Project Spotlight: Custom Concrete Pool with Vanishing Edge in Holladay

Location: Holladay, Utah (East Bench)
Pool type: Custom shotcrete (concrete) with vanishing edge
Size: 18 by 36 feet, with attached spa and tanning shelf
Project budget: $385,000 turnkey
Timeline: 18 weeks (signed November, swimming by July)

The Challenge

The homeowners had recently completed a major renovation on their east-bench Holladay home and wanted the backyard to match the elevated interior aesthetic. The lot sloped significantly toward the Wasatch — a classic east-bench “problem” that we treated as the pool’s biggest design opportunity.

Specific goals from the client:

• Use the slope rather than fight it (vanishing-edge design)
• Year-round usable spa
• Fire feature integration for evening entertaining
• Premium finishes throughout
• HOA-approvable design (Granite Hills overlay)

The Design

We designed a clean rectangular pool with the long axis parallel to the home, with the rear edge dropping into a vanishing-edge spillway that catches into a hidden trough below the deck level. The visual effect is water that disappears toward the Wasatch view.

Attached to one end: a raised spa with sheer-descent waterfall into the pool. Three fire bowls along the deck edge. Custom dark-gray PebbleTec finish for dramatic water color. Travertine coping and decking for cool feel underfoot.

Equipment: full Pentair package — IntelliFlo variable-speed pump, IntelliCenter automation, IntelliBrite color-changing LED, MasterTemp 400 BTU heater, IntelliChlor salt system. Auto cover hidden in the deck.

Construction Highlights

• Engineered freeze-thaw concrete mix for east-bench elevation
• 10-foot-deep retaining engineered into the slope
• Custom shotcrete shell with rebar at higher density for the cantilevered vanishing edge
• Premium tile work — hand-set glass mosaic at waterline
• Travertine coping mitered at vanishing edge for clean visual line
• HOA submittal approved on first round (rare — required clean render package)

What We Learned

The vanishing-edge weir required precise leveling — within 1/16th inch over 18 feet — to ensure even water flow. Our team double-checked grade three times during the shotcrete pour. Worth the obsessive attention.

The Result

The pool became the centerpiece of the entire home renovation. Photos of the finished build don’t fully capture the visual effect of the water meeting the Wasatch — you have to stand on the upper deck. The clients had their first pool party three weeks after completion and have referred us to four neighbors.

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