Austin Custom Pool Builders

Modern Pools opened in 1999, and for more than 25 years we have designed and built custom pools across Austin and the surrounding Hill Country. Our work is rooted in one idea: the lot comes first. Before we sketch a single line, we study the slope, the soil, the trees, and the views, then design a pool that belongs there. That patient approach is why homeowners on the hardest lots in town call us.

Most of our projects sit on ground that scares off other builders. Steep drops, limestone shelves, and caliche are normal here, and they call for real engineering rather than a stock template. We have a licensed civil engineer and an architect on staff, so structure, drainage, and design are all solved together. Whether you want an infinity pool that spills toward a canyon view, a compact plunge pool for a tight backyard, or a sweeping freeform pool on acreage, we build it to fit your specific site.

The recognition our work has earned tells the story better than we can. In 2021 we were named to The World's Greatest Pools by Pebble Technology International. In 2018 our John Gaines Park Swim Center won the Dream Design Award from Aquatics International. Our public projects hold LEED Gold (Ella Wooten Park & Pool, 2010) and LEED Platinum (Mueller) from the U.S. Green Building Council. We were also named "Best Pool Design/Build Company" in the 2021 BUILD Magazine Architecture Awards, and our work has been recognized by Preservation Austin in 2014 and 2025.

Our pools and the people behind them have been featured in Architectural Digest, which put our work on its June 2023 cover, as well as Texas Architect, Tribeza, Luxe Interiors + Design, and Houzz. We are also an Austin Minority Business Enterprise, a Texas Certified HUB, and a member of the IPSSA, and we stay involved with AIA Austin.

Every project starts with in house 3D design. You walk through your pool, decking, and water features on screen before we break ground, so the plan you approve is the pool you get. From there our crews handle the full construction, from excavation and steel to gunite and finish, on one schedule with one clean worksite. Already have a pool that needs new life? Our remodeling team refinishes shells, retiles waterlines, and adds modern equipment and features.

We design the whole backyard, not just the water. That means water features like spillways, sheer descents, and spillover spas, plus outdoor living spaces with decking, kitchens, fire features, and shade. As a fully licensed pool contractor, we manage permits, inspections, and HOA submittals so your project keeps moving. Wondering about budget? Our design packages and pricing explains our four design tiers and the fixed price contract that locks your number in.

Choosing the right shape and material matters as much as the design itself. We work in durable gunite for one of a kind shapes, and we also build geometric pools for clean modern lines, small inground pools for compact yards, and fiberglass pools when a faster install fits the plan. During design we talk through how you will actually use the pool, who swims, who lounges, how you entertain, so the finished space matches your life rather than a brochure.

We build for homeowners across the region, from inner city lots in Austin and Tarrytown to the hillside views of West Lake Hills, Lakeway, and Barton Creek, out to the acreage of Dripping Springs. To see what that looks like in finished form, browse our portfolio of completed pools and backyards.

What ties all of this together is accountability. One studio designs your pool, engineers it, pulls the permits, and builds it, so there is no finger pointing between a designer and a separate crew. Your price is fixed before construction starts, and the gunite shell carries a structural warranty. When you are ready, we will study your lot, tell you the truth about it, and show you your pool in 3D before you commit a dollar.