Pool waterfalls and grottos in Sarasota

Yes. Creative Edge Outdoor Living has built a boulder grotto with a waterfall inside a pool cage. The cage sets how tall the rock can go, so measure from the deck to the lowest beam over the spot, or send a photo that shows the end of the pool with the screen above it.

A large pool waterfall or grotto can need more water flow than the pool's filter pump gives, so it may need a pump of its own. A small one may not. Send a photo of your pool equipment with the estimate form.

Yes. A waterfall cools a pool because falling water adds evaporation, and evaporation carries heat away. The U.S. Department of Energy says "evaporation is by far the largest source of energy loss in swimming pools" (Better Buildings). In a Florida summer that cooling is welcome. If you heat the pool in winter, the waterfall works against the heater while it runs.

Yes. A waterfall tends to raise a pool's pH, because splashing water gives off carbon dioxide and losing carbon dioxide raises pH. The longer the waterfall runs, the more you will see it, so test the pH a little more often and adjust it the way you already do. Planning a waterfall? Tell us how your pool is set up when you call, and we will talk it through.

Usually, yes: a permit is needed if the waterfall changes the pool's structure, adds plumbing or electrical, or comes with a new gas pool heater. The City of Sarasota's pool checklist says "Any pool undergoing any structural changes will need to meet the requirements of a new pool" and "Any swimming pool, spa addition or remodel will be required to have a backflow installed prior to the pool Final" (City of Sarasota pool checklist), and the city requires a permit for new or altered electrical, gas or plumbing systems (permit guideline 105.1). Manatee County's list of work that needs a permit includes "Swimming pools" and "Natural Gas/Propane Gas Pool Heater Install", while "Repair/replacement of residential pool equipment other than pool heater" does not (Manatee County Building Division). Florida's exemption for work valued at less than $7,500 does not cover "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work" (s. 553.79, F.S.). Which office issues the permit depends on your address; our outdoor kitchen permit guide lists each one. Confirm with that office before you build.

Usually, yes, if your home is in a deed-restricted community, because rock on the pool is an exterior change. In Lakewood Ranch, the Summerfield and Riverwalk manual asks for "written approval received prior to commencement of ANY change" and says "Upon receipt of written approval, a homeowner may proceed with filing for building permits, if applicable" (Summerfield/Riverwalk manual); the design standards for Esplanade at Lakewood Ranch say exterior changes "must have prior approval of the Architectural Control Committee (ACC)" (Esplanade Community Design Standards, 2023). Ask your association for its current standards, and send them with your photos so the rock we draw follows its standards.

The price of a pool waterfall depends mostly on its size: how tall and wide it is and how much rock it takes. A full grotto is a bigger job than a waterfall. Fire features add to it. Call 941-879-4777 or send the form with photos of your pool.