How to Design a Complete Pool + Landscape Package

The most common mistake in pool projects is designing the pool first and figuring out the landscape around it later. This approach produces a pool that's installed correctly but surrounded by an environment that feels assembled rather than designed. The right approach starts with the entire outdoor environment as a single design problem.

Start With the Whole Property

Before the pool is located on paper, we assess the full rear yard: topography, drainage patterns, sun angles at different times of day, views from inside the home, existing plantings worth preserving, and the architectural character of the house. The pool's shape, orientation, and position are determined by what works for the complete environment — not what's easiest to excavate.

Locate the Pool Last

Counterintuitively, the pool's final position is determined after establishing: where the outdoor kitchen and dining area should be (proximity to the house matters); where natural grade changes can become design features rather than obstacles; which views should be preserved or framed; and where privacy screening is needed. The pool is positioned to maximize all of these, not the other way around.

Design the Surround as One Environment

Pool coping, patio material, outdoor kitchen structure, shade structure, planting beds, and lighting are all designed in a single pass — not assembled from separate specifications. The material palette should be consistent: if the pool coping is Pennsylvania bluestone, the patio should be bluestone or a complementary stone. The shade structure material should relate to the house's architectural character. The planting should define and reinforce the outdoor room, not just fill gaps.

Budget for the Complete Package

The pool typically represents 40-60% of the complete project cost. Homeowners who budget only for the pool often find themselves with a beautiful pool surrounded by raw ground or a mismatched patio added at a lower budget after the pool is complete. We build complete packages — pool, patio, kitchen, planting, lighting — so the environment is finished from day one.

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JHL Pools | West Chester: (610) 717-5141 | Newtown Square: (610) 956-7476 | PA HIC #PA035784 | BBB A+ | Hayward Authorized | Imagine Pools Warranty Partner