POOL BUILDER - SALADO TX
Custom Gunite Pool Construction in Salado, TX
Watercolor Pools designs and builds custom gunite pools, spas, and complete outdoor living spaces for homeowners in Salado — including Mill Creek, The Sanctuary, Salado Creek Place, and surrounding Bell County communities.
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Serving Mill Creek · The Sanctuary · Salado Creek Place · Amity Estates · Sterling Meadows · Overlook at Salado
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WHY WATERCOLOR POOLS
Salado's Custom Pool Builder
Salado is one of Central Texas’s most distinctive communities — historic charm, acreage lots, and a growing population of homeowners who’ve chosen it specifically for the quality of life it offers. A custom pool here isn’t just a backyard feature; it’s a natural extension of the way people live in Salado.
At Watercolor Pools, we’re based right in nearby Temple — less than 10 minutes from Salado — which means faster site visits, easier communication, and a team that knows Bell County’s permit requirements and local conditions intimately.
You work directly with the owner from the first consultation through final startup — not a revolving door of project managers. Every pool is custom-designed around your specific lot, your home’s architecture, and the way your family actually wants to use the space.
“Salado homeowners want a backyard that matches the quality and character of their home. That’s exactly the standard we build to.”
– WATERCOLOR POOLS
WHAT WE BUILD
Custom Pools & Outdoor Living Designed for Salado
Custom Gunite Pools
Fully custom inground gunite pools in any shape or size — designed around your Salado lot, your home’s architecture, and your family’s lifestyle. No cookie-cutter shells, no off-the-shelf designs.
Pool & Spa Combinations
Integrated pool and spa builds with spillovers, tanning ledges, and baja shelves — perfect for Salado’s generous lot sizes where a complete backyard retreat is achievable from day one.
Complete Outdoor Living
Full backyard environments including patios, pergolas, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and seating areas — designed as a single cohesive space rather than assembled piece by piece over years.
Fire & Water Features
Waterfalls, bubblers, vanishing edges, fire bowls, and fire features that elevate the finished environment and create a resort atmosphere in your own backyard.
Hayward Automation
Every Watercolor Pools build includes Hayward automation — control lighting, temperature, and features from your phone, whether you’re home or away. Standard on every project at no extra tier.
Permits & Septic Coordination
Many Salado properties are on septic systems. We coordinate around existing and new septic designs, manage Bell County and Village of Salado permitting, and handle all the paperwork on your behalf.
WHERE WE BUILD
Salado Communities We Serve
Mill Creek
Salado’s established golf course community featuring larger lots and mature landscaping. A natural fit for custom pool and outdoor living projects designed around the neighborhood’s upscale character.
The Sanctuary
A luxury enclave attracting buyers from Austin and beyond. Properties here call for resort-caliber design — pools that match the architecture and lifestyle of the homes they surround.
Salado Creek Place
Creek-adjacent lots with natural character and generous outdoor space — ideal for integrating a pool and outdoor living area that feels like it belongs to the landscape.
Amity Estates
Oversized lots offering real room for complete outdoor environments — pool, spa, covered patio, and entertaining space — without the constraints of tighter suburban parcels.
Overlook at Salado
New and custom-build lots in a scenic setting. We work with new-construction homeowners to design pools alongside their home build, so the backyard is ready when the house is.
Acreage & Rural Salado
Many Salado homeowners sit on larger rural parcels outside established communities. We design for these properties too — including septic coordination and well/utility planning where needed.
Contact us to schedule a consultation at your Salado property today
HOW IT WORKS
From Vision to First Swim in 10 Weeks
Consultation
We meet at your Salado property, listen to your vision, and assess your space. No pressure — just a conversation about what’s possible.
Custom Design
Our team creates a full 3D design and detailed proposal. We refine it together until every detail is exactly right.
Construction
Our experienced crew builds your pool with precision. We manage all permits, inspections, and timelines from start to finish.
Enjoy
Dive in. Your backyard vacation spot is ready — designed for Salado’s lifestyle and built to last for decades.
SALADO, TX
Built for the Salado Way of Life
Why Salado Homeowners Are Investing in Custom Pools
Salado has quietly become one of Central Texas’s most desirable addresses — attracting buyers relocating from Austin, and even from California and Colorado, who want the quality of Hill Country living without the pace and density of a larger city. These homeowners typically arrive with high expectations for their properties, and a custom pool is often a natural part of completing that vision.
With generous lot sizes, mature landscaping, and architecture that lends itself to outdoor living, Salado properties are genuinely well-suited for resort-caliber backyard designs. The long Central Texas swim season — often stretching from April through October — means a pool here gets real use year after year.
Acreage Lots & Septic Considerations in Salado
Unlike many suburban markets, a significant portion of Salado properties sit on larger lots served by private septic systems. Pool construction on these properties requires careful coordination — we need to account for septic tank and drainfield locations, setback requirements, and any engineering work needed to route pool plumbing without impacting the system.
This is something we deal with regularly across Bell County, and we treat it as a standard part of the design and planning process rather than an obstacle. We work directly with your septic designer or existing system documentation to ensure the pool is positioned and built correctly from the start.
Permitting in Salado & Bell County
Pool construction in Salado falls under Bell County jurisdiction for most properties, with some builds in the Village of Salado’s ETJ requiring additional coordination. Requirements include structural plans, setback compliance, barrier and fencing standards, and electrical inspection. Being locally based in Temple means we know these requirements well and have an established process for moving permits through efficiently.
What Does a Custom Pool Cost in Salado?
Most pool-only projects in Salado begin under $80,000, with pool and spa combinations typically starting under $90,000. Complete outdoor living environments — pool, spa, pergola, outdoor kitchen, and expanded hardscape — are custom-quoted based on full project scope. Larger Salado lots often allow for more expansive designs, and many clients choose to build a more complete backyard from day one rather than phasing it in later. See our pricing page for more information.
- Mill Creek
- The Sanctuary
- Salado Creek Place
- Amity Estates
- Sterling Meadows
- Overlook at Salado
- Acreage & rural properties
Lakeway Pool FAQs
How much does a custom pool cost in Salado, TX?
Most pool-only projects in Salado begin under $80,000, with pool and spa combinations typically starting under $90,000. Final investment depends on your specific design, lot conditions, and the features you choose. Salado’s larger lots often support more complete outdoor living designs, and many clients choose to build the full backyard from day one. See our pricing page for detailed ranges.
Do you build pools on septic properties in Salado?
Yes — this is a routine part of our work in Salado and across Bell County. Many Salado properties are on private septic systems, and pool placement requires careful coordination around tank and drainfield locations, setback requirements, and plumbing routing. We handle this coordination as a standard part of the design and permitting process, not an add-on.
Who handles permits for pool construction in Salado?
We do. Most Salado pool builds fall under Bell County jurisdiction, with some properties in the Village of Salado’s ETJ requiring additional review. We manage the full permitting process — structural plans, setback compliance, barrier and fencing requirements, and electrical coordination — on your behalf from start to finish.
How long does it take to build a pool in Salado?
Most Salado builds run 7–10 weeks from the day construction begins under normal conditions. Bell County permitting is generally efficient and often takes 1–2 weeks, making Salado one of the more straightforward jurisdictions in Central Texas to permit in. From your first consultation to your first swim, most clients are in the water within 4–5 months total.
Can I see a 3D design before construction starts?
Yes — we provide free custom 3D renderings on every project. After visiting your Salado property, we build a full rendering that shows the pool and outdoor space from multiple angles, using actual photos and measurements of your backyard. We refine the design until every detail is right before construction begins.
Are you local to Salado, or do you travel from far away?
We’re based in Temple, TX — less than 20 minutes from Salado. That proximity means faster site visits, easier communication during construction, and a team that genuinely knows the local permit environment, soil conditions, and what it takes to build well in this part of Bell County.
Do you offer pool financing for Salado projects?
Yes. We work with Lyon Financial and HFS Financial — two lenders specializing in pool and outdoor living loans — to help qualified homeowners move forward without paying the full cost upfront. Learn more on our financing page.
READY TO BUILD
Schedule Your Salado Pool Design Consultation
Tell us about your property in Salado and how you want your backyard to function. We’ll schedule a free on-site visit, walk the space with you, and develop a custom 3D design and proposal tailored to your home, lot, and lifestyle.