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Spools
The Perfect Blend of Spa & Pool
Transform Your Backyard with a Compact Pool-Spa Hybrid
A spool—a spa-pool hybrid—is the ultimate solution for small backyards or those seeking versatility without the footprint of a full-sized pool. This compact yet luxurious feature allows you to soak in warm, jet-powered hydrotherapy or cool off on a hot day, all in one beautifully designed space. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing retreat, a stylish focal point, or a year-round backyard escape, a spool delivers the best of both worlds.
At California Pools & Landscape, we specialize in custom-built spools designed for comfort, efficiency, and Arizona living. From heated hydrotherapy to a refreshing plunge-style design, we create a personalized water experience that enhances both your lifestyle and outdoor space.
What is a Spool?
A spa-pool hybrid, sometimes called a compact soaking pool, is a multi-functional backyard water feature that combines elements of a hot tub and a swimming pool. Typically measuring 20 feet in length and 10 feet wide, these scaled-down pools are designed for lounging, cooling off, and hydrotherapy rather than lap swimming.
Built-in jets, heating options, and seating make these versatile pools ideal for year-round use, transforming any outdoor space into a relaxing escape. Their smaller footprint makes them perfect for tight backyards, patios, and urban spaces, offering the benefits of a full-sized swimming area in a more manageable design.
Popular Spool Features
Hydrotherapy Seating
Built-in benches provide a comfortable soaking area
Adjustable Water Jets
Create soothing or resistance-based water movement for relaxation or exercise.
Heating & Cooling Systems
Enjoy warm, spa-like water in the winter or refreshing dips in summer.
LED Lighting
Custom underwater and perimeter lighting enhances ambiance.
Waterfalls & Deck Jets
Flowing water features create a calming, luxury aesthetic.
Custom Designs for Any Backyard
No two outdoor retreats are the same, and these multi-functional pools are fully customizable to match your style and space. Whether you prefer a sleek, contemporary design, a natural rock-lined lagoon, or a resort-inspired soaking pool, every feature can be tailored to enhance your outdoor living area.
Material choices like concrete, fiberglass, and tile allow for unique design elements, while custom add-ons such as infinity edges, integrated fire features, or surrounding pergolas elevate your backyard into a truly stunning getaway.
Why Homeowners Love Pool-Spa Hybrids
Not everyone has the space or need for a full-sized pool, and not every homeowner wants the upkeep and expense that comes with it. Compact aquatic features offer the perfect balance of functionality and luxury, providing a versatile, easy-to-maintain solution that works for a variety of homes.
Low Maintenance & Energy Efficient
These backyard spools require less water, fewer chemicals, and reduced energy use compared to traditional pools. They heat up quickly and use smart filtration systems to stay clean with minimal effort. For homeowners looking to reduce water consumption and lower maintenance costs, this is a sustainable solution that doesn’t compromise on comfort.
Designed for Relaxation & Year-Round Use
Unlike traditional pools that are used mainly in summer, heated plunge-style pools provide four-season enjoyment. Use it as a soothing hydrotherapy spa in the winter or a cooling retreat in the heat of summer. Whether you want stress relief, muscle recovery, or a peaceful outdoor sanctuary, this custom backyard upgrade adapts to your needs.
All Great Builds Start With a Conversation
Whether you need an estimate, funding, or inspiration from our award winning designers, we're ready to roll our sleeves up and start building your dream space. If you're not quite ready... keep scrolling!
Superior Water Filtration
Even though compact pools hold less water than traditional swimming areas, maintaining clear, balanced water is still essential. The right filtration system makes all the difference. Homeowners can choose between traditional chlorine, saltwater filtration for a gentler swim, or UV/ozone purification systems that significantly reduce chemical use while keeping the water pristine. With high-quality water management, maintaining your private retreat is effortless.
Efficient Heating & Cooling
One of the biggest advantages of a spa-pool hybrid is its seasonal versatility. With energy-efficient heating technology, you can enjoy warm, spa-like comfort in the winter and a cool, refreshing plunge in the summer. Gas and electric heaters allow for quick temperature adjustments, while heat pumps and solar heating provide long-term cost savings and eco-friendly solutions. Many homeowners opt for a combination of heating methods to maximize efficiency, ensuring their outdoor oasis is always the perfect temperature.
Smart Features for a Seamless Experience
These modern pools are designed for convenience, and smart technology makes them even easier to maintain. With automated control systems, you can adjust temperature, lighting, filtration settings, and water features right from your smartphone or tablet. By scheduling heating and filtration cycles, you can minimize energy use while keeping water conditions perfect. Whether you want to turn on spa jets before arriving home or adjust LED lighting for an evening soak, automated systems make relaxation effortless.
Eco-Friendly Spools
Because compact pools use less water than full-size swimming pools, they’re already a sustainable option. But additional features can further enhance eco-friendliness. Built-in pool covers reduce evaporation, maintaining consistent water levels while also preventing heat loss. Variable-speed pumps keep water circulating efficiently while using minimal energy. By integrating conservation technology, homeowners can enjoy a luxurious backyard feature while making responsible choices for the environment.
All Great Builds Start With a Conversation
Whether you need an estimate, funding, or inspiration from our award winning designers, we're ready to roll our sleeves up and start building your dream space. If you're not quite ready... keep scrolling!
How Do Spools Compare to Other Small Pools?
Want the comfort of a spa with the flexibility of a pool? A spool (spa + pool) delivers heated relaxation, powerful jets, and year-round enjoyment. But how does it differ from a cocktail pool or play pool? Here’s the breakdown:
Cocktail Pools
A cocktail pool is designed more for socializing and aesthetics than therapeutic use. While both a cocktail pool and a spool are small in size, a cocktail pool is usually unheated and meant for lounging rather than hydrotherapy. If you want a sleek, stylish water feature without spa elements, a cocktail pool is a great choice.
Play Pools
Play pools are larger and designed for activity. Unlike a spool, they are not heated and focus on games, movement, and cooling off rather than relaxation. If you prefer swimming and playing over soaking and unwinding, a play pool may be the better fit.
See What Our Customers Are Saying
Warren Price
Excellent work and service. Had our pool installed 5 years ago. Still great.
Marc Steadman
Nicholas was the project manager for our pool/yard remodel and stayed involved from beginning to end. His design analysis and expertise was always appreciated. But most of all we were thankful that Nicholas took personal responsibility that our project would end well. We could always count on Nicholas to respond quickly, and to find the right person to get our concerns resolved. Thank you.
Michelle W.
Our pool was just finished last week and the whole project went so smooth. The most stressful part was the design but our designer, Jacob was very patient with us and helped up design our dream pool. We had absolutely zero complaints once construction started. Darrin made sure that the process was very smooth. If we had any questions or concerns he was on it and we were always able to get in touch with him. Communication was great and you can tell he really cares about the end project. California pools has a great team set up to make sure your pool is everything you dreamed of.
Cynthia Graham
Our pool project was just completed. Cal Pools helped us with design, materials and all labor. Chuck, the project manager, was knowledgeable and professional; terrific to work with. Donna, our job coordinator, answered all our questions promptly, and made the whole process enjoyable. Work with them again in a heartbeat! BEAUTIFUL pool.
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.
Marilyn
We love our pool. Steve ,our construction manager, is a stickler for detail. Making sure everything is done right. Answering our concerns. And making sure everything was done to our liking. It was a pleasure working with both Steve and Jessica. I think the scheduling could be a little tighter but we would recommend California Pools to anyone looking to build their dream pool.
Craig Noel
I am one that rarely gives reviews because of their subjective nature but in this case as a business owner who understands the value of those reviews, I just had to give one and 5 stars it is. From the competent staff to communication up front and throughout the process, was remarkable given the large project at hand. The results are even better than the design and I could not be any more elated. I also will say that as we compared pricing before committing, my advice would be that you can't put value or quality in a "low dollar amount" as the final product and experience holds that for us. Absolutely must recommend California Pools!
Greg Ridgley
Cole Marvin is an asset to California Pools ! Cole is very knowledgeable, Great designer and Knows the Pool business prompt, returns calls & always on time. Good Person
Ron and Linda Uhle
Design of our pool and spa by Cal Pools was a work of art! The construction of the pool and spa took 7 months and had its ups and downs with construction quality . These issues were fixed by Cal Pool during the construction period. With about 1.5 months left to complete the pool, the Cal Pool construction manager quit or was let go. Cal Pool provided us with a fantastic new construction manager (Stephen Dreher) and he got our pool and spa construction back on track. Stephen provided us with clear explanations of the final steps to complete the project. He also explained in detail how the equipment worked and gave us tips on pool maintenance. Stephen Dreher rocks!
Katherine Regier
I have really enjoyed working with Nathan. He is knowledgeable and professional. California pools and landscape is very fortunate to have him as an employee .
Jill Raeburn
You will not be disappointed if you choose Cal Pools and Landscaping for your pool and yard project. They were all great to work with. From designer Robby to Stephen the project manager, it was an awesome experience. Thanks for making everything beautiful at my home and thank you for all the hard work!
Colin G.
California Pools built and entirely custom pool, deck and gazebo for us for our vacation property in Arizona. Building a pool remotely is challenging but they provided good updates and made the process enjoyable. We had some challenges with the pool after year one but when we contacted the owner they engaged an amazing support team that provided a detailed and through repair inspection and part replacement process to solve the problems. Gabe and Jessie were both outstanding and went above and beyond to solve the problems immediately with detailed communications. They stood behind their products and did not charge us for any repairs regardless of warranty policies. We would definitely recommend them to anyone and would ONLY use them to build another pool!! Thank you Gabe and Jessie for your outstanding customer service!!
Ginger S.
I am completely impressed with their customer service namely Shelly, Super friendly and helpful! Got all my questions answered and felt comfortable making a decision after speaking with her!
Carrie D.
From the very beginning Our experience with California Pools has been top notch. We were blown away with the exceptional design skills Cody was able to bring to life on a zoom meeting on our very first meeting. Cody was able to take every little detail and made it a reality before our eyes. I had so many compliments on how unique our pool was designed when it was still dirt and rebar. Jordan came out for the first time and answered all our questions with a realistic timeline. He always answered or returned our calls with a solution. Made sure every step of the way was paved and did what he said he would do without fail. If he didn't know the answer he found one, we were never left wondering. He kept tabs on all the projects and crews on site to keep us moving forward very quickly with a smile on his face! He was very personable. Then there was Sara! She handled all the scheduling of the project. Some days we would have 3 or more crews here and she kept them coming rapid fire it was outstanding the way it came together in such a short amount of time. Always going the extra mile to get what we needed done and at lightning speed!! Her calm friendly "Sunshine" attitude was a warm genuine experience. She always responded in the app right away with an answer or a solution. So far we couldn't be happier with our experience. I have waited my whole adult life and California Pools made my dream a reality in my back yard!!! Thank you
Eric Weston
Great experience, Pete, Les and Frank did a great job from design through construction.
Sean Leute
In a time of construction delays and problems facing all of Arizona's construction industry, CA Pools handled our project with the upmost integrity, honesty and professionalism. Our Pool and backyard is everything we could have ever hoped for. Joel Parron did a wonderful job designing our pool using references of a pool my late father built when we were growing up. Eric Collins our construction manager was up front and honest about every step of the way helping navigate a very difficult time with the construction industry during the pandemic. Nadine Chapman helped keep our schedule in order so I was never surprised when a construction team would show up. The company's app helped make communication a breeze. My family and I would recommend them completely!
Lonnie J.
With so many choices we think we found the best. Our sales rep Travis gave us many options and sold us on value over lowest price. Value that means a lifetime warranty on decking. The product he showed was truly amazing and a must have in the hot AZ summer days. You can feel a huge difference between cool deck and concrete. The scheduler was amazing! Marcee was responsive, timely and very detailed in her communication. Without her we would be left wondering what's next! The construction manager Shawn gave us the time and individual attention we needed. Made sure that every detail met our needs. There are so many other little things that make CalPools great but I can sum it up this way. We started our search on the BBB website and there are a lot of choices of pool and landscape companies. Save your self time and heartache; go with CalIfornia Pools and landscape and you won't be disappointed. On time completion No surprise charges or fees No subcontracting Great communication Amazing final product. A huge financial investment well worth every penny! PS that's the best dog ever Marshall! An amazing beagle mix rescue from Friends of Orange County
Antonio S.
I am a home builder and few times it happens to me to meet companies so good! They were the less expensive of 4 estimates, their schedule was perfect, no delays, I made some change of orders and they were very accommodating, (and also I had some refunds because they used less material and labor!), very communicative, and the pool is beautiful and working good.Thank you Brian Fox and Rebecca Schulte, see you at the next project!
Scott Stevens
Our rep presented a great plan for our build. Took the time to explain the details of the contract, warranties and the continuing aftercare for us and the work they preform. Heads above the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cocktail Pools
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