cover. These system have a track just under the pool coping with a switch by the pool for operating the cover. With a cover in place, generally no other fencing or gates are required. These covers also have the advantage of keeping leaves out of the pool and helping to hold heat in. On the flip side, automatic covers only work for rectangular pools, and they are more expensive than installing a traditional fence and gate system.

Maintenance and Other Long-Term Costs

Beyond installation costs, ongoing maintenance, energy usage, insurance, and potential repairs are all things to consider. For example, relative to fiberglass, concrete pools are more expensive to maintain both in terms of the water chemistry (it must be more carefully monitored and balanced) and cleaning (the plaster is slightly rougher than fiberglass, so it takes more work to remove algae).

Building a pool is an exciting project, but it’s important to go in with clear goals of how you would like to use a pool and realistic expectations of what can be achieved based on your target budget. With careful planning and the right choices, your pool can provide years of enjoyment, beauty, and value to your home.

Ultimately, the best pool for your home is one that fits your lifestyle, your space, and your budget – and takes your enjoyment of your back yard to the next level.