Planning a Pool House or Cabana
More than a place to change, pool houses are ideal venues for enjoying outdoor living.
By Terri Shields
A pool house, also called a cabana, is more than a luxury: it can be an essential part of your backyard poolscape. When a pool party is going full tilt or you have the grandchildren over for a visit, the last thing you want is people in wet bathing suits running in and out of your home to grab a towel, a drink, or change of clothes. A pool house keeps guests poolside—and your home untouched by wet feet.
There are a variety of styles and types to fit your needs. It can be a simple unit that allows for storage and quick changing, or you may wish to build a complex, multi-story building that doubles as a guest house. In general, a pool house adds convenience and ease to your time spent poolside.
Types of Pool Houses/Cabanas
Pool houses and cabanas can be made of virtually any material, but are usually constructed from wood and include weatherproof and storm-proof windows. Prefab units are typically small one-room buildings that add a quaint cozy style to your poolscape. They often range from 100 to 300 square feet and can be used for storing towels, pool floats, games, and deck furniture. Some have overhangs where you can place a pair of cushioned chairs and sit comfortably in the shade.
Larger, more elaborate styles provide additional recreation space. They often include a kitchen, bathroom, changing room, and storage closets, plus a nook or two for napping or enjoying indoor activities. Including a shower saves guests from imposing and makes it easy for kids to wash up after a fun day in the pool. Add a bedroom and your pool house becomes a fully functioning guest house. Because these cabanas tend to be built from the ground up, professional assistance in the form of a general contractor and architect is necessary; this gives the homeowner a chance to truly customize the structure.
How to Plan
Before beginning a pool house project, you need to keep a few things in mind, and the most important thing is your budget. A prefab pool house can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $20,000 or more depending on size, and custom pool houses typically run $50,000 to $100,000 when adding additional rooms, floor space, or electronics. Luxury pool houses may be as large as 1,000 square feet and, when incorporating high-end finishes and materials, can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Secondly, pool houses, like any other building or addition incorporated into your property, must be in sync with the home’s architecture and the surrounding venue. Equally, you must consider the building’s proposed location. Will it support the luxurious pied-à-terre you envision or will you have to scale back your ideas a bit? By making a wish list along with a budget at the outset, you will be prepared for your meeting with a professional to develop your plans. Architects and building experts are fonts of information and will be able to recommend and dismiss amenities based on your budget and your setting’s attributes.
Another expert whose skills you may want to use is an interior designer. Unless you are one yourself or have an innate talent, talking to an interior designer will help you fill your new space with all of the conveniences of home—and do so with a style that harmonizes with you and your home. You may know that you want built-in sofas, a fully-stocked kitchen, and a wet bar along with a big-screen HD TV and surround sound; however, it often takes an expert to ensure that it looks beautiful, feels comfortable, and is kid-friendly.
One last thing to remember is that your pool house will be a self-sustaining unit. That means that plumbing, electricity, HVAC, and other technical issues need to be incorporated into your budget and handled with the proper permits and inspections. Your building professional and architect will usually handle this, but you should be up on your local government’s laws and procedure so nothing goes astray.
Once you decide to purchase a cabana or build a pool house, keep in mind that your backyard will become the go-to place for family and friends—and that your main house may be demoted to second place!
Additional Resources
Before you hire an architect or design team for your dream pool house, think about what you want in style and size. To find the style that fits you, your home, and your needs, you can consult magazines and the web for information, pictures, and examples.
There are a few other resource options, like the Coventry Pool and Garden House Plans book, that will help you to take the next step. Practical as well as inspirational, these idea books are more than pretty pictures. They allow you to think three-dimensionally, to see how the house will function, and to really understand if a particular plan is right for you.
Coventry Pool and Garden House Plans features 63 designs, all of which include detailed floor plans, architectural renderings showing exterior treatments, charts of amenities, and overall sizes. Once a model is chosen, building plans can then be purchased. Many homeowners have used this catalog over the years and have determined that it is a great value. As one relayed, “I found the building plans to be very detailed and included all the specs necessary from foundation to roof.” To order this book, please visit our bookstore or call 800-887-2011. (Building plans can be ordered via phone.)
Photos by Thomas Dorough