You may want a pool, but when you look at your backyard, it looks less like a flat canvas to create your backyard dreams and more like the slopes of a grass-covered skate park. You have trouble envisioning what a swimming pool could look like in such an uneven backyard, and you’re here because you’re not sure if your yard can even support such a structure.

The good news is, it most likely can.

Every backyard is different, and the best pool for your backyard sometimes depends more on how much work you’re willing to do than on your yard itself. Aloha Pools and Spas is very familiar with this. With over 57 years of service, we’ve helped hundreds of customers find the best pool for their yard type and turn their dreams into reality.

In this article, we will discuss the different yard conditions that make installation easy for each type of pool and how those conditions affect your options.

Factors that determine which pool will work best

While any pool can work for most backyards, keeping in mind your yard’s slope, space, existing landscaping, entry limitations, and budget constraints will help narrow down your choices.

Flat backyards

Flat backyards are the ideal canvas for inground and above-ground pools.

Why they work well for inground pools:

A flat yard is ideal when you expect to have landscaping/specialized work done around the pool. For inground pools, flat backyards also make it easy to install a concrete deck.

There is very little post-installation dirt work needed for a flat backyard, since pool drainage systems are designed with flat yards in mind.

Flat backyards provide solid, consistent footing, which makes installs for each type of pool easier and quicker. Because no leveling is needed, flat backyards save money during construction.

When they make sense for semi-inground pools

Semi-inground pools were designed for sloped yards, but perform perfectly fine in flat backyards.

The flat ground is easier for installers because the pool is at a uniform depth all around. Flat backyards support a fully stone-wrapped look for a semi-inground pool better than sloped backyards do.

Semi-inground pools are generally good for a more permanent feel without the cost of an inground pool. This goes for flat or sloped backyards.

While they’re ideal for above-ground pools

Without a doubt, a flat backyard is the ideal condition for an above-ground pool. Very little dirt removal is needed because nothing is actually buried.

Installation tends to go extremely smoothly in flat backyards with above-ground pools. It is simple, and costs typically do not rack up for random added construction needs.

Sloped backyards

If you’re one of the people, as we mentioned at the beginning, who could probably ride a toboggan down your yard in the wintertime, this section is for you. Here’s how each pool type performs in a sloped backyard.

Inground pools

The truth of the matter is that while it is possible to build an inground pool in a sloped backyard, it will likely require extra excavation and retaining walls, which is an added expense. A retaining wall is a structure built to prevent your pool from caving in from the pressure of the dirt.

If you choose not to add retaining walls, extra dirt is hauled to the site and compacted to prevent the pool from caving in. This can take over 30 loads, and higher load counts approach what a retaining wall would cost anyway.

Retaining walls usually perform better than fill dirt, but each yard is different.

To sum it up, sloped backyards require more time, labor, and cost than an inground install on a flat yard.

Semi-inground

Semi-inground pools were made for sloped backyards. This is the ideal condition to build one, and it is the ideal pool for a sloped backyard if ease of installation is a concern for you.

Semi-inground pools can be partially buried into a hill. On a slope, installers can dig on the downhill side while keeping the uphill side near grade. If you do this, you only have to add retaining walls on the side buried into the ground, saving you money. Check out a timelapse of one of our semi inground pools here to see what this looks like.

Retaining walls, when done right, can create an attractive finished look for a semi-inground pool on a slope.

Above ground pools

Above-ground pools usually require significant leveling in sloped yards. If you plan to get an above-ground pool and you have an extremely sloped yard, be prepared to spend some extra money on site preparation. The team will level a spot in your yard to make this happen.

Talk with the sales representative about this cost and weigh the options of an above-ground pool versus a semi-inground pool. That way, you can compare the added expense with the installation tradeoffs.

Small backyards

Small backyards pose some challenges for the pool build, but they do not make it impossible. If your yard has the room, any of these pool types can be accommodated in your backyard. Here is how each option tends to fit.

Inground pools. These are fully doable in a small yard, and Aloha often installs ingrounds in tight spaces. In denser/larger cities, limitations such as lot size, overhead obstructions, electrical lines, trees, and existing walkways or fences can hinder progress, so adjustments typically need to be made before construction begins.

Semi-inground pools. The issue with semi-inground pools in small yards isn’t the size of the pool, but the size of the equipment. For instance, a standard skid steer might be able to dig the pool, but if it doesn’t fit in the space, rented equipment is needed. This delays the work because less material is moved per pass. Also, the customer pays the equipment rental price, so this is just another line item to consider when budgeting.

Above-ground pools. Because of access issues, above-ground pools are the most complicated to install in a small backyard. It is more common, however, in rural areas with larger unfenced lots for above-ground installs to happen in small yards, as trucks can pull up beside the pool with minimal access issues. It’s less common for particularly small yards to have an above-ground pool, as they truly only leave room for the pool itself.

Rocky or difficult soil

In most cases, the soil type does not dictate what pool type you need. However, there are preferred types for certain inground pool builds (see our breakdown of the different types here). Gunite/concrete pools do their best in hard clay-type soil rather than very sandy soil. This is because sandy soil does not hold its shape, so cutting any kind of edge in it risks the side collapsing and widening the hole. Gunite pools are dug to support the shell’s backside, so if that soil doesn’t hold its form, extra concrete will be needed.

Yards with drainage challenges

Every type of pool deals with drainage in some form, but the biggest issues are typically with inground pools.

Fiberglass pools: these risk popping out of the ground if the foundation is not done properly or if the pool is drained (an important rule: never drain a fiberglass pool). When there is heavy rain and cold weather, the groundwater around the pool can freeze, expand, and push against the shell. This only happens if there is no water in the pool to hold it down.

Vinyl-liner pools of any kind require extra care during heavy rain, as high groundwater can cause equalized pressure on both sides of the liner, causing it to lift/float off the wall. Like a fiberglass pool, the water helps ensure the pool is functioning properly and not floating away.

There is a mitigation that can be used: many inground and some semi-inground pools install a green pipe drainage system, which consists of a pump set in gravel near the pool that actively draws groundwater away to help prevent the liner from floating.

If your entire neighborhood’s drainage runs through your yard – a.k.a. you’re in a low area with frequent flooding – a traditional inground pool might not be your best bet, at least without additional work.

Can any pool work in any yard?

If there is space, yes, most pools can work in almost any yard. The biggest constraints come from budget, willingness to prep, and ability to rearrange. It can also incur additional costs, such as extra dirt, hauling, retaining walls, or specialized drainage systems.

Choose the right pool for your backyard

First and foremost, you need to consider what your backyard can actually handle in terms of space, machinery, and conditions. 

After this, look at your budget. Is an inground pool your first choice, but your yard’s significant slope has you excited about the opportunities that come with a semi-inground pool instead? Did you think you would save money by buying an inground pool, but after evaluating your yard’s shape and size, a petite inground pool is now being considered? 

Lastly, consider your long-term goals. Do you plan on this being here forever in your backyard? If so, you may want to splurge on a pool made to last. If your kids are young but you know that once they graduate high school, you’re no longer going to want to deal with the pool, maybe consider an above-ground pool.

Aloha Pools is here to help you turn your backyard from a large, empty plain of wasted mortgage into a beautiful, fun, memory-making space.

If you’re ready to take the plunge into the pool, contact us or visit one of our locations; we’re so excited to swim with you on this journey!