Ready for a backyard pool? Five essential questions to ask before you dive in

The American backyard pool is a place to gather, a space that reflects the soul of the family home. 

So designing one should be approached with a lot of thought – and with the help of a professional. According to New Jersey-based expert Christopher Argenziano (CEO of The Pool Boss), his clients are seeking "complete backyard experiences" that not only offer what each family needs, but reflects who they are. 

But how do you arrive at that complete backyard experience? In FOX Digital’s interview with Argenziano and his wife, Pool Boss COO Terry Argenziano, the pair share the five essential questions you should ask yourself when it’s time to create your dream pool space.  

How do you plan to use the space around the pool? 

"It starts with a pool, but there's always so much more," Christopher Argenziano tells FOX Digital. 

"[It’s an] extension of your home where people may want to integrate things like a kitchen area or a lounge area or a fire area, things like that. So to really get an understanding of overall what somebody wants to do […] what they're trying to accomplish in the space is really what kind of sets everything up" when it’s time to design the space.

Terry Argenziano adds, "It should seem intentional. It shouldn't seem like an afterthought, right? So, when someone steps into the backyard, it should seem like the pool was planned at the same time that the home was built. [The] features that surround the pool should complement the space, should complement the aesthetics of the home.

What do you want from the pool itself?

"Sometimes, [clients] want things that are more like a lounge area internally […] like a sun shelf or an area where you have like chase lounges and things like that," Chris Argenziano explains.

"For most people, want everything: An area where your kids can jump into a deeper [section], an area where you can kind of lounge and relax, in that shallow end where primarily people want to spend a lot of their time.

"And sometimes, based on rules and regulations, there are restrictions there on what you can actually do […] [We] have to look through the town and figure out the ordinances. And you may not be able to get, you know, a pool that's necessarily super deep based on the size of the pool […] based on the rules and the regulations."

What is my budget? How flexible is that budget?

The Argenzianos explain that budgeting for a pool isn’t as straightforward as pointing to a pool in a catalog and walking away with a quote.

"A large misconception is that you get a price of what a pool is and it stops there," Christopher Argenziano explains. There’s so much more to the space than just the pool, you know, not because of things you want, not necessarily because you want a water feature or things of that nature. 

"The essentials are: You need fencing. You're going to need stormwater management. You're going to need engineering. You're going to need a patio. You're going to need all these additional things that go hand-in-hand with that, particularly in the state of New Jersey. 

"There are a lot of rules and regulations that we have to abide by […] Each town is specific in their requirements, but statewide, there are a lot of things that are going to be required. And when you start stacking those up, you need the budget for everything. So it's not just the pool, not just wants, but more of a requirement of what you need […] Transparency is the most important thing." 

Terry adds, "The pool's often less than half of your overall budget. […] Someone wakes up one day, or they've been thinking for a few years, I want a pool. And that is what we want. And that's the centerpiece of the backyard, the gathering place, no matter what the ages are, right? Everyone just goes to the pool. But there's so much, like Chris said, that is required, at least in New Jersey."

"We really try and present a clear of a photo as we can for [our clients], because it is a huge investment. Your home is usually one of your largest investments in life. Any project you're putting onto the home at this large of a scale is another top investment in your life. So we want the process to be as transparent, as seamless, and as stress-free as possible for the homeowners. And that starts from that initial communication."

What would my dream afternoon in this space be?

Clients should dream big, because the options for a great outdoor pool space are seemingly limitless.

Love movies? "You can consider things like projectors or outdoor TVs," Christopher Argenziano advises, "and when doing that you want to take into consideration the sun or the shade: Can you do something that's mounted on a wall, or is it something that needs to be completely shaded? What time of the day do you intend to watch?

Want to cook outside? "Outdoor kitchens and grills have really taken off since I started in the industry," he says. "It used to be as simple as just a grill. Now that it's extensive — where you can do a pizza oven, refrigerators, sinks — you want to think about outlets. The essentials in my mind: grilling area, refrigerator, additional outlet, drawers for storage…"

What type of pool liner will you want?

"There are three different types," Argenziano explains. 

"There's Gunite, fiberglass, and vinyl. The reason we don't particularly love working with fiberglass is because there's limitations on it, you know. So they're more of a cookie cutter installation where you can't get creative and add certain features to it. The other types of pools, you can add benches, you can add different types of jets, you can add all these different things internally, to really help suit the clients’ needs, for whatever it is they're looking to do."

Choose the right partner 

Designing a pool space is so much more complex than breaking ground, digging a hole, and filling it with water and chlorine.

Experts like The Pool Boss work with their clients to ensure their backyard spaces become as much a part of the family home as the kitchen table. Whether you’re looking for quiet luxury, a place for kids to do cannonballs, or a space that does both (and more), make sure to find a partner you can trust, with the expertise to navigate the complex world of permits, square-footage and depth, fencing, stormwater management and more. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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