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Plunge Pools in Asheville, NC

A plunge pool could be the perfect pool for a small Asheville yard. Pool Builders of Asheville installs precast concrete plunge pools from around 7 feet by 7 across Buncombe, Henderson and Madison counties, and because the shell is built before it arrives, most plunge projects are completed in 4 to 12 weeks.

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Plenty of properties around Asheville are assumed to be too small or too steep for a pool, and a good number of them are not. A plunge pool fits where a full size pool will not, and on a small lot the result is better and not merely possible, because you get less deck, less water to heat and more garden left over.

What a plunge pool actually is

A plunge pool is a compact inground pool designed for cooling off, sitting in the water and swimming against a current, instead of swimming lengths up and down. Ours are precast concrete shells, cast and cured in a factory and craned into place already finished.

Shell sizes start at around 7 feet by 7, which fits a courtyard, a side yard or a bench cut into a hillside. The same precast range runs up to about 12 feet by 26, so choosing a plunge pool is a starting point and not a ceiling. Plenty of people begin the conversation wanting the smallest shell and finish it somewhere in the middle.

Water runs to a uniform depth of up to 5 feet, which is deep enough to swim and cool off in and shallow enough to stand up anywhere.

Why a small pool suits mountain property

The usable flat area on a lot around here is small, hard won and expensive to enlarge. A compact shell that fits the bench your property already has beats a large pool needing half a hillside moved to accommodate it, and the saving lands in the ground work rather than in the finish.

Access rewards a small pool for the same reason. A shell of around 7 or 8 feet reaches properties that a 16 foot load never will, down driveways with switchbacks, low branches and overhead power lines that would end the conversation about anything wider.

Septic systems add a third argument for going small. Nothing can be built over the tank, the drain field or the field reserve area, and once you have kept clear of all of it, the genuinely usable spot on a rural lot is smaller than the yard looks.

Not sure which pool suits your property?

Tell us where you are and what you are picturing, and we will work through the options with you.

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Cheaper to own, not only cheaper to build

How much water you are heating and treating decides most of what a pool costs you after it is built.

Warming up happens far more quickly on a plunge pool than on a full size one, heating it through spring and fall costs noticeably less, and it needs a fraction of the chemical to keep the water clear. At this elevation, where a heat pump and a cover are what give you a season worth having, that difference shows up every month you use the pool.

Smaller also means the heating actually keeps up. A modest heater on a large body of water struggles at the ends of the season, whereas the same unit on a plunge pool brings it up quickly and holds it there.

What we build into a plunge pool

A swim jet

A swim jet pushes a current that you swim against, which turns a short pool into an endless one. On a compact shell it changes what the pool is for, and it is the answer for anybody who wants exercise out of a yard that will not take a lap pool.

Spa jets

The shell can be cast with spa jets, an air blower and the pump and controls to run them. What you end up with is a plunge pool and a hot tub in one structure rather than a pool with a separate tub beside it, and one set of equipment runs both.

Heating and chilling

A gas heater, a heat pump, or a unit that both heats and chills. A chiller sounds excessive until August, when a small pool with a dark finish in full sun runs warmer than anybody wants.

Tile

A precast shell can be finished in tile rather than a plain interior, either fully tiled or along the waterline, in glass, porcelain or stone. On a small pool the tile is a larger share of what you see, so it earns its money faster than it would on a big one.

Lighting and automation

Color changing LED lighting in the shell, salt chlorine generation instead of handling chlorine yourself, and automation that puts the pump, the heater and the lights on a schedule you can change from your phone.

Every one of those is specified before the shell is cast rather than afterward, because anything built into a precast pool cannot be added later. We go through the whole list with you at the design stage.

Raised, sunk, or somewhere between

Sloped ground does not force a plunge pool to be buried. Three positions are worth considering, and your land normally chooses between them.

Sunk into a bench suits a lot that already has a level shelf on it, and it is the version that disappears into the yard.

Raised with the low side held by a wall in stone or block turns retaining you needed anyway into part of the finished structure, and it gives you a more level yard at the same time. On a steep property that is both the cheapest and the best looking answer.

Stepped down with the land lets the pool follow the slope rather than fighting it, with the deck and the planting following on.

Raised spa and fire pit with a mountain view
One company, one quote

The grading, the pool, the decking, the lighting and the planting run as one project on one schedule, rather than five separate trades for you to coordinate.

We handle the permitting from application through final inspection, so you do not file anything and you do not chase an inspector.

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Designing a small backyard properly

When we design a small backyard we lay the whole space out with you at the same time, so that the pool, the seating, a shaded spot and somewhere to put a table all have room. Fitting the pool in first and squeezing everything else around it afterward is how small yards go wrong.

Both a plunge pool and a compact fiberglass pool leave room for a patio, which is what actually makes a small yard usable. Building a large pool on a small lot can limit the functionality of the backyard, and we will say so before you commit rather than afterward.

What a plunge pool costs in Asheville

A compact precast plunge pool sits at the lower end of the precast range, which runs from about $65,000 to $150,000 installed.

Where you land inside that has more to do with your ground than with the pool. A level courtyard with easy access sits low. A bench cut into a hillside, with retaining walls, drainage and a long crane reach, sits higher. The surround moves it as well, because decking, coping and a shaded area are priced per square foot and they add up on any size of project.

What drives the cost of a pool in this region

Talk to us about a plunge pool

Tell us where you are and what you are picturing. We will come out, measure what you have, and work through with you whether a plunge pool suits your property or whether a larger shell would fit after all.

Rectangular pool with a spillover spa
Built for mountain property

Three things decide a pool project in this region: the slope of your land, the ground underneath it, and how easily we can reach the backyard. Our recommendation follows your property rather than a catalog, which on mountain ground matters a great deal more than it does anywhere flat.

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Plunge Pools in Asheville, NC FAQs

What is a plunge pool?

A plunge pool is a compact inground pool built for cooling off, sitting in the water and swimming against a current rather than swimming lengths. Ours are precast concrete shells, cast and cured in a factory and craned into place already finished, in sizes from around 7 feet by 7.

How small can a plunge pool be, and how large?

The smallest precast shells are around 7 feet by 7, which fits a courtyard or a bench cut into a slope. The same range runs up to about 12 feet by 26, which is a full swimming pool, so a plunge pool is a starting point rather than a ceiling. The water runs to a uniform depth of up to 5 feet.

Is a plunge pool cheaper to run than a full size pool?

Considerably, and the reason is simply how much water you are heating and treating. A plunge pool warms up far more quickly, costs noticeably less to heat through spring and fall, and needs a fraction of the chemical to keep the water clear. In the mountains, where a heater is what gives you a season worth having, that difference shows up every month you use the pool.

Can I still swim in a plunge pool?

Yes, with a swim jet built into the shell. A swim jet pushes a current that you swim against, which turns a short pool into an endless one and is the practical answer when the pool is not long enough for laps. The jet has to be specified before the shell is cast, because anything built into a precast pool cannot be added later.

Can a plunge pool have spa jets?

Yes. The shell can be cast with spa jets, an air blower and the pump and controls to run them, which gives you a plunge pool and a hot tub in one structure. One set of equipment runs both, so there is one thing to heat and one thing to maintain.

How much does a plunge pool cost in Asheville?

A compact precast plunge pool sits at the lower end of the precast range, which runs from about $65,000 to $150,000 installed. Where you land depends far more on your ground than on the pool, so a level courtyard with easy access sits low in that range and a bench cut into a hillside sits higher. See what drives pool cost in this region.

Will a plunge pool fit a really tight yard?

Often, yes, and it is the main reason people call us about one. A shell of around 7 or 8 feet reaches properties that a full size pool never will, down driveways that would stop a 16 foot load before it started. We measure your access before we design anything.

Can a plunge pool be built raised rather than sunk?

Yes, and on sloped ground a raised plunge pool is frequently the better answer. The pool sits with the low side held by a wall in stone or block, so the retaining you needed anyway becomes part of the finished structure and gives you a more level yard at the same time.

I am on a septic system. Does a plunge pool help?

Frequently it does. Nothing can be built over the tank, the drain field or the field reserve area, and a compact shell fits into a piece of yard that a large one has no chance in. Locating all of it is one of the first things we do on a site visit, and it is a common reason a plunge pool turns out to be the right answer.

How long does a plunge pool take to install?

Most plunge projects are completed in 4 to 12 weeks, and the shell itself goes into the ground in a single day. The rest of that time covers the dig, the base the pool sits on, the plumbing and electrical work, and then the patio and the drainage.

Do I still need a permit for a plunge pool?

Yes. A plunge pool is a permanent inground pool and it is permitted like one, including the barrier and the electrical work. We handle it from application through final inspection.

Locations We Serve Near Asheville, NC

Get a Quote for Your Pool

Tell us where you are and what you are picturing. We will come out, measure what you have, and work through with you which pools suit your property and what each one would cost.

Request a Quote Call (828) 539-4201
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