TL;DR: Gunite construction lets you build almost any shape, depth, or feature you can imagine, which is why it’s the go-to choice for homeowners who want a truly custom pool. This list breaks down 12 popular design features for Central Florida backyards, what each one adds functionally, and how they affect your build timeline and budget.
One of the biggest reasons homeowners choose gunite over factory-built shells is design freedom. Because a concrete shell is sprayed and shaped on-site rather than poured from a mold, your builder can create nearly any shape, depth, or built-in feature your yard and budget allow.
Below are 12 design ideas we see requested most often across Lake County and Central Florida, from The Villages to Clermont. Each one can be combined with others, and all are compatible with a fully custom gunite build.
1. Sun Shelves and Tanning Ledges
A sun shelf (also called a Baja shelf) is a shallow, wide platform built into the shallow end of the pool, typically just a few inches deep, for lounge chairs, kids’ play, or wading. Industry data shows a
shallow 12-inch platform at the entry end of the pool, designed for lounge chairs and young children, is now among the most requested features in new pool builds
. In a custom gunite pool, the shelf can be sized and shaped to match your exact layout rather than a fixed factory dimension.
2. Attached or Spillover Spas
A spa built into the same shell as your pool creates a spillover water feature and gives you a warm-water soak option without a separate structure. These share plumbing and often filtration with the main pool, which keeps operating costs more efficient than a fully freestanding spa.
3. Freeform, Lagoon, and Kidney Shapes
Because gunite is sprayed over a rebar frame rather than dropped into a pre-formed mold, your builder can shape the shell into curves, lagoon-style edges, or asymmetrical layouts that follow your yard’s natural lines instead of a rectangle.
4. Geometric and Modern Rectangle Designs
On the other end of the style spectrum, clean-lined rectangular and geometric pools remain popular for contemporary homes and smaller lots where straight edges make better use of deck space.
5. Beach Entries
A zero-depth beach entry replaces steps with a gradually sloped entrance, similar to walking into a lake. It’s a popular request for households with young grandchildren or anyone who wants easier, ladder-free access into the water.
6. Swim-Up Bars and In-Pool Seating
A submerged bar area with built-in stools lets you build entertaining space directly into the pool structure. Custom concrete construction makes it possible to form the exact bar height, stool depth, and counter overhang you want.
7. Tiled Waterlines and Mosaic Accents
Waterline tile isn’t just decorative; it protects the shell at the point where it’s most exposed to sun, chemicals, and scale buildup. Custom builds allow full creative range here, from a simple accent band to detailed mosaic medallions at steps or benches.
8. Custom Steps, Benches, and Swim-Outs
Gunite is shaped by hand during application, so
technicians sculpt the material to create the designed contours and features, such as steps, benches, and swim-outs
. This is one of the clearest advantages over a factory-molded shell, where step and bench locations are fixed by the model.
9. Deep-End Diving Wells
If your household wants a diving board or diving rock feature, a custom concrete shell can be engineered to the depth and slope needed, something a standard fiberglass model may not accommodate in the same footprint.
10. Water and Fire Features
Sheer descent waterfalls, deck jets, bubblers, and fire bowls can all be built into the coping or surrounding hardscape. Because these are typically plumbed and formed at the same time as the shell, it’s more efficient to plan them into the original design than to retrofit later.
11. Vanishing Edges and Raised Walls
On sloped lots, a vanishing edge (infinity edge) or raised wall with a spillway can turn a grade change into a design feature rather than a limitation, something custom concrete handles well since the shell and surrounding structure are engineered together.
12. Extra-Deep or Unusually Shaped Shells for Compressive Strength
Whatever shape you choose, the shell underneath has to be engineered for it.
Most quality builders specify a 6-inch minimum shell thickness throughout, with 8 inches at structural stress points
, and
a standard thickness of 6 to 8 inches for walls and 8 to 10 inches for the floor
is common industry practice. For a deeper look at what these numbers mean for long-term durability, see our guide to concrete pool shell thickness.
Planning Your Design: A Few Practical Notes
Before you fall in love with a Pinterest board, keep these three things in mind.
Complex shapes add time, not just cost
Elaborate curves, multiple elevations, and added features like swim-up bars generally extend the design and forming stage of your build. That’s part of why custom gunite projects typically run longer than factory-built fiberglass installs.
Safety barriers are part of the design, not an afterthought
Whatever shape or features you choose, your pool will need a compliant safety barrier. The Consumer Product Safety Commission notes that
in addition to close supervision, CPSC recommends layers of protection, including barriers, such as a fence with self-closing, self-latching gates, completely surrounding pools to prevent unsupervised access by young children
. Design your deck and fence lines with this in mind from the start, since retrofitting a barrier around an elaborate freeform shape is far more difficult than planning it into the original layout. Florida’s building code sets specific requirements on top of these federal guidelines, and your builder should confirm compliance during permitting.
Every design detail affects your final price
Sun shelves, spas, tile packages, and water features are usually priced as line items, so your quote should itemize each one rather than bundling everything into a single number. If you’re still weighing shell type before you get to design specifics, our fiberglass vs. concrete pool cost breakdown is a useful starting point, and our concrete pool pros and cons guide covers where gunite tends to make the most sense for Florida yards.
Bringing Your Design to Life
At R & R Swimming Pools, our in-house gunite crew handles design, engineering, permitting, and construction for custom concrete pools across Lake County and Central Florida, from The Villages and Clermont to Mount Dora, Leesburg, and 30-plus surrounding communities. Every shell we build carries a limited lifetime warranty, and financing through Lyon Financial or Viking Capital can help make a fully custom design fit your budget.
Recommended Reads
- Fiberglass vs. Concrete Pool Cost in Florida: A Side-by-Side Breakdown
- Concrete Pool Pros and Cons: Is a Gunite Pool Right for Your Florida Yard?
- What Is a Gunite Pool and How Is It Different From Other Concrete Pools?
