Pools by Design

What Pools by Design does

Pools by Design is a privately held custom residential swimming pool construction company headquartered at 431 Nursery Rd # C-300 in The Woodlands, Texas, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area including Spring, Conroe, Magnolia, Willis, Kingwood, Tomball, and Montgomery. Founded in approximately 2000, the firm operates with 11-50 employees and has reached a 25-year operating milestone in 2025. The company designs and builds custom residential pools, custom spas (heated with high-pressure jets in multiple configurations), outdoor living spaces (kitchens, arbors, cabanas, patios, fireplaces), waterscape features (infinity edges, waterfalls, Koi ponds), and provides pool remodeling and renovation services. The core construction methodology is shotcrete (concrete spray) over a steel reinforcement grid, with rockwork, PVC plumbing, electrical integration, decorative decking, and interior finish application performed in sequence under city-inspected milestones.

The business model is project-based one-time revenue with quote-based pricing. The advertised entry price is $69,999 for a limited-time award-winning pool package, with actual project costs determined by site conditions, design complexity, features, and materials. Customer acquisition is conducted exclusively through direct field sales: phone-based inquiry handling, free on-site consultations, and custom design proposals; the firm does not operate dealers or retail channels and concentrates on high-touch SMB/individual residential buyers. To broaden affordability, Pools by Design offers financing via third-party lenders (Lyon Financial, HFS Financial, Viking) and refers post-construction maintenance to partner Living Water Pool Company. Marketing is multi-channel across a branded website, Facebook, X, YouTube, and verified Google/Trustindex reviews that are prominently leveraged as trust signals, supplemented by BBB A+ accreditation and a Google Guaranteed badge. The company is owner-led (Nolan) with named design, sales, and construction-supervisor personnel serving as the principal customer-facing team.

Name

Pools by Design

Legal name

Pools By Design

Website

https://pools-by-design.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pools by Design is a privately held, owner-led custom residential pool builder founded circa 2000 in The Woodlands, Texas, serving Greater Houston homeowners with shotcrete-constructed pools, spas, outdoor living spaces, and pool remodeling under a quote-based, project-driven revenue model starting at $69,999.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Pool Construction

akta.pro primary industry

Equipment Installation & Upgrades (Automation, Covers, Sanitizers) (HSAIALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pool Decking & Surrounds (HSAPALAK), Water Features (Ponds, Fountains & Waterfalls) (HSAPALAJ)

Keywords

• Custom pool construction
• Pool remodeling
• Outdoor living construction
• Custom spas
• Pool waterscapes

Headquarters

HQ city

The Woodlands

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Pool Construction: One-time project-based revenue from custom residential swimming pool design and construction. Projects include custom pool design consultation, professional construction and installation, premium finishes and features, optional spas, water features and lighting, and full project management from start to finish. Pricing starts at $69,999 for limited-time offer.
2. Outdoor Living Construction: Additional revenue from outdoor living space construction including outdoor kitchens, arbors, cabanas, patio covers, decking, paving, fireplaces, and fire pits. These are custom-built projects that complement pool installations.
3. Pool Remodeling Services: Renovation and remodeling services for existing pools, including design upgrades, water features, materials replacement, energy efficiency improvements, and automation systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pools by Design is a custom residential pool builder based in The Woodlands, Texas, that designs and constructs in-ground swimming pools, spas, pool remodels, and complementary outdoor living features (such as patios, pergolas, summer kitchens, fire features, and waterscapes) for homeowners in the Greater Houston area. Projects start at $69,999 and the company has been operating for 25 years (since 2000).

Product overview

Pools by Design is a custom pool design and construction company offering residential pools, spas, and outdoor living features in the Houston and The Woodlands area. The core offering is custom pool design and construction, complemented by custom spa installations, pool remodeling services, outdoor living space construction (kitchens, patios, fire features), and waterscape features. The company also offers pool financing through third-party lending partners and recommends maintenance services through a partner company. Pools start at $69,999 with typical construction times of 6-8 weeks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Pool Design and Construction End-to-end design and construction of in-ground custom swimming pools for residential homeowners, with projects starting at $69,999. Includes consultation, design, permitting, excavation, shotcrete shell construction, finishing, equipment installation, and startup.
• Custom Spas Custom-built residential spas, often integrated with pool designs, engineered for the Houston-area climate and homeowner lifestyle.
• Pool Remodeling Renovation and modernization of existing residential pools, including resurfacing, tile and coping replacement, equipment upgrades, and aesthetic refreshes.
• Outdoor Living Spaces Design-build of complementary outdoor living environments including patios, pergolas, summer kitchens, fire features, and hardscape elements to accompany pools.
• Waterscapes Custom water features and decorative waterscape installations integrated into residential pool and outdoor living projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pool construction typically completed in 6-10 weeks after permitting
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Living Water Pool CompanysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecommended full-service pool maintenance partner for ongoing pool care after construction. Services include pump system checking and cleaning, vacuuming, brushing, netting, chemical level checking and balancing, and professional repair recommendations. Phone: 281-826-1099.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Premier Pools & Spas: One of the largest custom pool builders in the United States with deep Texas roots; competes head-to-head with Pools by Design on custom residential pool construction, outdoor living, and remodeling in Texas metros.
• Cody Pools: Texas-based (Austin/San Antonio) custom pool and outdoor living builder with a comparable shotcrete-driven, design-led service model aimed at premium residential customers.
• Keith Zars Pools: Long-tenured San Antonio–based custom pool and outdoor living builder with a similar design-led, high-touch residential model and comparable Texas regional positioning.
• River Pools and Spas: Custom pool builder known for fiberglass pool expertise with presence in Texas; comparable go-to-market on custom residential pools, though with a different core construction method (fiberglass vs. shotcrete).

Regional players

• California Pools & Landscape: Southwest U.S. custom pool and landscape builder with comparable service offering (pool design, outdoor living, water features), but primarily serving a different geography than Pools by Design's Houston focus.

Broad incumbents

• Anthony & Sylvan Pools: Large national custom inground pool builder with a long operating history; broader geographic footprint and marketing scale give it incumbent pricing power in markets like Houston where it overlaps with Pools by Design.
• Blue Haven Pools & Spas: National franchise-style pool builder offering custom inground pools and outdoor living; comparable on product offering but competes from a scaled, multi-territory footprint.

Others

• Pentair: Major pool equipment manufacturer whose products (IntelliFlo, WhisperFlo, MasterTemp, IntelliBrite) Pools by Design integrates into its builds; relevant ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/poolsby
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PoolsByDesignHouston/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/poolsbydesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roy-burden-1aaaa8

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pools by Design