What a one-acre lot lets us build
Pinecrest lots give us space that most Miami backyards never have, and we design to use it instead of squeezing. A ranch house set back from the street usually leaves a deep rear lawn. That lets the pool run parallel to the back wall of the house, with a strip of shaded grass still left behind it.
A size that sits comfortably on these lots is 18 × 36, or 648 sq ft of water surface. We charge $230 per sq ft of water surface, so you can price a pool that size and see the shell before any extras.
Spas get their own spot
Pinecrest is where an attached spa has space to breathe. With open ground on both sides, a raised spa can sit at the end facing the family room and spill into the pool over a tiled edge. We form and shoot it together with the pool shell, which is why an attached pool and spa costs less built now than added years later.
Matching a low 1960s ranch
Single-story ranches have long, low rooflines, and a pool that echoes that line looks right from inside the house. We set the long side of the water parallel to the family room glass, so the view from the sofa takes in the whole length. Other outlines are in the pool shapes we draw.
Decks wide enough to live on
On a big lot the deck can be generous. A deep paver or travertine apron on the house side holds a table and loungers, with a narrower walkway around the rest. The pool deck goes in once the shell is shot and the tile and coping are set.
Permits come from the Village
Pinecrest is an incorporated village, so its own building department issues the pool permit, not Miami-Dade County. The package still starts with plans signed and sealed by an architect or engineer plus a current survey, and our Miami-Dade permit guide lists the rest.
Next door in Coral Gables, design review shapes the job more than square footage. Up in Broward, Southwest Ranches has acre lots too, with a rural town permit office.
Frequently asked questions
Should a pool on a 1960s Pinecrest ranch be a rectangle?
Usually, yes. A clean rectangle follows the long, low roofline of a single-story ranch. A sun shelf at the shallow end or a raised wall with bubblers on the far side adds interest without fighting the house.
How large a pool can go on a one-acre Pinecrest lot?
Size depends on setbacks and easements plus how the lot drains, which the survey and the site plan show. Concrete has no fixed width, so an 18 × 36 or larger is realistic on most acre lots. We confirm the footprint during plan review.
Do big trees limit where a Pinecrest pool can go?
They can, because roots and an excavator do not mix. We mark large trees on the first visit and keep the dig and the equipment path clear of them where the lot allows.
Keep reading
Reviewed
