Many people question why they would hire a landscape firm to handle their swimming pool construction rather than going directly to a pool contractor. They assume that a pool contractor will naturally have more expertise when it comes to needed materials and design options. While this is true on one level, problems arise on a broader scale with swimming pool construction is handled exclusively by the pool specialist without proper respect to home architecture and the surrounding landscape.

Swimming pools are basically engineering developments in their own right. They consist of a few basic elements that can be customized and arranged in a near infinity of forms. There is the basin which actually holds the water, typically sloped from a shallow end toward a much deeper water level at the far end. Normally a swimming pool is constructed with steps that lead down into the water on the shallow end. There may be a diving board on the deep end, or ladders that allow people to climb down into the deep water. Some pools are very posh, featuring spas, water jets, and waterfall fountains. There is always a coping that surrounds the water, providing both containment for the water, and human access to the pool.

Contractors who specialize in swimming pool construction think of ways to combine these basic elements into designs that look attractive and offer a high-level of recreational enjoyment. Unfortunately, being specialists only in their given discipline, pool contractors often lack knowledge of home architecture and outdoor landscaping. This invariably results in problems later down the line. If a certain style of pool is chosen for its own aesthetic alone, it most often will clash with the architecture of the home. If the pool elevations are built too high in relation to the surrounding landscape, then drainage problems can quickly result that can ruin significant portions of a yard or garden, plus accrue even more expenses when the pool has to be remodeled after the fact.

We want to make it clear that none of this is the fault of the pool contractor. Specialists like this are essential to professional landscaping. However, it takes the expertise of a team of specialists, managed by a landscaping expert who can see the big picture, to ensure that swimming pool construction is done in a way that complements all surrounding elements and better respects home architecture with both its size and general design features.

We always ask our clients to visualize what type of pool they would buy with a home that would be so perfectly designed originally that it would require no remodeling upon move in. Such a consideration is an important one to take into account. Many people buy a home with the full intention of selling it later down the line. Constructing a swimming pool at any point in time will definitely add or subtract from the home's resale value, and therefore should be overseen by a landscaping specialist who can design a pool that reflects the unique architectural elements of the house, compliments other outdoor structures, blends with vegetation, and reflects the lifestyle of the homeowner.

The swimming pool construction plan, of course, will ultimately be part of a larger, master plan where many specialists are called in to fulfill specific tasks in construction, drainage, and lighting. A professional landscaping company knows how to manage these many teams and see that each specialty service combines with all the others in a unity of aesthetic and a continuity of function.