Small Backyard Pool Ideas for Utah Homes

Tight Avenues lot? Compact Sugar House yard? A small Lehi backyard? You can absolutely have a beautiful in-ground pool. Here’s how to make it work.

What Counts as “Small” for a Pool?

Anything under 800 sq ft of pool footprint. Many gorgeous Utah pools are 200-400 sq ft.

The Best Pool Types for Small Yards

Fiberglass Plunge Pools

Pre-molded, 8’×16′ to 10’×20′, uniform 4-5′ depth. Install in 4-6 weeks. Cost $50K-$80K.

Custom Compact Concrete

If shape needs to wrap an irregular yard, concrete custom shape works. More expensive ($90K+) but fits anywhere.

Cocktail Pools / Spools

Small heated pool that doubles as a spa. 7’×12′ to 10’×15′. Year-round use.

Design Tricks for Small Spaces

• Long narrow rectangles — 8’×30′ lap-style fits where 14’×28′ doesn’t
• Corner placement — push pool to the back corner; deck wraps around two sides
• Match house line — align pool’s long axis parallel to your home
• Wet-edge spillover — small pool feels bigger with water effect
• Light-colored interior — makes water appear to extend further
• Mirror at one end — visually doubles the pool length (more for outdoor rooms)
• Pool + small spa adjacent — multiple use modes in compact footprint

Real Small-Yard Utah Examples

• The Avenues, SLC: 8’×24′ fiberglass plunge against a privacy wall, small deck, native landscaping
• Sugar House bungalow: 10’×20′ rectangle fiberglass with tanning shelf, paver decking, modern fence
• Older Provo lot: 9’×18′ compact concrete with attached spa (uses less square footage than separate pool + hot tub)
• Tight Lehi infill: 8’×16′ plunge with linear drain edge, looks like a fountain feature

Setbacks Matter

Most Utah cities require 5-10′ from rear/side property lines plus 3-5′ from house. So your usable yard is your lot minus those buffers. We measure during the free design consult.

Cost for a Small Pool in Utah

• Plunge fiberglass turnkey: $50K – $80K
• Compact custom concrete: $90K – $140K
• Spool (pool + spa hybrid): $65K – $110K

Before You Decide a Pool Won’t Fit

Get a free in-yard consult. We’ve put pools in yards multiple builders said couldn’t accommodate one. Sometimes the trick is creative placement; sometimes it’s a smaller pool than you imagined; sometimes it’s a different shape entirely.

Free in-yard consult — see if your small Utah backyard can fit a pool →