For an estimate or if you have a question please contact us at (602) 569-6336
ROC Licenses: #094365, #352932, #352933, #361088
Water Features
Pool Water Features: What's Actually Involved
From a simple deck jet to a full rockwork waterfall, water features range widely in cost, complexity and upkeep. Here's what six common options actually involve.
Not All Water Features Are Built the Same Way
"Water feature" covers a wide range of actual construction, from a simple deck jet that's really just a plumbing and nozzle detail, up to a full rockwork waterfall that requires its own structural footing, plumbing loop and ongoing upkeep. Some features are near-zero-maintenance additions to an existing pool design; others are essentially a second construction project layered onto the pool itself.
The six options below cover most of what actually gets requested and built across the Phoenix Valley, roughly in order of increasing complexity.
Simplest Option
Deck Jets
Deck jets are small nozzles set into the pool deck or a raised wall that arc water into the pool. They're the simplest and least expensive water feature to add, since they're primarily a plumbing detail rather than a structural build — no rockwork, no separate footing, no additional structure beyond the nozzle itself.
Because they're inexpensive and low-maintenance relative to other options, deck jets are often the first water feature homeowners add to a design, and they pair well with almost any pool shape or style without needing to redesign the layout around them.
Best for: tight budgets, low-maintenance preference, adding visual and audible water movement without a major structural addition.
Shallow Lounging
Baja Shelf & Tanning Ledge
A Baja shelf (also called a tanning ledge) is a shallow underwater platform, typically just a few inches deep, built into one end of the pool for lounging in shallow water rather than swimming. It's technically a structural feature rather than an add-on water effect, since it's formed as part of the pool shell itself during construction.
Because a Baja shelf takes up part of the pool's footprint without adding swimming depth, it's a tradeoff between usable lounging space and total swim area — a consideration worth discussing early if the pool's overall size is already tight.
Best for: families with young children, entertaining, households that want a shallow lounging zone built in rather than added on.
Entertaining
Swim-Up Bars & In-Pool Tables
A swim-up bar builds submerged barstool seating into a shallow section of the pool, typically paired with a bar top or ledge at a comfortable seated height, so guests can sit in the water while socializing. In-pool tables follow the same idea at a smaller scale, giving swimmers a shallow spot to set drinks or play a game without leaving the water.
Both features need to be planned into the pool's layout from the start, since the seating shelf and bar structure take up dedicated space and depth in a specific part of the pool — they're not something easily retrofitted after a shell is already built.
Best for: households that entertain frequently, larger pools with room to dedicate a section to seating.
Full Structural Build
Waterfalls & Grottos
Waterfalls range from a tiered stone or concrete water bowl feature, like the raised scuppers shown here, up to full boulder rockwork with a cave-like grotto seating area built underneath. Every version requires its own plumbing loop and pump capacity separate from the main pool circulation, and rockwork versions need their own structural footing independent of the pool shell.
This is the most involved water feature category in terms of both upfront construction and ongoing upkeep — rockwork and grottos need periodic cleaning and resealing, and the additional pump adds to the pool's operating cost. The visual and sound impact is also the largest of any feature on this page.
Best for: resort-style designs, larger budgets, homeowners prioritizing visual impact over minimal maintenance.
Combined Feature
Fire & Water Combinations
Fire bowls and fire pits are often placed at the pool's edge or built into a raised wall alongside a water feature, running on a separate gas line from the pool's plumbing. The contrast of fire directly beside or above moving water is one of the more visually striking combinations available, and it extends the backyard's usable evening hours once temperatures drop.
Because fire features are part of Dolphin Pools' broader outdoor living scope rather than the pool build itself, they're typically planned alongside the pool design so gas lines and structural elements are coordinated from the start. See our Outdoor Living services →
Best for: evening entertaining, backyards already planning a broader outdoor living build alongside the pool.
Water Feature Comparison
A general guide to complexity and upkeep. Exact scope and pricing are confirmed during your design consultation.
| Feature | Construction Complexity | Ongoing Upkeep |
|---|---|---|
| Deck Jets | Low | Minimal |
| Baja Shelf | Low–Moderate | Minimal |
| Swim-Up Bar / Table | Moderate | Low |
| Waterfalls / Grottos | High | Moderate |
| Fire & Water Combo | Moderate–High | Low–Moderate |
What Our Clients Say
Dolphin Pools has earned a 4.9-star Google rating from more than 600 customers across its Valley locations.
Water Features FAQ
Some can. Deck jets and certain fire features can often be added to an existing pool with additional plumbing or gas work. Features that require their own footing or take up part of the pool's footprint, like a Baja shelf, swim-up bar or grotto, generally need to be part of the original design.
Yes, to varying degrees. Features with their own pump, like waterfalls, add to electricity usage. Simpler features like deck jets typically share the pool's existing pump and add minimal additional operating cost.
There's no fixed limit, but each feature takes up plumbing capacity, pump capacity and often physical footprint, so combining several requires planning the layout carefully during design rather than adding them individually later.
They require more upkeep than simpler features — periodic cleaning of rockwork, occasional resealing, and monitoring a separate pump — but they are not considered high-maintenance relative to other backyard features like a full water garden or koi pond.
Yes. Fire features are part of Dolphin Pools' outdoor living scope and are typically planned alongside the pool design. Schedule a free design consultation →
Ready to Add Water Features to Your Pool?
Schedule a free design consultation and find out which water features fit your pool's design and budget.
Dolphin Pools Construction • Established 1984 • Arizona ROC #094365, #352932, #352933, #361088