In Dallas-Fort Worth, the backyard isn’t a yard, it’s a second living room. From late April through October, the air sits in the mid-90s, the patio doors stay open, and the pool runs as the center of every weekend gathering. That’s why a $80,000 to $250,000 pool build isn’t a cosmetic upgrade for our clients, it’s an investment in how their family actually lives nine months out of the year. The problem is that DFW makes pool construction genuinely hard. Plano, Frisco, Allen, and McKinney sit on expansive clay soil that swells when it rains and shrinks when it bakes, the kind of movement that cracks bond beams and pops coping if the shell wasn’t engineered for it. Add in the 100-degree summer that accelerates plaster cure problems and the Texas freeze cycle that took out thousands of pool systems in 2021, and the gap between a properly built pool and a cheap one shows up within 36 months. At Roof Raiders & Co., we approach pools the way we approach a complex roof system, as a fully engineered assembly with overlapping warranties, single-source accountability, and a permit trail that survives a future home sale. Most of our pool clients are also adding a deck, a pergola, an outdoor kitchen, and a new fence line, and we coordinate all of it under one contract, one set of drawings, and one workmanship warranty. That’s a different experience than calling a pool-only contractor and then stacking three more subs on top of him.
What we build
We build gunite and shotcrete inground pools, full stop. We don’t install fiberglass shells, we don’t drop in vinyl liner pools, and we won’t quote either of those even when a homeowner asks. The reason is structural. DFW clay soil moves, sometimes 4 to 6 inches vertically across a season, and a one-piece fiberglass shell or a flexible liner over a sand-bottom dig has no real ability to redistribute that load. A properly engineered gunite shell, on the other hand, is a reinforced concrete vessel with rebar lattice, integral bond beam, and a shotcrete-applied wall thickness of 8 to 12 inches at the load points. It behaves like a foundation, not a bathtub. Here are the four build types we actually quote in DFW.
Standard rectangular gunite
The 15x30 or 16x32 rectangular pool with a 3.5-foot shallow end transitioning to a 6-foot deep end is still the workhorse of DFW backyards, and for good reason. It’s the most efficient shape to engineer, the easiest to cover with an automatic safety cover, and the cheapest per square foot of water surface. We build a lot of these for clients who want a clean, modernist look paired with a sharp travertine deck and a single sheer descent water wall on the long side. Expect $65,000 to $85,000 for the pool alone in this configuration, with another $25,000 to $40,000 for deck and minor hardscape. The straight lines also play well with HOA architectural review boards in Plano and Frisco, which tend to approve rectangular shapes faster than freeform.
Custom freeform with tanning ledge and spa
This is the most common build we sell in the $95,000 to $130,000 range. It’s a curved or kidney-shape pool with a 7 to 9 foot wide tanning ledge (also called a sun shelf or Baja shelf) at 9 inches deep, plus a raised spa spilling over a sheer waterfall into the main pool. Freeform shapes hide minor settlement better than rectangles because the eye doesn’t measure them against a straight edge, which is a real consideration in expansive-clay neighborhoods. The tanning ledge becomes the social center of the pool, holding lounge chairs in the water and giving small kids a safe zone to play. We pair this build with bubbler jets on the ledge and LED color-changing lights.
Sport bottom
A sport bottom pool has two shallow ends (typically 3.5 to 4 feet) with a deeper center section around 5 feet, designed for volleyball, basketball, and family play instead of diving. We build a lot of these for clients in Allen and McKinney with kids in the 6 to 14 age range. The advantage is usable swim area, almost the entire pool is playable depth, and the disadvantage is no diving, so if you’re set on a diving board you’ll want a traditional deep-end build instead. Sport bottoms also use slightly less water and heat faster, which trims operating cost.
Geometric with tanning ledge plus integrated spa
The premium configuration we build is a geometric (rectangular or L-shape) pool with a corner tanning ledge, a raised geometric spa on the opposite corner, a sheer descent water feature on the back wall, and full hardscape integration. This is the $140,000-plus pool, usually paired with a $40,000 to $80,000 outdoor kitchen and pergola. The clean lines work beautifully with modern transitional architecture, which is what most new builds in Frisco, Southlake, and Colleyville look like right now.
Engineering for DFW clay soil
The single biggest difference between a pool that lasts 30 years and one that needs a $25,000 repair at year 10 is the engineering done before a shovel hits the ground. DFW sits on what soil engineers call expansive clay, specifically the Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk formations, which have a Plasticity Index high enough that the soil can move 3 to 6 inches vertically between a wet spring and a dry summer. A pool shell that wasn’t designed for that movement will crack at the bond beam, the coping will pop, and the plumbing penetrations will start to weep.
Every pool we build starts with a geotechnical soil report from a licensed engineer, not a guess from a salesperson. The report tells us the Plasticity Index, the depth to bedrock or stable strata, the seasonal water table, and the bearing capacity. From there our engineer specifies shell thickness (we typically run 10 to 12 inches at the floor and bond beam, with #4 rebar on 6-inch centers in two mats), footing depth (often 24 to 36 inches below the deepest point), and any deep piers if the soil report calls for them.
We also install hydrostatic relief valves in the floor of every pool. These are simple one-way check valves that let groundwater pressure escape into the pool rather than lifting the empty shell out of the ground if you ever have to drain it during high water table conditions. We add weep holes at the bond beam to drain trapped water from behind the tile line, which prevents the freeze-thaw delamination that destroys coping joints during Texas cold snaps.
The reinforcement spec changes by city. Pools we build in Plano and Frisco, where the clay is most aggressive, get a heavier rebar schedule and deeper footings than pools we build in Southlake or Colleyville, where the soil tends to be sandier and more stable. We don’t use one boilerplate engineering package across DFW, because the soil doesn’t.
Finish material choices
The interior finish is what you actually see, what your feet touch, and what determines the visible water color. It also has the shortest lifespan of any major pool component, typically 8 to 20 years depending on material, so it’s the system you’ll re-finish at least once during your ownership. Here’s how the four real choices compare in DFW.
White plaster, also called marcite, is the original pool finish and still the cheapest at $4 to $6 per square foot. It gives you a classic light-blue water color, has a smooth feel underfoot, and lasts 7 to 12 years in DFW before it needs replastering. The downside is that it stains easier than the alternatives and shows etching from aggressive water chemistry within a few seasons.
Pebble finishes (Pebble Tec and Pebble Sheen are the two dominant brands) blend small natural pebbles into the plaster matrix. Cost runs $7 to $11 per square foot, lifespan stretches to 15 to 20 years, and the surface texture hides minor staining and chemistry imperfections. Pebble Sheen uses smaller stones for a softer underfoot feel than original Pebble Tec, which matters if you have kids who’ll spend hours sitting on the steps. Water color ranges from Caribbean blue to deep slate depending on the pebble color you pick.
Quartz finishes (Diamond Brite, Krystal Krete) blend quartz aggregate into the plaster. Cost sits between plaster and pebble at $5 to $8 per square foot, lifespan is 10 to 15 years, and the finish gives you a slightly sparkly look from the quartz crystals catching light. We sell a lot of quartz to clients who want the pebble look at a lower price point.
All-tile pool interiors (PoolTile porcelain, glass mosaic) are the premium tier at $20 to $50 per square foot for the interior. Lifespan is effectively the life of the pool if installed correctly, and the look is unmatched. We typically use full tile interiors on smaller spa-only builds or as accent bands on tanning ledges and waterline tile, where the visual impact is highest per dollar spent.
Equipment specifications that shape your monthly cost
The equipment pad is where the difference between a $300-a-month pool and a $90-a-month pool gets decided, and most homeowners never see it during the sales process. Here’s what we spec by default and why.
Variable-speed pumps are now required by Texas energy code on all new residential pool installs, but the cheap option is a 1.5 HP single-speed-replacement VSP and the right option is a true variable-speed Pentair IntelliFlo VSF or Hayward TriStar VSP. The IntelliFlo can run as low as 600 watts at low speed, compared to 1,800 to 2,200 watts for a single-speed, which is the single biggest factor in your electric bill.
We install cartridge filters on roughly 80% of our builds because they backwash to zero (no water waste, which matters during DFW drought summers) and they catch finer particulate than sand. DE filters are slightly better at micron-level filtration but require more maintenance, and sand filters are cheaper upfront but waste water and miss the small stuff.
Salt chlorine generators (we spec Pentair IntelliChlor or Hayward AquaRite) cost $1,500 to $2,500 installed and pay back in 2 to 3 years by eliminating chlorine tablet purchases. The water feels softer, smells better, and is gentler on swimsuits and equipment.
For heat, we recommend a 400,000 BTU gas heater (Pentair MasterTemp or Hayward H400) for any pool over 18,000 gallons. A 250k BTU unit will heat a small pool but it’ll struggle on a spa spillover in November. Heat pumps work down to about 50 degrees ambient and then lose efficiency, which is fine if you’re only swimming May through September but inadequate for year-round spa use.
Automation systems (Pentair IntelliCenter, Hayward OmniLogic) are non-negotiable on any build over $80,000. You’ll run the pool from your phone, control the lights, schedule pump speeds, and get alerted when chemistry drifts. The cost is $2,500 to $4,500 installed.
LED lighting (Pentair IntelliBrite or Hayward ColorLogic) replaces incandescent at 1/10 the energy and gives you color-changing options. We install at least one large light per pool plus one per spa, and we add bubbler lights on tanning ledges.
Coping and decking integration
The coping is the cap that runs around the top edge of the pool shell, and it’s where 70% of the pool repair calls we get on other contractors’ work originate. Done right, coping is bonded to the shell with a continuous bond beam and isolated from the deck with a proper expansion joint. Done wrong, it cracks, lifts, and breaks the waterline tile right behind it.
Travertine is the most common coping we install in DFW because it stays cool underfoot even in August heat, it has a natural non-slip texture, and it pairs with almost any deck material. Cost runs $18 to $30 per linear foot installed. Flagstone coping is the rugged-luxe option at $25 to $45 per linear foot and works beautifully with stone-veneer house exteriors. Cantilever concrete coping (poured concrete with a bullnose edge) is the cleanest modern look at $15 to $25 per linear foot but gets hot in direct summer sun. Brick coping is rare in modern DFW builds but still requested for traditional architecture.
The deck material question (broom-finished concrete, stamped concrete, travertine pavers, flagstone, porcelain pavers, or composite over a structural frame) is where most homeowners get decision fatigue. Travertine pavers stay coolest, stamped concrete is the cheapest, and porcelain pavers are the most premium and the easiest to keep clean. We coordinate the deck design with the deck build if a wood or composite deck is also part of the scope, so you don’t end up with a transition that traps water or fails at the joint.
Every deck-to-coping transition gets a continuous expansion joint with a proper sealant, not just a bead of caulk. That’s the single detail that decides whether your coping is still tight in 15 years.
Permits, HOA, and the inspection schedule
Every inground pool in DFW requires a city permit, no exceptions. Cities take pool permits seriously because an unpermitted pool can void homeowners insurance, can require demolition and rebuild during a home sale inspection, and creates real liability if a drowning occurs. We pull the permit in our company name and our name appears on every inspection, which means the paper trail follows the pool, not the homeowner.
Permit fees vary by city. In Plano and Frisco, expect $800 to $1,400 in permit fees for a typical pool build, plus separate electrical and plumbing permits. Allen and McKinney run similar, around $700 to $1,200. Dallas and Fort Worth run slightly higher, $1,000 to $1,800, depending on lot size and any required tree-survey fees.
Every pool build goes through four mandatory city inspections.
The steel and plumbing inspection happens after the excavation is complete, the rebar cage is tied, the main drain and return lines are roughed in, and the plumbing is pressure-tested. The inspector verifies rebar spacing matches the engineered drawings.
The gunite or shotcrete inspection is sometimes a same-day approval where the inspector visits during the shoot to verify thickness and material composition.
The pre-plaster inspection happens after tile and coping are set, equipment is plumbed, and the pool is ready for plaster. The inspector verifies all electrical bonding (every metal component within 5 feet of the water must be electrically bonded to a common grid), pressure tests the plumbing again, and signs off the bond beam.
The final inspection happens after plaster cure, water fill, and equipment startup. The inspector verifies the safety barrier (fence, self-closing gates, or pool cover) meets Texas residential code, confirms the equipment pad is properly enclosed and labeled, and issues the certificate of occupancy.
HOA submittals are a separate track and we handle them in parallel. Most DFW HOAs require a site plan showing pool location, deck footprint, equipment pad screening, and fence modifications. Plano and Frisco HOAs typically approve straightforward rectangular and freeform shapes within 14 to 30 days. We have HOAs reject submittals when the equipment pad is too close to a property line, when the proposed fence doesn’t match the neighborhood standard, or when a water feature exceeds height restrictions. We pre-screen all of that before submittal.
Pricing in DFW (no surprises)
We quote real numbers, and we put every line item on the contract. Here’s how the three pricing tiers actually break down in DFW.
The basic 15x30 to 16x32 gunite pool with white plaster, standard equipment (single-speed-replacement VSP, cartridge filter, traditional chlorine), basic LED lighting, and a 600 square foot concrete deck runs $65,000 to $85,000. This is the entry point for a properly engineered, fully permitted, professionally installed inground pool. Anything cheaper than this in DFW means corners are being cut on engineering, on shell thickness, or on equipment.
The mid-tier build, custom freeform with tanning ledge, spillover spa, pebble finish, salt chlorine, IntelliFlo pump, IntelliCenter automation, full LED color-changing lighting, travertine coping, and 900 to 1,200 square feet of travertine paver deck, runs $95,000 to $130,000. This is what about 60% of our builds end up at, and it’s the configuration that gives you the most enjoyment per dollar.
The premium full-backyard build, geometric pool with raised spa and sheer descent, sun shelf with bubblers, fire bowls, premium pebble or full tile interior, top equipment, outdoor kitchen with pergola, composite or paver deck, outdoor lighting, new fence line, and landscape integration, runs $150,000 to $250,000 and sometimes higher in Southlake and Colleyville.
The cost drivers, in order of impact: shape complexity (curves and elevation changes cost more than rectangles), depth (every foot of depth past 6 feet adds material and excavation cost), water features (each sheer descent or scupper adds $2,500 to $6,000), finish material (pebble vs plaster is a $5,000 to $12,000 swing), equipment tier, hardscape square footage, and lighting and automation.
Water features that pay for themselves in joy
Water features are the line items most homeowners cut first when they’re working a budget down, and they’re also the ones we hear about most three years later when clients tell us they wish they hadn’t. Here’s what’s actually worth the money.
Spillover spas are the highest-ROI water feature in DFW because you use them eight months a year, not just the summer pool season. A raised spa with a sheer waterfall into the main pool adds visual movement, audible white noise that masks neighborhood sound, and a heated soak option that runs October through April. Budget $18,000 to $28,000 added to the pool cost.
Raised bond beam walls with sheer descent waterfalls are the second most popular feature. A 6 to 12 foot wide sheer descent gives you a glass-like sheet of water falling from the back wall, lit at night with color-changing LED. Budget $4,500 to $9,000 per feature.
Deck jets are the cheap, dramatic option. Small streams of water shoot from the deck back into the pool. Budget $400 to $900 per jet, usually installed in pairs or quads.
Scupper bowls (concrete or copper bowls mounted on raised walls with water spilling from them) are the modernist option. Budget $1,800 to $3,500 per bowl.
Fire bowls (gas-fired bowls mounted on raised walls, often paired with scuppers) give you flame and water in the same feature. Budget $2,500 to $5,000 per bowl.
In-floor cleaning systems (Paramount PCC2000, A&A Quikclean) install pop-up jets in the pool floor that direct debris to the main drain, eliminating most vacuum work. Budget $4,000 to $7,000 added.
Sun shelf bubblers (small geysers on the tanning ledge) give kids a fountain to play in and add audible water movement without the cost of a sheer descent. Budget $1,200 to $2,200 per bubbler.
Pool, deck, and outdoor kitchen as one project
The biggest mistake we see DFW homeowners make is hiring a pool builder, then a separate deck contractor, then a separate outdoor kitchen company, then a separate fence company. Each contractor draws his own plans, pulls his own permit if any, schedules around the others (usually badly), and warranties only his own scope. When something fails at the intersection (the deck-to-coping joint, the pergola footing too close to the pool shell, the gas line for the outdoor kitchen running under the wrong slab), nobody owns the fix.
We coordinate all of it under one contract. One set of CAD drawings shows the pool, the deck, the pergola or patio cover, the outdoor kitchen, the gas and electrical runs, the fence modifications, and the landscape. One permit packet goes to the city. One workmanship warranty covers the whole assembly. One project manager schedules the crews so the gunite cures while the pergola footings are dug, the equipment pad gets plumbed while the deck is set, and the fence goes up after the final pool inspection but before move-in.
The cost premium for this coordination is essentially zero compared to stacking subs, because we eliminate the standby days, the rework at intersections, and the “not my scope” disputes. The time savings are typically 3 to 5 weeks on a project that might otherwise stretch to 20+ weeks of sequential subs.
What can go wrong (and how we prevent it)
We get called for consults on other contractors’ failed pools every few months, and the failure patterns repeat. Here are the five we see most and how we engineer them out.
Bond beam settling from inadequate footings is the most expensive failure. A pool dug too shallow, with footings that didn’t reach stable strata, will settle 1 to 3 inches over the first 5 to 10 years in DFW clay. The bond beam cracks, the coping lifts, and the waterline tile pops. Fix during construction: deep footings keyed into stable strata per the geotech report, often with helical piers in the worst soils. Repair after the fact: $15,000 to $40,000 of coping demo, shell injection, and re-tile.
Plaster delamination from a rushed cure is the second most common. Plaster needs a controlled cure with the right water chemistry for the first 28 days. Skip the daily brushing, hit it with high chlorine too early, or fill with hard water and the plaster releases from the shell in sheets within 18 months. Prevention: we manage the entire startup ourselves for the first 30 days and don’t hand the chemistry over until the cure is complete.
Equipment short-cycling from an undersized pad is the silent killer of pump and heater life. A pump rated for 80 GPM running against undersized plumbing or a too-small filter will cycle on and off, burning out the motor and the capacitor years early. Prevention: 2-inch plumbing minimum, properly sized filter, and a pad layout that respects the manufacturer’s clearance specs.
Coping cracking from missed expansion joints is a workmanship failure. The pool deck and the coping have to be separated by a flexible expansion joint, not a rigid bond. Skip it and the deck movement transfers into the coping in the first freeze cycle. Prevention: continuous polyurethane expansion joint, properly tooled, on every linear foot.
Finish discoloration from chemistry mismanagement after handoff is the homeowner’s own pool turning against them. Pebble and plaster both stain permanently when calcium, pH, and total alkalinity drift outside the right range. Prevention: we provide a written chemistry schedule, walk you through it at handoff, and offer a monthly service contract for the first year if you’d rather not manage it yourself.
Process timeline (12 weeks typical)
A proper DFW pool build runs 10 to 14 weeks from contract signature to final swim, with weather and city inspection scheduling driving the variability. Here’s the typical 12-week breakdown.
Week 1 to 2: design refinement, 3D rendering, soil report from the geotechnical engineer, equipment selection, finish material selection at our showroom. You’ll walk through a photorealistic 3D walkthrough of your finished backyard before you sign anything.
Week 3: contract execution, permit submittal to the city, HOA submittal, scheduling of the excavation crew. This is also when the deposit is collected.
Week 4: excavation (typically 2 to 3 days), plumbing rough-in for skimmers, returns, main drain, and any water features, electrical rough-in for lighting and equipment.
Week 5 to 6: steel cage tied per engineered drawings, city inspection of steel and plumbing, gunite or shotcrete shoot (1 day, very intense), start of 28-day cure period with daily wetting.
Week 7 to 8: cure continues, tile installation on waterline and any raised walls, coping installation, decking begins.
Week 9 to 10: equipment installation on the pad, pre-plaster city inspection, plaster (or pebble or quartz) application by a specialized finish crew.
Week 11 to 12: fill with water (takes 24 to 48 hours from a hose), 30-day plaster startup chemistry managed by us, final city inspection, final walk-through, written workmanship warranty issued, homeowner training session on equipment, chemistry, and automation.
Why a roofing company builds the strongest pools in DFW
It’s a fair question. The answer comes down to crew discipline and the way our company is structured.
Our crews come up through our roofing operation, which means they’ve already absorbed the muscle memory of complex DFW permits, multi-stage city inspections, written workmanship warranties, and the CertainTeed ShingleMaster level of accountability we apply to every install. That discipline transfers directly to pool work, which is fundamentally a larger version of the same problem, a fully engineered assembly with multiple sub-trades and city sign-offs at each stage.
Mahmoud Abu Saad and Sara Bannat are on every job. This is a family-owned company, not a franchise and not a national outfit pretending to be local. If a homeowner has a question or a concern, they’re talking to the owners, not a customer service queue.
We carry a written workmanship warranty on every pool build, separate from and on top of the manufacturer warranties on plaster, equipment, and finishes. We’ve been in DFW long enough to honor it, and we will be a decade from now.
We offer an in-house zero interest payment plan on qualifying projects. A larger upfront deposit gets the work started and the balance is split over flexible terms depending on the size of the project. You can see the payment plan details here.
Ready to start your DFW pool build
If you’re 60 to 120 days out from breaking ground on a custom inground pool in DFW, the next step is a free in-home consultation. We’ll measure the site, walk through the design constraints from soil and HOA and city setbacks, and generate a 3D rendering of your finished backyard before you commit a dollar.
Call us at (469) 833-7663 or request a consultation through the website. Confirm we cover your city on our service areas page, and if you’d like to discuss payment options in advance, our payment plans page walks through our in-house zero interest plan.
The first conversation is free. The 3D rendering is free. You won’t see a number until the design is right.
What's included
- Custom pool design and 3D rendering
- Inground gunite (shotcrete) shell construction
- Plaster, pebble, and quartz finish options
- Tile selection and waterline tile install
- Coping (travertine, flagstone, brick, concrete)
- Pool equipment install (pump, filter, heater, salt cell)
- LED lighting and automation
- Hardscape integration with deck or patio
- Permit pull and HOA approval support
How it works
- Backyard walk and design. We measure the yard, talk through how you want to use the pool, and produce a 3D rendering with material options and a transparent ballpark.
- Fixed quote and engineering. Once the design is locked, you get a fixed quote with engineering drawings, the permit timeline, and a written warranty on the build.
- Excavation and shell. We pull the permit, excavate, install plumbing, set steel, shoot gunite, and pass the city inspection.
- Finish, fill, and walk. Tile, coping, plaster, equipment, and fill. Final walk, water chemistry handoff, and a written workmanship warranty.
