Designing a Custom Pool for a Gilbert Backyard

Published July 1, 2026

A custom pool starts long before any dirt moves. The best backyards in Gilbert come from a design process that begins with how you actually want to use the space, not with a shape pulled off a shelf. Here is how we think through a custom design so the finished pool fits your yard near Lindsay Road and the way your family lives.

Start With How You Will Use It

A lap swimmer, a family with toddlers, and a couple who entertain want three different pools. Before we talk shape, we talk use. That conversation decides whether you need a shallow tanning ledge, a deep end for diving, a raised spa for cool desert evenings, or a wide shelf for lounge chairs in the water. The use drives the design, and the design drives the build type.

Let the Lot Shape the Pool

Gilbert lots vary a lot, from wide parcels in Power Ranch to tighter footprints near the 85295 zip. Sun exposure, drainage slope, setbacks, and the view from your kitchen window all shape where the pool sits and which way it faces. A good design works with the lot instead of fighting it, placing the deck where you will actually want to sit in the late afternoon.

Match the Build Type to the Budget

The three build types hit different budgets. Vinyl-liner carries the lowest first cost, fiberglass installs fast with a smooth gelcoat interior, and a fully custom gunite pool gives you any shape and depth you can draw. If you already have a pool that just looks tired, pool remodeling can deliver a fresh pebble finish and new tile for far less than a rebuild.

Design the Features In, Not On

Water features, automation, and decking are cheapest when they are designed into the pool from the start. A spillover spa, a sheer-descent waterfall, deck jets, and a smart controller that runs the whole system from your phone all cost far less built in than bolted on later. The equipotential bonding grid, the plumbing runs, and the deck footprint all get planned together in one drawing.

Get It On Paper First

The single best move is a written design proposal before excavation. It turns a backyard conversation into a real plan, with the shell type, the finish, the features, and the price spelled out so there are no surprises when the crew arrives. A clear drawing is what keeps a build this size on track.

Thinking about a custom pool for your Gilbert backyard? Call Mybeverlyhillskitchen at (480) 996-1809 or contact us for a free on-site design consultation.