When you think of summer, it’s hard to beat the thought of hanging by the pool while enjoying the warmth of the Sun and the smell of delicious food wafting over from your outdoor kitchen. What more could you want? What about a pool house with towels, a bathroom, snacks, and anything else that could make your summer pool days even better?

Pool houses can be used for any number of things, but often serve the basic functions of a changing area for swimmers, restroom, and kitchenette area. Pool houses are not cheap additions, and when designed with the help of a great architect they can transform any outdoor area.

Know the Laws

The first step in building a pool house is knowing what’s legal. This is an area where partnering with an experienced architect can really pay off. Seasoned architects know the local building codes and can ensure your pool house is completely legal. Building codes often have requirements for how far the pool house must be from the main house, the pool, the neighbor’s property line, etc. Getting those things right is a must because you certainly don’t want to have to tear down your investment due to building code infractions.

How Much Does it Cost?

It can be pretty easy to get excited about a pool house project, but how much does it cost? As with many things, the costs can vary wildly. For a detached 300-square foot pool house, the average cost is about $114,000. A basic prefabricated pool house can cost as little as $26,000, while a higher end pool house can cost you more than $180,000.

Blend Your Pool House with Your Home

Your pool house doesn’t have to perfectly match your home, but you don’t want it to feel like an afterthought either. Your pool house should have a similar aesthetic and should have a floorplan that complements the rest of your home. Keep privacy in mind too with extra blinds, frosted windows, and privacy screens. With many guests changing in the pool house, keeping privacy a key component will keep your pool house highly functional.

Keep the Water Outside

If you have a pool, you know how difficult it can be to keep the water in the pool. Even when people towel off, water still seems to end up in puddles all throughout your home. Use your pool house to cut down on water in the home by providing what people need outside. Whether restrooms, access to snacks, music, or any other reason, make sure your pool house will be designed to keep all of your pool goers outside.

You Can Never Have Enough Storage

Whether pool toys or chemicals and pool accessories, you can never have enough storage. When designing and building your pool house, include enough space to keep all of these things within easy reach of the pool. Keep in mind how much space you’ll need for winter storage also.

Build a Pool House to Last

Pool houses may look small and vulnerable, and they can be unless they are built to last. When deciding how to build your pool house, keep strength and resilience in mind.

Using strong, reliable materials like insulated concrete forms (ICFs) results in construction that can withstand a hurricane while also providing an incredibly comfortable and energy efficient interior. ICFs are cheap and easy to build with, and they save both time and labor on the jobsite.

ICF blocks consist of an inner and outer layer of insulation secured together with a design that allows the blocks to be stacked together as needed to fit the design of your pool house. Once secured, rebar is placed in between the blocks and concrete is poured inside of the blocks. Once the concrete has cured, what’s left is an incredibly strong building with exceptional insulation. ICF blocks are even used in storm shelter construction due to their strength!

Fox Blocks ICFs for More Than Just the Pool House

Not only are ICF blocks great for pool house construction, but for pool construction too! The ability to easily shape the blocks on site allows for lesser trained technicians to install them with less room for error. The great insulation and thermal mass from the ICF blocks also means you’ll be able to use your pool later into the year. If your pool is heated, you’ll have lower energy bills too.

Whether looking for a pool house or a pool, ICF blocks are a great decision. Rugged, resilient, and cheap to install, Fox Blocks insulated concrete forms help any project go more smoothly. Reach out to Fox Blocks to learn more about how insulated concrete forms can make your new pool house even better!