Pool or Spa First? How Los Angeles Homeowners Should Think About the Space They Actually Have
“Can we make the pool another three feet longer?”
We were standing in the backyard when the homeowner asked.
Technically, yes.
There was room.
But those three feet had to come from somewhere.
In this particular yard, they would come directly out of the area where the family planned to put their outdoor dining table.
So we asked another question.
“Would you rather have three more feet of water, or somewhere comfortable for eight people to eat?”
He looked at the pool area.
Then he looked back toward the house.
“Okay. Keep the table.”
It was a small conversation, but it is the kind of conversation that happens all the time when we design pools.
Homeowners naturally want to make the pool as large as the backyard will allow. You look outside, see an open patch of ground, and start imagining water filling most of it.
Then we start adding everything else.
The spa.
The Baja shelf.
The steps.
A few lounge chairs.
The outdoor table.
Maybe a barbecue.
Some landscaping.
A walkway back to the house.
Suddenly, that backyard that looked enormous before we started drawing does not feel quite so large anymore.
That is why one of the most important parts of designing a custom pool in Los Angeles has nothing to do with choosing tile or water color.
It is deciding what deserves the space.
Available Space and Usable Space Are Two Different Things
This is something homeowners usually understand pretty quickly once we start laying out the backyard.
Just because there is enough physical room to put something somewhere does not necessarily mean it belongs there.
You might technically be able to build a larger pool.
But what happens around it?
Can two people comfortably walk past the lounge chairs?
Is there enough room to pull a chair away from the dining table?
Where does someone put a towel?
Can people move from the house to the pool without squeezing between furniture?
Does the barbecue suddenly sit right next to someone trying to relax?
Those details do not look exciting on a design board.
They matter quite a bit on a Saturday afternoon.
A backyard needs some breathing room.
Sometimes the difference between a yard that feels comfortable and one that feels crowded is only a few feet.
The Pool Does Not Automatically Need to Be the Biggest Thing
We understand why homeowners start there.
You are building a pool.
Of course you want as much pool as possible.
But bigger water does not automatically mean a better backyard.
We have talked with families who initially wanted to push the pool almost from one side of the available space to the other.
Then we started talking about what they actually wanted to do outside.
They wanted dinner with friends.
They wanted somewhere to sit in the shade.
They wanted lounge chairs.
They wanted enough room for their kids to get out of the water without stepping over everybody.
Once those things entered the conversation, making the pool slightly smaller did not feel like giving something up anymore.
It felt like getting the rest of the backyard back.
Then There Is the Spa
A spa creates another interesting decision.
Some homeowners know immediately that they want one.
Others go back and forth for weeks.
And sometimes the question is not whether to have a spa at all.
It is how much room the spa deserves.
If two people will use it most evenings, you probably do not need to design it around twelve people.
On the other hand, if your family gathers in the spa regularly and you know friends will use it too, making it slightly larger might be one of the decisions you appreciate most later.
There is no magic size.
There is only the size that fits the people who are actually going to use it.
We would rather ask that question early than build something oversized simply because there was enough room on the plan.
Watch How Your Family Already Uses the Backyard
Before we start moving things around on paper, it helps to look at what already happens outside.
Where do people naturally sit?
Which door gets used most often?
Where does the afternoon shade fall?
If friends come over, where does everyone end up standing?
Does someone usually cook outside?
Do the kids run straight across the yard when they come through the back door?
Your existing backyard already has traffic patterns.
A new pool should work with them whenever possible.
This is one reason Custom Pool Design in Los Angeles needs to begin with the property and the people living there, not just a pool shape pulled from an inspiration photo.
The pool has to belong to the yard.
Baja Shelves Use More Space Than They Look Like They Do
Baja shelves are one of those features people love almost immediately.
And honestly, we understand why.
They are comfortable.
They are useful for younger children.
They are great for lounge chairs.
They give you somewhere to cool off without actually swimming.
The family dog may end up using it more than anyone else.
But a Baja shelf still takes up part of the pool.
On a large design, that may not matter much.
On a smaller pool, a very large shelf can leave surprisingly little open water.
Then add steps.
Maybe a bench.
Maybe the spa spills into one side.
The actual swimming area starts getting smaller.
That does not mean you should skip the Baja shelf.
It means you should decide what matters more.
If you know you will spend hours sitting there, make room for it.
If you want open water for swimming and games, keeping the shelf a little smaller may make more sense.
Deck Space Disappears Quickly
An empty patio always looks larger than a furnished one.
Put a dining table on it.
Now pull all the chairs out.
Add two lounge chairs.
Put a side table between them.
Leave enough room for someone to walk behind everything.
Suddenly, the deck does not feel nearly as large.
We encourage homeowners to think about furniture early for exactly this reason.
You do not need to know the exact chair you are buying.
Just know roughly what needs to fit.
A six person dining table needs room around it.
Lounge chairs need space.
An outdoor kitchen needs somewhere for the person cooking to stand without blocking everyone else.
This is real life stuff.
It is not nearly as interesting as picking beautiful pool tile, but it is the stuff that determines whether the backyard feels easy to use later.
Sometimes We Make the Pool Smaller
That sentence can make homeowners nervous at first.
Nobody wants to hear that their dream pool should be smaller.
But there are projects where taking a few feet away from the water makes the entire yard better.
Maybe those feet create a real dining area instead of a table squeezed against a wall.
Maybe they leave enough room for landscaping.
Maybe they create a walkway that does not feel cramped.
Maybe they allow us to position the spa somewhere that actually makes sense.
The funny thing is that once the whole yard is finished, nobody stands there wishing the pool extended another thirty six inches.
They are too busy enjoying everything that extra space allowed us to create.
Small Los Angeles Backyards Can Still Be Great Backyards
Los Angeles properties come in every shape and size.
Some have plenty of room.
Others require us to think about every foot.
A smaller backyard does not mean you cannot have a beautiful pool.
Sometimes it actually forces better decisions.
You cannot add every feature just because it looked nice online.
You have to decide what matters.
Maybe you choose a compact spa instead of an oversized one.
Maybe the Baja shelf becomes a little smaller.
Maybe a large waterfall disappears from the plan.
Maybe the pool shape becomes simpler so there is more usable deck.
Those choices can create a backyard that feels larger because nothing is fighting for space.
Good design does not depend on having unlimited room.
It depends on using the room you have well.
Outdoor Kitchens Can Change the Whole Layout
This is another feature homeowners sometimes add late in the conversation.
“We were also thinking about putting a barbecue over here.”
Then we look at where “over here” actually is.
Sometimes that one decision changes everything.
An outdoor kitchen needs more than countertop space.
Someone has to stand there.
Other people will gather nearby.
Food will move back and forth from the house.
You need a comfortable path between the cooking area and wherever people are eating.
That space needs to be considered just like the pool.
If outdoor cooking is a big part of how your family entertains, it deserves room.
There is no point building an enormous pool if everyone feels crowded every time someone tries to make dinner.
Landscaping Needs Space Before Construction Ends
Plants are easy to imagine squeezing in later.
Then the hardscape is finished.
The pool is finished.
The deck is finished.
And the little strip left for landscaping is much smaller than anyone pictured.
If privacy matters, think about it early.
If you want trees, think about where they will grow.
If you want planting beds that soften the pool area, give them enough room to actually do that.
Landscaping is not leftover space.
It is part of the backyard.
Even when the planting itself happens later, reserving room during design can make the finished project feel much more complete.
Safety Needs Its Own Conversation
Pool depth should never be discussed only in terms of appearance or entertainment.
Safety matters too, especially in homes with children.
Depth, entry areas, barriers, supervision, drains, and other safety considerations all deserve attention during planning.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Pool Safely program provides resources for families about residential pool and spa safety, including information about barriers and safer pool practices.
We encourage homeowners to think about safety as part of the original design instead of something added after construction.
A beautiful backyard still needs to be a responsible one.
Sometimes the Best Thing We Do Is Remove Something
This is one of those lessons that comes with experience.
At the beginning of design, people add.
A spa.
A waterfall.
A Baja shelf.
Fire bowls.
A bench.
Deck jets.
An outdoor kitchen.
A fire pit.
Then we look at the plan and realize the backyard is trying to do too much.
So we start removing things.
Maybe the waterfall goes.
Maybe the fire feature becomes simpler.
Maybe the Baja shelf gets smaller.
Maybe the pool loses a few feet.
And almost every time, the design starts feeling better.
There is more room.
The important features stand out.
The backyard stops looking like a collection of ideas and starts feeling like one place.
Removing something is not always a compromise.
Sometimes it is the decision that makes everything else work.
What Can Actually Be Built Matters Too
A homeowner may look at an open backyard and assume all of that space is available for the pool.
The actual project can be more complicated.
Property conditions, access, existing structures, utilities, applicable building requirements, and the specific design can all influence what can be built and where.
For projects within the City of Los Angeles, homeowners can review permitting and building information through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.
We prefer figuring these things out early.
It is much easier to design around a real property condition at the beginning than fall in love with a layout that needs significant changes later.
Materials Can Make a Smaller Design Feel Intentional
A pool does not need to be enormous to make an impression.
Sometimes the materials do more visually than another several feet of water ever could.
The right coping can give the pool clean definition.
A beautiful interior finish changes the character of the water.
Thoughtful tile adds detail without taking another inch of the backyard.
Decking can visually connect the pool to the house and make the entire outdoor area feel larger.
Homeowners exploring these decisions can look through our Pool Plastering and Finishes in Los Angeles, Pool Tile and Coping in Los Angeles, and Pool Decking in Los Angeles services while considering how the whole space should come together.
This is especially useful in tighter yards.
When space is limited, every material becomes part of the design.
Ask What You Will Use Every Week
This may be the easiest way to make difficult decisions.
Forget what looks impressive for a moment.
What will you actually use?
Will you sit in the spa three nights a week?
Keep it.
Will everyone gather around an outdoor table every Sunday?
Give that table enough room.
Do you have young children who will spend half the summer on the Baja shelf?
That shelf probably deserves some space.
Do you love the waterfall but know you will turn it off most of the time?
Maybe that square footage and budget belong somewhere else.
A backyard should not be designed around what impresses somebody for five minutes.
It should be designed around what makes your family want to go outside again tomorrow.
How Triton Pools and Spas Thinks About Space
At Triton Pools and Spas, we do not look at an open yard and immediately ask how much water we can fit into it.
We ask how the homeowner wants to live there.
Who swims?
Who sits?
Who cooks?
Who entertains?
How often will the spa be used?
Does the family want open swimming space or more places to relax?
Where should people gather when nobody is in the water?
Those questions help us decide what deserves room.
Sometimes the answer is a larger pool.
Sometimes it is a larger spa.
Sometimes it is more deck.
And sometimes the best decision is simply leaving a little open space.
If you are beginning to think about your own backyard, you can explore our Custom Pool Design in Los Angeles, Pool Remodeling in Los Angeles, Pool Plastering and Finishes in Los Angeles, Pool Tile and Coping in Los Angeles, and Pool Decking in Los Angeles services as you start putting the pieces together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. A larger pool can reduce the room available for seating, dining, landscaping, walkways, and other parts of the backyard you may use just as often.
Think about how often each will actually be used. A family that uses the spa several nights a week may value that space differently from a family primarily interested in swimming and pool games.
Yes. A Baja shelf occupies part of the pool footprint, which is why its size should be considered along with steps, benches, the spa, and the amount of open water you want.
There is no single answer. Consider the furniture you want, how many people you typically entertain, walking paths, outdoor cooking, and how people will move between the house and pool.
Absolutely. Smaller properties simply require more thoughtful decisions about proportions and which features deserve the available space.
Before You Ask How Big the Pool Can Be
Ask a different question.
What do we want this backyard to feel like when everyone is actually using it?
Picture the chairs pulled away from the table.
Picture towels on the deck.
Picture somebody cooking while the kids are swimming.
Picture friends sitting around after the sun goes down.
Picture an ordinary Sunday when nobody is trying to impress anybody.
That is the backyard you are really designing.
Sometimes it needs a big pool.
Sometimes it needs a smaller pool and more room around it.
Sometimes the spa deserves more attention than you expected.
There is no perfect percentage of water, deck, landscaping, or seating that works for every Los Angeles home.
There is only the balance that makes your backyard comfortable for the people who actually live there.
And finding that balance is usually where the best pool designs begin.