How to Design Your Backyard Around a Pool — Before You Break Ground The Pool Guides Podcast — by River Pools Host: Cristian Shirilla Guest: Trey Watford, Lead Designer, River Pools Virginia Introduction Cristian Shirilla Hello friends, and welcome back to The Pool Guides Podcast. I'm Cristian with R...
How to Design Your Backyard Around a Pool — Before You Break Ground
The Pool Guides Podcast — by River Pools
Host: Cristian Shirilla Guest: Trey Watford, Lead Designer, River Pools Virginia
Introduction
Cristian Shirilla
Hello friends, and welcome back to The Pool Guides Podcast. I'm Cristian with River Pools — a show designed to help homeowners gather the information they need to make smart decisions long before breaking ground on a swimming pool.
Here's something I see all the time. A homeowner falls in love with a pool — picks the shape, the color, the size — and then somebody asks about the outdoor living space around it. And they go blank. Because the pool was the plan.
The truth is, a pool is just one piece of a much bigger picture. The outdoor living space around it — the patio, the materials, the layout, how it all flows together — that's what turns a backyard into something you actually want to live in. And if you don't think through the design before construction begins, you could end up making very expensive decisions under pressure.
Today's guide is Trey Watford, lead designer at River Pools Virginia. A Virginia Tech-trained landscape architect with over a decade of experience, Trey is here to walk you through the design process from start to finish — so that whether you work with him or someone else entirely, you leave knowing what questions to ask and how to build a backyard designed around your life.
Meet Trey Watford
Cristian Shirilla
Trey, tell us about your background and how you ended up at River Pools Virginia.
Trey Watford
I knew from a young age I wanted to design things. I went to Virginia Tech and studied landscape architecture and horticulture. After college I worked with a design-build company in the Williamsburg area and spent years doing high-end outdoor living projects. The one thing that always derailed those projects was the pool contractor. Either they weren't showing up or the timeline doubled.
Eventually I designed a couple of fiberglass pool projects, posted one online, and Cristian responded. I came to visit River Pools Virginia, met the team, and liked what I saw. I joined around 2017 and haven't looked back.
Cristian Shirilla
Today Trey's role is focused entirely on design. His team collects site measurements, elevations, photos, and drone shots. Trey takes all of that information and builds detailed 3D plans before ever presenting to the homeowner.
Where Great Backyard Design Actually Starts
Cristian Shirilla
Where does the design process begin?
Trey Watford
With gathering information. It's a lot like going to the doctor. You don't just say "my knee hurts" — the doctor asks questions to understand what's actually going on. Design is the same way.
I start by asking: why do you want a pool in the first place? The answer tells me a lot. Designing for an older retired couple who want peace and tranquility is completely different from designing for a family with kids who want to host everyone in the neighborhood. Deep discovery is step one.
Cristian Shirilla
What kinds of questions help homeowners get clarity before working with a designer?
Trey Watford
Budget is one most people avoid but it matters. Beyond that, I ask homeowners to paint a picture: what does the perfect day in your backyard look like? How many people do you want out there? Is the pool the centerpiece or one part of a larger outdoor living space? What amenities matter most — a kitchen, a fire pit, shade structures?
And just as important: what do you hate? Knowing what you don't want is just as valuable as knowing what you do want.
The Dot-Connecting Method
Cristian Shirilla
You use a "dot-connecting" analogy to describe your design process. Walk us through that.
Trey Watford
Think of a connect-the-dots puzzle. There are a hundred numbered dots on the page. At the end of connecting them all, you get a picture — maybe a dinosaur, maybe a beautiful backyard. I start with a blank page. Every piece of information the homeowner shares is one more dot. Things they love, things they hate, the size of their family, how they use the space seasonally, site conditions. The more dots I collect, the more detailed and accurate the final picture.
Sometimes I connect a wrong dot. That's okay — it gives me twenty more to work with. The homeowner's reaction tells me where to adjust.
Cristian Shirilla
What's your advice for homeowners when giving feedback on a design they don't love?
Trey Watford
Be honest. You can't hurt my feelings. My first presentation is a best first effort — there will be things you love and things you don't. All of that feedback helps me get closer to the right design faster. The goal is to get to a plan that gives you that feeling of "I never thought about it this way, but this is exactly it."
Site Analysis: The Hidden Risk Most Homeowners Miss
Cristian Shirilla
What's your advice for homeowners who won't get to work with you — who are vetting designers elsewhere in the country?
Trey Watford
Site analysis is the biggest one. If your designer doesn't have tools to measure elevation, doesn't know your local setback requirements, and isn't doing a comprehensive analysis of your yard — that's a red flag.
Elevation issues are where the big surprises hide. You go into a project thinking you know the budget, and then midway through someone says "by the way, you need a $40,000 retaining wall." Or you're encroaching on an easement or conservation area nobody caught early enough. Those discoveries mid-project can derail everything.
Ask your designer what they're using to measure elevation. Ask if they've worked in your county before and understand local requirements. Make sure they're collecting multiple elevation readings across the yard — not just eyeballing it.
Cristian Shirilla
Is it fair to say a homeowner isn't going to spend more by working with a professional designer versus an order taker — because the real cost is in the surprises that come from skipping that step?
Trey Watford
Exactly. Once the pool goes in, the project is done. You can't go back. Work with someone who understands the site, not just someone who'll put the pool where you pointed.
Live Design Walkthrough: A Real Project
Cristian Shirilla
Walk us through one of your projects on screen.
Trey Watford
This is an A35 model on a fairly flat lot. The homeowners wanted a tropical feel, an outdoor pavilion with storage, deck jets for the sound of water, an integrated hot tub, and a fire pit area.
One of their requirements was no railings — they wanted a clean sightline to the pool. So we solved that by stepping the deck down in a way that eliminates the need for railings while keeping a full view of the pool from the house.
A big part of the design conversation was thinking through zones. The pool is a summer space. But the fire pit and hot tub are fall and winter spaces. You don't want those on opposite ends of the yard. You want them grouped so that a fall evening — fire going, hot tub running, sports game on — all works together in one connected area.
In 3D, I can change materials in real time. Don't like that paver color? Done. Want to see a different coping option? Done. The house itself I keep simple — a white box — because the house is already there. My energy goes into what you see when you walk out the back door.
A project like this, full outdoor living space with the pool, could run $250,000 to $300,000. But there are smart ways to bring that number down without losing the design.
Budget Reality: What It Costs and How to Make It Work
Cristian Shirilla
What surprises most homeowners when they see the total project cost?
Trey Watford
The outdoor living space around the pool. A pool with standard filtration, sanitation, and an automatic cover is one thing. But the patio, the pavilion, the fire features, the outdoor kitchen — that can easily match the cost of the pool itself, and often exceeds it.
The easiest place to find savings without changing the overall design is patio material. Swapping from natural stone or pavers to textured concrete — or a mix — can take a significant amount off the total. You can also condense the patio footprint, right-size the pool model, or phase the project and build in stages.
It goes up fast and it comes down fast. The key is knowing what's non-negotiable for you.
Cristian Shirilla
What about sharing your budget with the design team?
Trey Watford
Be open about it. I hear from homeowners all the time that they're afraid to share their budget because they think we'll spend every dollar of it. But knowing your budget upfront means fewer revisions, fewer surprises, and a faster path to a design that actually works. I don't want to under-deliver on your vision, but I also don't want to design something unattainable.
Where to Start Tomorrow
Cristian Shirilla
Last question: if someone listening wants to start planning their backyard tomorrow, what should they do first?
Trey Watford
Start gathering inspiration. A Pinterest board is a great tool — a picture is worth a thousand words, and a lot of homeowners can't articulate what they want in words but can absolutely point to it. And spend equal time figuring out what you don't want. That information is just as useful.
Then be open to the process. Creativity is messy. It's going to take a few rounds before you land on the right design. Give it the time it deserves.
Closing
Cristian Shirilla
Start the research. Know what you don't want just as much as what you do want. Lean into the process and give it the time it deserves. The right design — for your family and your backyard — is worth a few rounds.
If you're beginning to plan a pool, head over to riverpoolsandspas.com and check out the self-guided tools: the pool type selector, the shape and size tool, and the pool cost calculator. Everything you need to make smart decisions long before you break ground.
I'm Cristian with River Pools. Thanks for joining us on The Pool Guides Podcast.
