By Jeremy Ruben, Founder of LANDOVA Design & Planning · October 20, 2026
Before You Call a Pool Builder · Part 7 of 7
Jeremy brings firsthand experience as a high-performing pool salesperson and designer. During his time on a pool sales team, he closed deals at nearly three times the rate of the rest of the team.
You should be excited about buying a pool. You should also understand the project well enough to make the major decisions without guessing.
That is the starting point for LANDOVA: help the homeowner define the backyard, see the design, understand the investment and compare construction proposals on a clearer basis.
My experience selling and designing pools shaped this approach. I saw how powerful a good presentation could be. I wanted the entire decision process to be just as useful as the presentation.
Start with your household and your property
Before choosing a pool shape, we need to understand what the space should do. How do you spend time outside? Where do you want shade or privacy? Are you planning for children, guests, pets or changing needs? What belongs in the first phase, and what can wait?
We also look at the property information available and identify questions that affect the plan. Site documentation supports design, while boundaries, technical requirements and construction feasibility still need the appropriate professional verification.
The goal is a useful brief: a shared description of what you want to accomplish and the constraints that must inform the work.
Work through one connected layout
The pool, patio, furniture, paths, planting and outdoor features belong in the same conversation. LANDOVA develops the relationships between them before asking you to settle every finish.
This is where you can weigh meaningful alternatives. Would shifting the pool improve the view from the house? Does a different dining location create a better route through the yard? Is the future kitchen still practical after phase one?
Deciding those relationships first gives later selections a coherent foundation.
See what you are deciding
Visual deliverables help turn a drawing into something you can evaluate. Your agreed service scope identifies the specific deliverables and revisions included. LANDOVA’s design presentation can bring together:
- 3D imagery: views that help you assess scale, layout and how the major elements relate to the home.
- Daytime imagery: a clear look at the space, materials and planting in daylight.
- Golden-hour imagery: a different view of the atmosphere and how you may use the yard later in the day.
- Nighttime imagery: a way to discuss lighting and the evening experience.
- Cinematic video: movement through the proposed environment so you can understand connections that a single still image may not communicate.
These are decision tools. They are not photographs of a finished project, engineering documents or a promise that every pictured accessory is included in construction. We want the presentation and the written scope to tell a consistent story.
Connect design choices to the investment
Trade-partner input helps inform estimating and identify questions that affect scope or feasibility. The estimate should distinguish what is known from allowances and unresolved items.
If the plan needs adjustment, you can consider the trade-offs deliberately. You may simplify a feature, change a selection or organize phases. The aim is to preserve what matters most to you while making the proposed work and investment clearer.
Approving a stage moves the project forward. How quickly you review and decide influences the planning schedule; a fast process still needs clear decisions.
Then invite proposals for the project you chose
Controlled bidding gives participating trade partners a common design and scope to respond to. Clarifications, exclusions and alternatives can then be identified in relation to that shared basis.
You remain the decision-maker. Price matters, alongside qualifications, the actual team, communication, scheduling and the agreement. The process is designed to make comparison more useful; it is not a guarantee of the cheapest bid or a particular construction outcome.
LANDOVA’s role is homeowner-side design and planning. Construction is performed under the homeowner’s agreements with the relevant construction professionals. Their technical, permitting and construction responsibilities must be clearly assigned.
Bring a clearer project to a good builder
The point of this series is not that you will never need a pool builder. You will need the right professionals to turn an approved project into a finished backyard.
The point is that the builder should enter a decision process you understand. You should know what you want, what is being priced, what still needs verification and how the pool fits the rest of the yard.
Start with LANDOVA. Define the backyard. Then choose the team to build it.
Before you ask someone to price your pool, let’s define your whole project. You can also explore the design deliverables or review the planning process.
Read the complete series
- Buying a Pool? Why a Pool Builder Shouldn’t Be Your First Call
- You Want a Backyard. The Proposal May Only Include a Pool.
- A Pool Salesperson Is Selling a Pool. Who Is Helping You Plan?
- Three Pool Quotes Can Mean Three Completely Different Projects
- The Pool Price Isn’t the Backyard Budget
- Five Stars for the Sales Pitch. But Has Anyone Built the Pool Yet?
- The Better Way to Buy a Pool: Plan With LANDOVA, Then Choose Your Builder — You are here
