How Much Patio Space Do You Need Around an Inground Pool?

How Much Patio Space Do You Need Around an Inground Pool?

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 to The Pool Guides Podcast. I'm Cristian with River Pools, a show designed to help you bring together all the information you need to make confident decisions long before you break ground on a pool in your backyard.

Here's something most homeowners don't realize until it's too late. About 90 percent of your time at the pool is actually spent around it, not in it. That means the patio, the decking, and all the outdoor living space outside the water is where most of your experience happens. And if you design it the wrong size, put it in the wrong place, or choose the wrong shape, you'll feel it every single day.

Today we're sitting down with Trey Watford, lead designer at River Pools Virginia and a repeat guest on the show. If you caught his last appearance, you already know how differently he thinks about outdoor living design. In this episode, Trey walks through real designs and real numbers, including a comparison of the same project laid out two completely different ways, that will change how you think about your own backyard.

Why the Patio Matters More Than You Think

Cristian Shirilla

Let's start with that stat. Ninety percent of the time around a pool is actually spent around it, not in it. When you sit down with homeowners early in the design process, how often is the patio underestimated?

Trey Watford

It's all over the place, which is exactly why it's so critical to figure out the right square footage for the specific person, and to understand any limitations like lot coverage or setbacks. A lot of times it's not really the square footage that's the issue, it's how it's allocated. People come in a little off in left field, and I help guide them toward not expanding the square footage, but reallocating it into something that's actually more functional for what they're after.

Cristian Shirilla

So it's not that they ignore the patio. They think they need more space here or there, and they don't fully understand the options in the configuration.

Trey Watford

Exactly. People will say they want six feet all the way around the pool. That's a certain square footage, but if we move it around a little, that same square footage becomes much more functional. It's not only the square footage, it's how it's being utilized to make the most of every single square foot.

Why Patios Get Designed Wrong

Cristian Shirilla

Do you run into homeowners who regret their patio space or configuration?

Trey Watford

I do. A lot of times they're trying to mimic a pool they had somewhere else or experienced on vacation, just because that's what they knew. But once we look closer at that space and understand it, we can often double the amount of usable area. The common regret sounds like, I didn't have enough room for my lounge chairs, or every time I used the space the way I wanted, I was blocking the pathway to the pool, the house, or the grill.

How Much Patio Space Do You Actually Need?

Cristian Shirilla

So let's go to the big question. If I'm planning a pool project, how do you even begin to answer how much patio space I need?

Trey Watford

It depends, which is a boring way to say it, but it's true. The average pool patio runs between 600 and 900 square feet historically. As we go through it with a customer, you might be someone where half the average is exactly right, or you might be someone who needs 2,000 square feet of active space. Averages are a starting point, but I really like to tailor it to the customer and the site. Anything over 2,000 square feet starts to feel like a basketball court. I'd call 1,000 to 2,000 square feet a fairly large patio.

A Real Design Walkthrough: The Cozy Corner

Cristian Shirilla

Let's look at a real project. Walk us through what 600 to 900 square feet actually looks like around a pool.

Trey Watford

This is one I designed yesterday. It's an R28, and it's mostly for one person, with her husband or a friend on occasion. She wanted a cozy corner, a quiet, tranquil place to escape. We were restricted a little by septic setbacks, so part of the yard is a no-go zone. The patio itself is 600 square feet, with an additional 170 square feet of walkway to land in that 600 to 900 range.

Because she wanted a cozy corner, I tucked it away. There's a large water feature in the center of the yard, and I didn't want to compete with it, so I created a nook screened off with conical upright trees that give a blocked visual without getting too large. To reach the space, you navigate outside and pass through a trellis, which builds a sense of discovery before you arrive. It's all done through subtle things, like the way the landscape beds hug the pool area.

Cristian Shirilla

Walk us through the furniture options in this 600 square foot setup, where the square footage is pulled toward one long side and the shallow end.

Trey Watford

On the two back sides, there's three feet around the pool. That's enough to walk around for maintenance and to access all sides. On the other two sides, I have five feet. Five feet is the minimum I'd suggest for traffic, enough for two people to pass each other without knocking someone into the pool. The arrival area has a simple pair of chairs, a spot to read a book. I made it 10 feet deep so it's multifunctional. You could put chaise lounges there, or a dining set, or a couch with a small fire pit, depending on the time of day and the sun.

Cristian Shirilla

What's the typical length of a chaise lounge?

Trey Watford

About seven feet. I like to design for nine or 10 feet. You want seven feet for the chair, plus two or three feet so someone can get through without moving chairs around and encroaching on the walking area. There are a million ways to make 600 square feet work.

Cristian Shirilla

Is there a minimum you need by code around the pool for walking paths?

Trey Watford

For residential, I'm not aware of code specifics. I've seen pools with as little as 12 or 14 inches of coping set into an open field of grass, and it looks amazing, very timeless. There's engineering that goes on structurally with auto covers and anchors, but nothing really like a code minimum for walkways.

How to Visualize Your Space at Home

Cristian Shirilla

Not everyone has a designer at their disposal. What are some free ways homeowners can visualize their patio space before they sign on the dotted line?

Trey Watford

The simple one is the old garden hose trick. Lay it out to outline the pool and flag the area in the yard. If you have a furniture set, physically put it out there, or use cardboard boxes to stand in for pieces. You can also walk around inside your home. If you want an outdoor living room, look at your actual living room, get a feel for how big that space is, then picture it outside with open sky instead of a ceiling.

Designing in Zones

Cristian Shirilla

Once you get a feel for the size, the next layer is filling those zones. Some call them zones, I call them gathering spaces. When you're laying out a design, what are you considering to decide where the zones go and how big they need to be?

Trey Watford

It comes from that deep discovery process, because every site and every person is different. I listen to how they use the space. In one example, the cooking happens outside the pool area, but they wanted a dining spot that blends into the pool space, while still creating that sense of discovery, where you can catch a glimpse of the pool but not all of it. I also think about four season zones, making sure the spaces aren't on opposite ends, and how far a hot tub is from the house.

Cristian Shirilla

For anyone who hasn't heard our first episode, four season zones are spaces that work not just in summer, but spring, fall, and even winter. You're not just creating a pool deck, you're creating zones that work well beyond swim season. What's the most requested zone, and are there any that get overlooked?

Trey Watford

A fire pit is the natural one. Sitting around a fire brings people together, it's almost in our DNA, and it's a four season feature. The bigger question is whether it should be built in or removable. A built-in fire pit is permanent, so if someone wants to maximize their square footage, a removable one often makes more sense because it keeps the space multifunctional. That fire pit space is a big one for me.

Same Pool, Two Completely Different Worlds

Cristian Shirilla

Here's the part that flipped a switch in my brain. Trey took the same backyard, the same pool, and the same square footage, and created two completely different outdoor living spaces. Bring up the next project and talk us through it.

Trey Watford

This one I call a zen woodland escape. They're clearing some land so the pool is surrounded by natural Virginia woods. The first thing you arrive at is a dining area, placed there because it's near an existing deck and cooking space, and they'll use it even when the pool isn't in use. It's still separated from the pool environment through a four foot secondary entry. The main entry is a six foot opening, the path of least resistance, that takes you straight to the pool. I put the pool in sandstone, which I think is an underrated color we should see more of.

Sun isn't important to these homeowners, they want a woodland feel, so I brought in shade trees. There's a straight shot to the chaise lounges with a view into nature, and a portable fire pit area, 15 by 14, so it can flex. Maybe one day it's a fire, another day it's a dining table for a grandkid's birthday. Primary traffic areas are six feet, and I narrow the low-traffic areas to four feet. There's even a hidden gate in the corner that opens to the woods. The whole space is about 1,080 square feet.

Cristian Shirilla

Now show us the same space designed the common way.

Trey Watford

This is the same R32 pool, 15 feet wide and 32 feet long, at basically 1,100 square feet, within 10 square feet of the other design. The common layout is six feet on two sides, 12 feet and 10 feet on the others. It's a clear, easy way to lay out a functional space, and it might be perfect for someone with a lot of kids and friends running around. But to me, those two six foot areas are a lot of wasted square footage, because that's not where people actually hang out. I'd shrink them down to five feet, which still lets you walk comfortably, and use the saved space to make a primary side 12 feet instead of 10. Small changes like that make every square foot a functional piece of the pie.

Cristian Shirilla

The seasonality and the zones feel completely different, and it's the exact same pool in the exact same spot.

The Square Footage Cheat Sheet

Cristian Shirilla

You're inspired, you've got pen and paper, you're ready to sketch. Before you do, here's a quick cheat sheet on how much space each zone actually needs. Let's start with a conversation area for three to six people, no fire pit, just seating.

Trey Watford

As small as 10 by 10, maybe 12 by 12. So roughly 100 to 200 square feet.

Cristian Shirilla

A dining area for six to eight people?

Trey Watford

Slightly more, because you're not just sitting, you need room to back the chair up and pivot. I'd think 10 by 14, 12 by 12, or even a little bigger for a larger table.

Cristian Shirilla

What about a standalone hot tub?

Trey Watford

A typical hot tub is about seven by seven, so 100 square feet or less, plus enough space to get in where the control panel is. At my own home, two sides are covered by a hedge, so it's tucked away with just enough room to access it. A lot of customers want the full function of a hot tub but don't like how it looks sitting out in the open, so we integrate it with plantings and walls.

Cristian Shirilla

How much space for a 36 inch grill?

Trey Watford

Maybe six by eight, around 50 square feet. Not a huge area.

Cristian Shirilla

My notes say six by six minimum, so you were a little generous. What about an outdoor kitchen? Is there a minimum, and what features shouldn't you skip?

Trey Watford

At a minimum I include the grill, a trash pull-out drawer so you're not dealing with flies, a mini fridge for chilling food or drinks, and at least one small storage drawer for utensils. Those are the four core components. How they're configured, in an L or a straight line, can be decided later.

Building Your Patio in Phases

Cristian Shirilla

What happens when your dream design and your budget aren't quite shaking hands yet? Let's talk about phasing a project.

Trey Watford

It happens a lot, and it's normal. The design itself is what dictates the potential to phase, so if I know going in, I can design it to be staged. The simple version is to keep four feet on all sides at first, then expand later in four foot increments. You can even build the relief joints, where concrete is designed to crack, into how you break down the zones, so it blends when you add on. Concrete is a little less forgiving because matching color over time is tough.

Cristian Shirilla

You could break that up visually with a line of pavers to define the separate space, so the different concrete pours don't have to match. You could also come back and do the added spaces entirely in pavers, which might be more economical than getting concrete back there once the pool is built, and it adds another design element.

Trey Watford

Exactly. Those connector pieces could be a defined cobblestone that looks intentional while breaking up the areas. We can play with all of this in real time. For example, that dining area is about 315 square feet, so I can show you exactly what to cut or expand, swap materials, and show real time colors on the fly.

Cristian Shirilla

So it's possible to phase things in if it's thoughtfully done, with creative use of materials. You don't have to blow the budget in round one, and in round two you might even end up with a slightly upgraded look.

Trey's Closing Thought

Cristian Shirilla

What closing thoughts do you have for folks?

Trey Watford

Know yourself and what you're trying to get out of the project, because the possibilities are virtually endless. Averages are great, but what's perfect for one person isn't perfect for another. You could do 200 square feet and have a very elegant pool in the middle of a meadow that looks amazing, intentionally made that way. That person probably doesn't have a lot of kids running around. Just understand how you plan to use the space, and let me figure out the rest.

Closing

Cristian Shirilla

If you haven't heard the first episode with Trey, go check it out for great tips on how to approach your outdoor space design and work with a project designer. Then come back to this one.

We thank Trey for coming back out and sharing his time and talents again. If today's show inspired you to think differently about your project, or helped you take the next step in your planning, that's exactly what it was designed to do. Wherever you are in the process, you likely have more questions that need answers, so head over to riverpoolsandspas.com and explore our hundreds of articles and guides, plus self-guided tools like the pricing estimator and the pool type selector.

I'm Cristian with River Pools. You've been listening to or watching The Pool Guides Podcast. We'll see you on a future episode.

Catch the wave.