Pool Companies Are Busiest Ever as Homeowners Look to Design Dramatic Poolscapes Like These

Suddenly my neighborhood NextDoor site is buzzing with questions about swimming pools. It’s like people just realized pool season is here. The questions were overly presumptive, and that main presumption being they could get a pool built—this summer. Bwa Ha Ha Ha Ha!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news about this year’s pool season, but honey, even in a non-global pandemic situation, you can’t get a pool in a month. If you want a cement pond as Elly May Clampett used to call it in the Beverly Hillbillies, you need to plan now, for next summer.

When a home I featured sold in three days, I figured it was an immediate relocation situation. I called the agent and found out it was simply a local buyer that had a perfectly lovely home, without a pool. He wanted his family to have a nice summer, so he simply purchased a home with a pool.

That got me to thinking about what a great year it must be for pool builders. I called two well-respected pool companies, Pool Environments and Hobert Pools and Spas to see if they were swimming in business. The answer was a resounding, YES!

Michelle Sparks, head of marketing at Pool Environments, told me after the initial stay-at-home orders went into effect, they began getting their first wave of calls. “People were sitting in their backyards, realizing they could not travel this year, and suddenly a pool became a necessity, ” she said. “We have been slammed.”

For initial consultations, Pool Environments is booked solid for this pool season. In total, it’s a four to six month build process.

“If you start now you could be swimming by next spring,” Sparks said. “There is a lot of detail involved in the high-end market, and we are not just building pools.”

No, indeed. People want the whole Magilla and the sky is the limit. That includes designing backyard poolscapes with massive cabanas, large guest houses, 750- to 1,500-square-feet of covered outdoor area, and, of course, an amazing pool.

Pool Environments is fortunate to have Randy Angell Designs on site to make those pool dreams come true. Angell has been featured on HGTV and is all about bringing the WOW factor.

“People used to want an outdoor kitchen and a small covered seating area,” Angell said. “Now it’s a guest house with a bunk room, a bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen. It’s another home on the property. Plus, people are including the home gym and media room in these spaces to free up rooms in the main house.”

Angell just designed a project in Vaquero with double pools. One is above the other and yes, you can jump from the top shallow pool to the lower deep pool. There is also an in-pool dining table!

Things are just as busy over at Hobert Pools and Spas, in business since 1975.

“We had 500 calls in about three weeks, which is not normal in any year,” said Duke Loper, sales manager at Hobert Pools and Spas. “The average number of leads for an entire year is around 1,500. I cannot even describe it, inquiries are off the charts. In a normal summer, we schedule crews maybe four days out. It’s three or more weeks now.”

“People are not taking that annual international trip this year, and probably not next, ” Loper said. “So, they are putting that money into a complete outdoor living space they can enjoy almost all year long. They are building not just a pool, but an entire outdoor lifestyle. Years ago, a $100,000 project was a big deal. Now it’s an average expenditure.”

“Historically, the first week it gets hot, the phones start ringing off the wall, Loper said. “Everyone calls in May or June wanting a pool ready by their big July 4th party. Once you call in, we assign a designer and a consultation is scheduled. Then we make an on-site visit to assess what the yard will handle, take a survey, do elevations, and create the design. Permitting can take a month. Construction takes 10-16 weeks. It’s a lengthy process. Really, the best time to install a pool is between December and February.”

When it comes to pool season trends, Loper is seeing an end to beach entries and boulders, in favor of more clean-lined, modern, classic looks.

Latest Pool Design Trends

800- to 1,200-square-foot guest houses
Sunken fire pits surrounded by water
Wet decks
In-water seating
Shallow areas for water sports

You may have missed this pool season but if you want to be ready for next year, the clear message is to schedule that pool consultation immediately. Start designing your ideal leisure complex, and when social distancing ends, invite us over. Candy will bring champagne!