Project Spotlight: Compact Plunge Pool in Salt Lake City Avenues

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah (The Avenues)
Pool type: Fiberglass plunge pool
Size: 9 by 18 feet, 4.5 foot uniform depth
Project budget: $76,000 turnkey
Timeline: 5 weeks signed-to-swim

The Challenge

An Avenues homeowner with a tight historic lot (35-foot deep backyard) wanted a real in-ground pool but most builders had said it couldn’t fit. Three constraints:

• Narrow side-yard access for crane and equipment
• Strict SLC setback requirements in older neighborhoods
• Mature trees on neighboring properties limited equipment paths
• Historic neighborhood aesthetics — modern pool needed to coexist with 1920s craftsman home

The Design

9 by 18 foot fiberglass plunge pool against the rear property line, with a 6-foot vertical privacy wall doubling as a water-feature backdrop with a linear sheer descent into the pool. The pool runs perpendicular to the home, maximizing the usable yard depth.

Finish: light blue gel coat for visual brightness. 350 sq ft of modern paver decking in coordinating tones. Custom narrow-format paver pathway from the side gate.

Equipment: Pentair compact package — IntelliFlo VSF (right-sized), MasterTemp 200 BTU (smaller pool needs less BTU), IntelliChlor salt, IntelliBrite single LED light. Manual safety cover.

The Crane Set

Standard fiberglass shell delivery via flatbed wasn’t possible — driveway access too narrow. We arranged crane delivery from the front of the property, lifting the shell over the 1920s home’s roofline. Coordinated with utility marking, neighbor notification, and SLC traffic permits.

Construction Details

• Week 1: Detailed yard survey, permit pull, crane permit
• Week 2: Excavation by mini-excavator (full-size couldn’t fit), tree protection
• Week 3: Crane day — shell set in 4 hours, plumbing rough-in
• Week 4: Backfill, bond beam, paver decking install
• Week 5: Equipment install, fill, balance, pool school

The Privacy Wall

The 6-foot wall doubles as a privacy barrier from neighboring 2-story homes AND the pool’s water-feature backdrop. Constructed of stacked stone matching the home’s foundation. Linear sheer descent water blade creates white-noise sound that masks city ambient noise.

The Result

The pool turned an unusable narrow backyard into the home’s most-used outdoor space. The owner reports they use it daily May through September — and the privacy wall design makes it feel like a private oasis despite being in the densest part of SLC.

What This Proves

Tight Avenues, Sugar House, and Federal Heights lots CAN accommodate beautiful in-ground pools. Most builders avoid these projects because they’re harder. We’ve made tight-lot pools a specialty.

Cost Breakdown

• Fiberglass plunge shell: $11K
• Mini-excavation + crane day: $18K
• Plumbing, backfill, bond beam: $9K
• Stacked-stone privacy wall + sheer descent: $14K
• 350 sq ft paver decking: $9K
• Equipment package (Pentair compact): $9K
• Permits, design, crane permits: $4K
• Fill, fence (matched to home aesthetic), restoration: $2K
• Total: $76K

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