Is A Baja Shelf For Me?

A Baja shelf will be a good fit for you if: You enjoy relaxing in shallow water You want a shallow section for children to play You want a variation of depths in your pool A Baja shelf might not be the right fit for you if: You are looking for a lap pool You enjoy swimming in deep water

Where Does A Sun Shelf Go In My Pool?

A Baja shelf can be the first step into your pool, sometimes referred to as a Baja step. It can also be the second step, with a step located along the pool's edge to help with entry and exit.

What is the Average Depth of a Baja shelf?

A tanning ledge typically has a depth of around 4 to 12 inches. The exact depth can be customized based on your preferences and intended use, with shallower depths ideal for lounging and deeper shelves for a broader range of activities.

Can I Have Water Features On My Baja Shelf?

Absolutely! Adding water features to your Baja shelf can enhance both the visual appeal and the ambiance of your pool. Popular choices like parascope fountains create stunning effects by shooting streams of water above the pool’s waterline, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere.

Can I Use An Umbrella On My Baja Shelf?

Umbrella sleeves can be installed into your baja shelf to elevate your pool into resort status! This will ensure you can catch some rays and escape from the sun when you want to cool off.

What Type of Chairs Can I Use On a Tanning Ledge or Baja Shelf?

Tanning ledge chairs, known as sun shelf loungers, withstand water exposure. Manufacturers make them from materials like resin or fiberglass, ensuring they remain underwater without deteriorating.

What is a Baja Shelf?

Cost, Depth & Design Options

Everything You Need to Know About Baja Shelves

When you’re building a pool, you might hear a lot of words that you’ve never heard before. Scupper, bond beam, Baja shelf; we promise we aren’t making up words! Design trends come and go, but a Baja Shelf stands the test of time!

A Baja shelf, a tanning ledge, sun shelf, or extended step, is a wide, flat, shallow area in a swimming pool typically 6–18 inches deep. It's usually built at the pool's entry point, creating a smooth transition from the deck into the water. Baja shelves are designed for lounging, sunbathing, playing, and cooling off and can be a good option for people who like to relax in shallow water, have children or want a variety of depths in their pool.

How Much Does a Baja Shelf Cost in Arizona?

A Baja shelf pool, sun shelf, or tanning ledge typically costs between $1,000 and $1,500, varying based on size, depth, and additional design features.

At California Pools & Landscape, we understand that each backyard design is unique and should meet your specific needs and budget for outdoor living. To help you understand the cost of your dream pool entertainment area, we’ve created several resources to guide you in determining your project scope and budget.

How Deep is a Baja Shelf?

Baja shelves sit submerged underwater, but how deep under the water do they typically sit? A Baja shelf can sit anywhere from 6” – 18” under the waterline, depending on your preference.

If you’re looking into a Baja shelf, it’s essential to remember that any custom pool builder will offer various options for the depth. Depending on your preference for functionality when using your sun shelf, having the water at a shorter depth might make sense. At California Pools & Landscape, we typically build 6”, 12”, or 18” below the pool's waterline.

6” Baja Shelf

Creating a Baja shelf 6 inches below the waterline lets the water cover your legs while you relax in your chair. This shallow tanning ledge is popular for homeowners with children and small dogs. Dogs can easily hop in for a quick dip to cool off. Additionally, the shallow depth provides a safe area for small kids to play in the water.

12” Baja Shelf

Building a Baja shelf 12” below the waterline will allow the water to come up to your midsection while seated. This is a nice depth for you to kick out your legs and relax. This is a very popular depth for those looking to create a kiddie pool water height for children to splash around in the shallow water.

18” Baja Shelf

Building a Baja shelf 18” below the waterline will allow the water to come up to your arms while you are seated. It is at the same level as a pool bench. This is a popular selection for pool enthusiasts who want to put a lounging chair on the Baja shelf and relax with the lower half of their body in the water while the top of their body is above the surface.

What Design Options Are Available For A Baja Shelf?

When it comes to designing your Baja shelf, you have many options. The shape, size, and depth are all important decisions. This means the choices are endless when planning a Baja shelf because the configuration can be completely customized to fit geometric or freeform pools.

Your Baja shelf should mirror the design characteristics of your pool, with either straight lines and sharp angles or a free-flowing feel with round curves.

First Step Baja or Second Step Baja?

Do you want your shelf to be the first step into your pool? This initial entry is a popular option. Another trending design option is having a normal entry step and having your baja shelf below that. You likely haven’t thought about this decision before, but these two options have a different appearance.

First Step Baja Shelf

A first-step Baja shelf is an extended entry step into your pool. This design choice provides an immediate large landing zone for entry and exit out of your oasis. Typically, these are created with a shallower depth than a second-step Baja shelf.

Second Step Baja Shelf

A second-step Baja shelf typically sits deeper than a first-step Baja shelf. These are also customizable to the size and shape of your choice. The first step will be connected to the Baja shelf, which can be small or large and located at a preferred entry point into your pool.

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Upgrade Your Tanning Ledge with Custom Features

Transform your pool into a luxurious retreat with additions like stylish umbrellas, comfortable tanning chairs, and elegant specialty tiles. These enhancements not only elevate the aesthetic appeal of your pool but also create a personalized and relaxing space, making your backyard the ultimate destination for comfort and enjoyment.

Shaded Oasis with Umbrella Sleeves

Adding umbrella sleeves to the design of your Baja shelf will enable you to easily add an umbrella to your environment. This can be a great addition whether the kids are playing on the Baja shelf or if you’re looking to escape the sun and relax.

Depending on the size of your shelf, you might be able to include multiple sleeves in your design. This would allow you to create an option for extra relief in places that get a lot of sunlight year-round, like Arizona, while relaxing in the water.

Enhance Your Pool with Water Features

Water features are another popular design feature to add to your Baja shelf. They can be added to create symmetry in the design and add ambiance to the yard. Parascoping fountains are popular additions. They shoot water up above the pool’s water line, creating a relaxing look and sound in your backyard.

Elevate Your Pool Design with Specialty Tiles

If you’d like to enhance the design of your Baja shelf with some specialty tile, there are several that you could add. We’ve seen rows of tile added near the step edge, mosaic designs and custom creations over the years.

Tile options provide you with a chance to add some flair or personality to your project. A Baja shelf is prime real estate for a specialty tile because it sits so close to the surface. Often, these tiles will be an upgrade and add to the cost of your project.

Poolside Fun with an Integrated Pool Table

You can also enhance the design of your tanning shelf with a raised table to sit around. This will instantly create a popular watering hole to congregate around in the shallow water.

It is also possible to insert planters, creating an island effect in the middle of a Baja shelf. This can add a dramatic design pop, a tropical feel, and a ledge for sitting on or resting drinks on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now that you know more about a baja shelf, can you envision one in your pool? This can be a tough decision, but ultimately, we’d encourage you to strongly consider the functionality that you’re seeking from your pool.

If lounging in shallow water while catching some Arizona sun is how you can picture enjoying your pool, a Baja shelf is a great investment. If having a shallow area for children to enjoy is high on the list, a sun shelf is worth including in your pool budget.

See What Our Customers Are Saying

Annie G.

I could not be happier with the customer service provided by California Pools and Landscape. We had a few unforeseen hiccups along the way, but Noah S & Vianna L took great care of my project and resolved the issues. To me, customer service and warranty follow through are as important (if not more than) the product, and they have absolutely delivered on all fronts. I was referred to Cal Pools for the customer service and Noah and Vianna did not disappoint! They both attended to my project and the warranty repairs as if it was their top priority even though I know they have many other customers to serve. Our pool and landscaping are absolutely beautiful and we are thrilled to get to enjoy our heated pool year round. You have earned a life long customer!

Luke J.

We decided to go with Calpool for that lifetime warranty. The price is a little steeper than other companies, but it's hassle free once it's done. We met with Ryan Delfino who was incredibly knowledgeable and customer centric. Having never built or owned a pool He was able to fill In all the gaps for me. We opted for a UV Ozone pool since our kiddos are chlorine sensitive. The pool Turned out incredible. It took a little longer than originally anticipated. A lot of crews on the construction side went down with Covid and we booked the job right at the start of a pool rush. Really that was the only negative but if anything it was out of their control. Our construction manager Duane was great, super responsive and always stopped by if we had any concerns. We went with black onyx pebble tec with black slate on the side of our fire pit and spa. We also chose the frost travertine. Great team great app great pool!

Chris S.

Absolutely love our pool and landscape project we did with them! Everything went very smooth. Shelley Z. In warranty has been great with the few minor items over the last year. Highly recommend!

J L.

My pool was just completed. In time for the holiday weekend & the summer! Everyone on the team (from design to completion and set up) was professional, friendly, and communicative. The only concern that came up during the build was immediately addressed and didn't delay the process. We are happy. Thank you Jordan for building a great-looking pool!

Gary Y.

We just had some warranty work done on our ten year old California Pools spa. We were on a very tight schedule to get the work done. Chelle Aubrey (Warranty Coordinator) did an excellent job assisting us in getting the work completed as needed. We are most grateful. GLY

David H.

It took a while with Covid and supply chain issues but the people and quality of work is very good

Brad B.

Robby did the design layout for our pool and the finished product looks like we expected. Sean Beavers was the project manager and we were impressed with how well the job was handled. It is a very tight backyard and they did a great job keeping things in order, as orderly as you can with piles of dirt, trench and piping. Leann kept us informed on the timing. As with most projects, there are some issues that come up. All issues were addressed in a timely manner and absolutely no issues at this time. CA Pools was not the lowest price for the proposals that we received but we chose them due to the reputation and most times you get what you pay for. We would definitely recommend CA Pools.

Stan Chaput

I wish to express my thanks and gratitude for the service quality I experienced from dealing with California Pools and especially Leslie Gallegos and to Todd the Technichan. Their efforts in response, communication and professional repair are commendable. My compliments to the company, and these two individuals who represent the company.

Eric C.

First time pool owner, Highly recommend!

Anne Sinnott

California Pools and Landscape was a pleasure to work with. I had asked for a design idea for a backyard that is currently all pavers in AZ. They came up with a beautiful concept, which will allow buyers of the property to visualize the potential to build a backyard oasis. Thank you Dave & Sydney!

Brian S.

About 3 weeks ago my pool was acting difficult and I thought I had sink holes in my yard. I called California Pools for help. Mike McCormick and Jesse came by later that same day. Jesse fixed the pool immediately and help me understand what happened and how to prevent it from happening again. Mike was methodical but determined to find my problem. Once he finished going through the sprinkler system and it's layout, he had his answer. He did a great job explaining my issue , what he was doing to solve the problem and things to look for. Great customer service I really appreciated those two.

Jennifer D.

Once we made the choice to build a pool we got our quotes. Ted came out and did an amazing job designing the dream pool just by listening and having a conversation. I didn't feel like he was trying to sale us something we didn't want! Lucky us we fell right into the timeframe with a shotcrete shortage BUT even though we had to wait several months longer then first quoted the California pools team kept us up to date of progress! The end result has us enjoying our backyard and the warranty part of the package is fantastic as it is just a call away!

Brian G.

I rarely (never) write reviews but given our experience with the California Pools team, I felt it was important for those considering a pool / landscaping company. My Wife and I researched several pool and landscape companies for our newly built home and CA Pools and Landscape impressed us from the beginning. Steve R's thoughtful design helped us capture the look and feel we were looking for and his expertise and attention to detail was something we didn't see from others (not even close). He was patient, answered all of our questions, was never "pushy" and made our initial encounter very pleasant. Although we had built 3 prior pools, he was also very helpful in educating us on the latest equipment, codes, etc. Once the project was set to begin, Sarese (Scheduling Manager), was amazing; keeping us on schedule, arranging each of the trades with very little down time and provided details on each step in the process by giving us regular updates on the project. She responded to most every inquiry often within the hour or even minutes! From there, Duane (Construction Manager), did and excellent job overseeing the project and always made himself available for questions and / or to meet (at our convenience) to go over things. Like any major project, we had a lot of questions and a few minor corrections but Duane and Sarese's attention AND follow up was always outstanding. In fact, Duane identified a couple of things that I wouldn't have noticed but he felt it was important to complete things according to the plan.... sadly this is, something that you don't often find these days. I could go on but in a nutshell, everyone in the organization delivered what they said they would (and more) and genuinely seemed to enjoy their job and the Company they work for. We would highly recommend California Pools and Landscape! Brian and Sandy G Gilbert, AZ

Gregory M.

We moved from Colorado about three years ago and did our research with pool companies before we decided on CPL for our pool, spa and landscaping for our home in Laveen, AZ. Last week a coping stone on the spa came loose and we thought we'd fix it but then we reached out to CPL and heard back the same day from Connie who seamlessly coordinated the set up and scheduling of the repair for the same week on a Saturday and then she emailed back and said they could do it a day earlier! Her communication and the workmanship of the CLP trades has been excellent. We continually get compliments about our pool and we absolutely LOVE IT ... CPL made that possible!

Aaron Piekarz

Although we didn’t continue with the pool process Ryan was extremely helpful in guiding us in the right direction. His knowledge of the industry and his ability to design a pool is top notch! When ready again will definitely be reaching out to him directly!

Christina H.

California Pools did a great job on my pool and spa. Everyone that I worked with was very professional, courteous and friendly. I would highly recommend them to install your new pool.Gordon

Kirby Bayerle

We used CPL for our landscaping and pool at our new home. We were happy with responsiveness from initial plans and consultation through the final phases and completion. The team did a good job of communicating throughout the project on their CPL App. Steve D did a nice job as our project manager. We would recommend CPL for pool and landscaping.

Brittany L.

We had a great experience with California Pools! Our sales rep Mike was very direct & to the point with designing our pool. He was able to capture our ideas into the perfect plan. Once construction began it was smooth sailing with our construction manager Pete B.! He was definitely on an amazing schedule that kept the whole process running smoothly to get our project done as soon as possible!!! He also was able to respond back to any questions we had throughout the process immediately. Thank you so much for everything Pete. We love our pool!! -Brittany & Emir

Kate L.

Our supervisor was Nathan Reyes and he is my reason for this 5 star review. Nathan was truly the best!! Our designer left half way through the project but Nathan never missed a beat and got everything done and more!! Thank you Nathan and California Pools did an amazing job.

Jason V.

Joshua, Marissa, and Jeremiah did an amazing job taking our vision from start to finish.

Bill and Jen Burkhead

2 minutes ago California Pools provided an outstanding experience in the transformation of our backyard. They were very competitively priced and did not try to upsell us on unreasonable features, in fact helping us understand that some of the operating features that we had in mind were unnecessary. We signed in Oct 2021, expecting a lengthy process, knowing most pools around this time were taking 12 months or more. The pool and landscape was completed 7 months later. There were a couple of delays along the way, but the level of communication was so high that we were prepared for any curve in the road. And since completion, they have reached out numerous times to ensure all is well. Outstanding product! Outstanding service! - Bill B

Barr Segal

Great job by Alan fixing a problem with the water line to the pool and installing an extension in the fill valve. He was very efficient and answered all my questions. Thanks also to Kathy Venn for setting it up (and putting up with my schedule changes).

Al W.

Let me start off by saying the process wasn't as smooth as I wished it would have gone. When it didn't go as planned, Stephanie stepped in and made her best of a tough situation. The speed of workmanship was as expected and when it was time to finish, Stephanie got us to the finish line as promised. We had our site superintendent, Kevin, get the final touches addressed and made us to feel our expectations were not unfounded. In all, pool remodels are stressful, but the team was up to the task. Cory, thank you for having us believe in the process even in our most stressful times. Much appreciated!

Melissa K.

California Pools is an absolute amazing company to work with. We met with many different companies to build our ideal pool. From the first meeting with Christopher Robinson, we knew this company was special. Chris listened to exactly what we wanted and made a computer image of our vision within 15 minutes. It was exactly what we had described!! Our Construction Managers Jordan and Steve were great people to work with. They kept us updated and on schedule. If something changed, they would contact us immediately with updates. Karl our Hardscape Manager was also on top of everything. He took every concern we had and made them right. We have heard horror stories of people building pools and things going wrong, not with this company. They were amazing!! We can not recommend CA Pools enough. Thank you CA Pools for making our dream backyard a reality!!!

Peggy VanZutphen

All turned out well; Cal Pools has a professional group for all aspects of pool and landscape construction, and they work in concert with each other efficiently to get the job done. Stephen Dreher, superintendent, coordinated the professional team to a high quality result.

Debbie Harmonson

Put a down payment on a new pool, far California pools and their employees have been great. Their customer service has been exceptional. I will update once it has been completed. I especially there online application. It is user friendly, and greatly appreciated. Knowing all upcoming steps helps to reassure us.

Paul D.

It's coming up on one year that Cal Pools/Spa have completed our home project. It took a long time but the finished product is absolutely Beautiful in every way. Before signing the contract we had decided on two pool companies and with Cal Pool's reputation & years of experience we went with them. So happy that we did. Now after the pool is done you're never sure how good Customer Service will be after the project is completed? Well today was a great example. I'm in the hospital after having surgery & my son notified me that the pool filter system was not working. So I notified Duane Cal Pools to ask if there was something he could do? Speaking of Great Customer Service, Duane personally went out to my house to take a look. He found the filter valve was not back to the proper position & fixed the problem. I appreciate his efforts so much. It's things like that that really makes us happy & once again reminds us of how good of a company California Pools is. I've always enjoyed working with Ryan, Duane & the rest of the team. Keep up the Great work. There's a reason why California Pools has the reputation it has. Paul & Kathy Dustin Gilbert, AZ

Jasmine V.

After talking with a few pool companies, we decided on California Pools. They were professional and conscientious and made our dream backyard a reality. We're very happy with the results. I would highly recommend them.

Jenny W.

California pools is a great company that cares about quality work and customer satisfaction. Our project started off rocky due to our designer no longer working there however the new designer Marc took over and gave us some good ideas while keeping our budget in mind. Our construction manager Sean B. was awesome. I had a ton of questions since it was our first pool build and construction project and he always took the time to explain things and address any concerns I had quickly. He checked in on our project often and fixed any minor issues easily. He is a great asset to the company. Sarese in scheduling was very sweet and knowledgeable and always kept me informed on the different stages taking place and what to expect. She would email me or call me right away whenever I had questions. Our pool finished ahead of schedule and is so gorgeous! We can't wait to start using it more in the hot months it's our own little paradise. I highly recommend a grotto it is the highlight of our pool and everyone that sees it raves at how cool it is and how beautiful our pool is. A+ to Cal pools and the professional hardworking crews that made our dream backyard a reality!

Ken K.

My service tech Patrick Davis showed up on time, evaluated my pool and recommended some changes I could make to keep my pool looking great. He didn't mind me asking questions and gave me great feedback.