A resort feeling, the moment you walk out the back door.
The homeowners had just finished a new build in Veramendi, the master-planned community on the north side of New Braunfels near historic Gruene. They wanted a backyard escape — somewhere to step away from the daily routine, and somewhere to gather friends and family.
What they had was a new-build lot: grass to the fence line, no landscaping, nothing built yet. They had owned a pool before, so they came to the first meeting knowing exactly what they did and did not want.
The hardest requirement on this lot was water, not stone: the design had to maintain the community’s natural drainage and keep water moving off the deck and out of the property.
What the lot asked for, and how we answered.
The community drainage plan had to be preserved. Water crossing the new deck could not be allowed to pond or run toward the house or the neighbors.
We set hidden drains under the pony walls to collect deck runoff during Hill Country storms and carry it out to the grass area at the back of the lot. Nothing about the drainage is visible from the deck.
Like most of the Hill Country, this part of New Braunfels hits limestone almost immediately below the surface.
The dig was jackhammered out and the rock hauled off the site. We price rock excavation into Hill Country builds from the start, so the homeowners saw no change order when it showed up.
Having owned a pool before, the homeowners were specific: the tanning ledge had to be long enough to hold loungers if they added them later, and there had to be real seating inside the pool.
We drew the ledge full-width at the shallow end so loungers can sit in the water later without crowding the swim lane, and built bench seating along the shell so a group can sit together without leaving the pool.
Everything in this build.
Gunite, 15′ × 32′ rectangle with a full-width tanning ledge and in-pool bench seating
PebbleTec — French Grey
8′ × 8′ raised spa with a waterfall spill edge into the pool
Marble coping, squared edge
Dark glass mosaic at the waterline and across the spa spill wall
Large-format light-toned decking wrapping the pool, spa and lounge areas
Concealed deck drains under the pony walls, routed to the rear grass area
Pergola-covered dining and grill area, lounge deck, and planted beds framing the yard
“Being completely new to Texas, we were nervous about finding a pool builder we could actually trust. Thankfully, J. Oliver Pools exceeded all our expectations! The craftsmanship is beautiful, and we absolutely love our backyard—it feels like a private resort.”
What people ask about this project.
How long did this Veramendi pool take to build?
The dig started the week of Christmas 2024 and the backyard was finished in March 2025 — pool, raised spa, decking, pergola and planting. Most of our gunite builds in New Braunfels run 10 to 12 weeks from dig to fill, with weather and inspections the usual variables.
Does limestone rock add cost to a pool build in New Braunfels?
This lot hit limestone almost immediately below the surface, so the dig was jackhammered out and the rock hauled off site. We price rock excavation into Hill Country builds from the start, so the homeowners saw no change order when rock showed up. Our pool cost guide explains how that line item is quoted.
How do you keep a new pool deck from interfering with community drainage?
In Veramendi the community’s natural drainage had to be maintained. Hidden drains under the pony walls collect deck runoff during Hill Country storms and carry it to the grass area at the back of the lot, so no water ponds on the deck or runs toward the house or the neighbors. None of the drainage is visible from the deck.
What finish and coping were used on this pool?
PebbleTec in French Grey on the shell, marble coping with a squared edge, and dark glass mosaic tile at the waterline and across the spa spill wall.
Want something like this in
Veramendi?
We walk the lot, check grade, access, drainage and rock, then bring you a design and a line-item scope. No obligation.