Pool & Spa Design & Build

JDO Pools & Spas is proud to be a turn-key designer and builder of luxury pools and outdoor living spaces in the Greater Richmond and Northern Neck areas.  All of our pools and spas are unique and customized to the desires and lifestyle of the client.

Whether your idea of a personal paradise is floating on a lazy river, spending a day at the beach, or travelling back in time to relax in a Roman-style bath, we can design and build a pool and outdoor living space that recreates that experience in your own backyard.

Why Choose JDO Pools & Spas

Designing and building a pool or spa is a big investment and choosing the right contractor to help you can be difficult. Here is why JDO Pools & Spas should be your first choice for your project:

  • Our pools and spas are personally customized to fit your lifestyle.
  • We are a fully licensed and insured class A contractor.
  • Our pools are engineered for maximum energy efficiency, resulting in reduced maintenance requirements and a lower cost of ownership.
  • As an authorized ecoFINISH® dealer and installer,  we offer a 10 year warranty on your aquaBRIGHT™ premium pool finish.
  • Experienced pool and outdoor living designer to bring your ideas to reality.
  • Proud member of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.

Continue reading for more information about the types and styles of pools we design, or click here to schedule a 15-minute discovery call.

To help inspire you and get you in the mood to learn all about options for swimming pool design, here's a quick video preview of one of our recent projects:

Types of Pools

As you research various types of pools, you’ll quickly discover that pools can be made from different materials such as shotcrete, gunite, fiberglass, or a hybrid of several different materials.  It can be a little bit confusing and overwhelming to understand the difference between these types of pools, so we’ve provided a breakdown for you here:

Shotcrete and Gunite Pools

Shotcrete and gunite are both types of hydraulically applied concrete.  The difference is that with shotcrete, the concrete and water are mixed prior to application, while with gunite the water is mixed with the concrete as it is applied.

Although there are advantages and disadvantages to each application method, from the standpoint of the customer the end result is the same as long as the application is done properly.  Either method will result in a high-quality concrete pool that is watertight and durable.  JDO Pools & Spas uses both the shotcrete and gunite methods for hydraulically applied concrete pools depending on the circumstances.

As you research gunite pools and read about some of the pros and cons of this method of pool construction, you may see references to gunite pools having a higher maintenance cost.  Ordinarily this would be correct, but thanks to the ecoFinish coating we apply to our pools, this is not a concern with pools that we build.

Hybrid Pools

A hybrid pool is one that uses concrete and fiber composite panels in a way that allows you to get most of the benefits of each material without the drawbacks of either.  Essentially, a hybrid pool uses fiber composite panels with a rebar and concrete bottom.  Without getting too technical, the benefits of hybrid pools include:

  • Installation time is reduced by up to 50%.
  • The installation process is less dependent on weather conditions.
  • They  are fully customizable unlike fiberglass pools. 

Due to the constraints of gunite and concrete JDO Pools & Spas offers hybrid pools and recommends this construction method to many of our customers.

Fiberglass Pools

Fiberglass pools are basically pre-fabricated pools created using a mold.  While they can be installed faster than concrete or hybrid pools, they really can’t be customized at all.  They are limited in size and shape, and—even when properly installed—they can bulge or crack.

Because JDO Pools & Spas is focused on creating personalized designs based on the desires of our clients, we do not install fiberglass pools.

Styles of Pools

Once you’ve decided what type of pool is right for you (in terms of construction materials), the next step is to decide what style of pool you want.  This is where the fun begins and you can let your imagination run wild. 

Here are some of the most popular styles of pools requested by our clients:

Geometric Pools

As the name implies, geometric pools are simply pools that have a geometric shape like a rectangle, square, oval or a combination thereof..  It’s probably what most people would picture when they think of a “swimming pool”. 

River Pool

Resort Style Pools (Freeform)

Freeform pools are exactly what they sound like—pools that don’t have a particular shape, but rather have contours that conform to the space where they are being installed (or to the whims of the client).  These pools are easier to blend in with the natural environment of your yard, and they also make it easier to incorporate other custom features into the design.   

Resort style pool

Zero Entry/Beach Entry Pools

Beach entry pools have a sloping entrance on one or more sides that starts at ground level and gradually slopes down to deeper water—just like you would experience when wading into the ocean from a beach (without all of the messy sand, of course).  This feature is becoming very popular and can be incorporated into both geometric and freeform pools.

Guitar-shaped swimming pool

Lazy River Pool

A “lazy river” style of pool is one where water is propelled through narrow canals, similar to what you might experience at a water park.  Many people who request lazy river pools incorporate a beach entry into the design.

Lazy River Pool

Contemporary Pools

If you hear the term “modern” when researching styles of pools, it is really just a way of referring to pool designs that incorporate the latest technology and  architectural trends such as LED lighting, vanishing edges, or any other style that is currently trending. 

Modern Pool

Spas and Hot Tubs

Spas and hot tubs are very popular as both stand-alone features or additions to a pool installation.  While the distinction between pools, spas, and hot tubs has blurred over the years as technology has evolved, the main differences are as follows:

  • The most obvious difference between these two is their actual use and location. Whereas a hot tub can have spa like qualities, a spa is often a standalone in-ground structure. Conversely, a hot tub is portable and has its own plumbing and electrical control systems.
  • Both spas and hot tubs can incorporate hydrotherapy jets that use water to massage your body and help you relax. While there are many features of  hot tubs that we can incorporate into our designs, there are limits to what is physicaly feasible to do with a concrete spa. 

Hot Tub

Additional Pool Features

Once you’ve decided on both the type and style of your pool and/or spa, the final step is to decide on what additional features you’d like to incorporate into the design.  There are many options when it comes to such features.  Here are some of the most popular:

  • Bubblers,
  • Water jets
  • Fire bowls
  • Fountains
  • Deck jets
  • Color lights
  • Swim jet packages
  • Vanishing edges
  • Sheer descent
  • Glass/plexi walls
  • Portholes
  • Swim bars
  • Tanning ledge

JDO Pools & Spas has partnered with some of the top brands in the pool industry to provide our customers with a wide range of accessory options.

Pool Covers

Pool covers aren’t just helpful for keeping your pool clean and reducing maintenance.  They are also critical safety features that are often required by law to reduce the risk of accidental drownings. 

There are many types of pool covers, including automatic pool covers, safety pool covers, solar covers, and leaf nets.  JDO Pools & Spas can provide you with any type of cover you need to secure your pool and keep it clean and safe.