The Short Answer
What water features can you add to a custom inground pool?
Custom inground pools can include waterfalls, deck jets, bubblers, scuppers, sheer descents, and grottos. Each feature adds sound, movement, and visual interest to the pool environment. Water features are most cost-effective when planned during the pool build, because plumbing runs are included in the original excavation and shell work.
Custom pool water features transform a swimming pool into a backyard environment you want to spend time near even when you are not swimming. K&D builds a range of water features as part of new pool projects in the Fredericksburg area, and the key principle is the same for all of them: the plumbing has to be planned and run during the original build to keep costs reasonable.
Waterfalls
A natural rock or stone waterfall is one of the most popular water features K&D incorporates into gunite pool designs. The waterfall is typically built at one end of the pool, with water pumped up through the stone structure and cascading over the edge into the pool. A well-designed waterfall creates the sound of moving water, which changes the entire acoustic atmosphere of the backyard, and provides a grotto or sitting area underneath it in some designs.
Stone waterfall construction is labor-intensive and is priced separately from the base pool cost. The visual impact is substantial, and a waterfall that is visible from the house changes the everyday experience of looking at the backyard. K&D designs waterfalls to suit the overall pool shape and landscape, not as bolt-on add-ons.
Deck Jets
Deck jets are flush-mounted nozzles set into the pool deck that arc precise streams of water over the pool coping and into the pool. They create a visual spectacle at night when lit, and the arcing streams add kinetic energy to the pool area. Deck jets are a relatively affordable water feature because the plumbing runs are short and the hardware is not complex. They can be run on timers or automation systems and are especially popular on rectangular pools where symmetrical jet placement looks architecturally clean.
Bubblers
A bubbler is a small upwelling jet set into the floor of a tanning ledge or shallow wading area that pushes water upward in a gentle fountain. Bubblers are very popular on tanning ledges because they add water movement to the relaxation zone and are attractive to young children. The plumbing for bubblers is run during the ledge construction and is most cost-effective when designed into the original build. See /tanning-ledge-baja-shelf-pools for more on tanning ledge design.
Sheer Descents
A sheer descent is a wall-mounted blade that creates a thin, flat curtain of water falling cleanly from a horizontal slot into the pool. It is a more architectural and contemporary water feature than a natural-looking waterfall, and it pairs well with rectangular or geometric pool designs. Multiple sheer descents on one wall create a dramatic visual effect.
Scuppers
Scuppers are spouts mounted in raised walls, retaining structures, or elevated spa edges that allow water to flow or spill over the edge of the structure into the pool. Overflow spas use a scupper-style edge to create the spillover effect from spa to pool. Scuppers are versatile and can be sized from a thin trickle to a substantial water curtain depending on flow rate.
Grottos
A grotto is a cave-like structure typically built behind or within a waterfall, where swimmers can swim into a sheltered space beneath the water feature. Grottos are a significant design and construction project that work best on larger pools with generous lot space. They are a signature feature for resort-style pools and are built in gunite with a structural rock or stone overlay. K&D builds grottos when the lot and design support them.
Automation and Lighting with Water Features
Water features are most enjoyable when they can be controlled easily. K&D integrates water features with pool automation systems so you can turn on a waterfall, activate deck jets, or control bubblers from a smartphone or poolside panel. LED lighting in water features, particularly waterfalls and sheer descents, creates evening atmosphere that is visible from inside the house and extends the backyard experience past sunset.
Planning Water Features at Build Time
Every water feature requires plumbing that is most cost-effectively run during the original excavation and shell construction. Retrofitting water features to an existing pool requires cutting into the deck, running new lines, and replumbing at the equipment pad. The differential in cost between planning at build time and retrofitting later is typically several times the original add-on cost. If you are interested in any water feature, discuss it at the design stage. Visit /design-your-pool or /get-a-quote, and see /tanning-ledge-baja-shelf-pools, /adding-a-spa-to-your-pool, and /custom-inground-pools.
More Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What water feature is the most affordable to add?
Deck jets and bubblers are among the more affordable water features because the hardware and plumbing runs are relatively simple. When planned during the original build, the plumbing lines are run during excavation at minimal marginal cost.
Can I add a waterfall to an existing pool?
Yes, but adding a waterfall to an existing pool requires new plumbing runs through or under the existing deck, which adds labor and cost. It is significantly less expensive to plan the waterfall at the time of the original pool build.
Do water features raise pool maintenance?
Water features that circulate pool water, like waterfalls and deck jets, can actually improve circulation and reduce algae in some pool configurations. They do require their own pumps or lines to operate, which adds to the electrical and equipment maintenance. The overall maintenance impact is modest.
Can water features be turned off when not in use?
Yes. Water features are controlled by valves and, in modern pool systems, by automation that allows you to run features on schedules or on demand from a phone or panel. K&D wires and plumbs water features for the level of automation you want.
What is the difference between a sheer descent and a waterfall?
A sheer descent is an architectural blade that creates a thin, flat curtain of water with a clean geometric look. A waterfall is naturalistic, using rocks or stone to create a cascading, irregular water flow. One reads contemporary and precise; the other reads organic and resort-like.
Do LED lights in water features use a lot of electricity?
Modern LED pool and water-feature lights are energy-efficient. They consume a fraction of the power of older incandescent fixtures and have a much longer service life. Running LED lights in a waterfall for several hours in the evening adds a modest amount to the monthly electric bill.
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