What Exactly Is a Spool?
So what's a spool? It's a small pool with spa jets, a compact hybrid that sits right between a spa and a full-size swimming pool. Most are built around three to three and a half feet deep so they're comfortable to sit in, and they usually come with a bench, jets, and a water feature. Heat one up and it works like a spa. Leave the heater off on a hot day and it turns into a cool place to float. The name says it all, since it's a blend of spa and pool.
Spools have become one of the most-requested compact options in Tampa Bay backyards, and Pool Perfection builds them across the region. With 22 years of design experience and more than 1,800 custom concrete pools completed, our team treats a spool as a fully custom build rather than a catalog product. This guide explains what a spool actually is, how it differs from a plunge pool and a spa, the design styles available, and who it suits best.
A spool comes down to one thing: spa jets in a small pool. That's the feature that sets it apart from any other compact pool. The water is small enough to feel intimate and easy to care for, but the jets give it the hydrotherapy of a real spa. Sit on the bench, switch on the jets, and it behaves like an oversized spa. Switch them off, and you're left with a small plunge.
Depth is the other defining trait. Spools are usually kept around three to three and a half feet so you can sit comfortably with the water at a relaxing level. A recent Pool Perfection spool shows how the pieces come together: a compact shell with bench seating, back jets and foot jets, and a 5-foot LED sheer-descent water feature, finished in StoneScapes Aqua Cool with Grand Canyon Travertine decking laid in a French pattern. Every element is chosen to order, which is what makes a custom spool feel like a small resort rather than a kit.
Spool vs. Plunge Pool vs. Spa Addition
These terms get tossed around loosely in the industry, and most of them are marketing language rather than fixed definitions. One person's plunge pool is another person's spool. So here's how our team draws the lines, so you can make an informed call.
Plunge Pool
A plunge pool is simply a small pool with no spa jets. It's built for cooling off and short dips rather than swimming laps, and it can run a little deeper than a spool, sometimes up to about five feet. Take a plunge pool, add jets, and you have crossed over into spool territory. Explore the range of compact options on our small pools page.
Spa Addition
A spa addition is a dedicated spa built alongside a full-size pool, usually raised, with a spillway into the main pool. It's the right call when you want both a proper swimming pool and a separate hot spa. A spool, by contrast, combines both jobs into one compact body of water.
Why Choose a Spool
People choose a spool for versatility in a small footprint. One owner we built for mainly uses his spool as a spa with friends, then runs it unheated on hot days and floats around to cool off. You get spa-style jets and a cool plunge in a single feature, without committing the space or budget to a full pool plus a separate spa. On a tight lot, that flexibility is often the deciding factor.
Spool Design Styles
Because a spool is fully custom, it can be built in any recognized pool-design style. The industry generally sorts designs into three objective categories, and a spool can take the shape of any of them.
Geometric designs use clean straight lines and defined angles for a modern, architectural look. Free-form designs use curves and organic shapes, and the most popular free-form sub-style today is the lagoon, which is built from a series of connected circles for a natural, resort-like edge. Roman Grecian designs use elegant, symmetrical step-ins at one or both ends. A Roman Grecian spool is a personal favorite of our design team.
There's also the hybrid, a combination of geometric and free form that pairs one straight wall with a curved section. Popular in the 1980s, it's finding favor again. Older template shapes such as the figure eight and the kidney are versions of free form you still see, though custom design has largely moved past them. Browse our project gallery to see these styles in finished builds, and our 3D design process lets you see your spool before construction begins.
Heating, Automation, and Maintenance
Automation Is Standard, Not Optional
We never build a spool without automation, because running one without it would be a headache for the homeowner. Building it in from the start is simply part of how Pool Perfection delivers a spool that's easy to live with.
Heating a Spool
Because most owners use a spool as a spa, heating matters. A gas heater brings the water up to spa temperature quickly regardless of the weather, which is why it's the usual choice for on-demand spa use. An electric heat pump is the more efficient option for holding a comfortable temperature over the cooler months, and the U.S. Department of Energy reports heat pumps deliver several units of heat for each unit of electricity they use. Some homeowners install both. Whichever you choose, keep spa-style soaking within safe limits, because the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that hot tub and spa water shouldn't exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit. For the fast on-demand heat a spa needs, a gas heater is hard to beat.
Maintenance
Maintenance on a spool is no different from a regular pool of the same construction. As a builder rather than a maintenance company, Pool Perfection doesn't provide chemical guidance, and a licensed pool service is the right partner for water testing and treatment. The smaller water volume simply means there's less of it to care for.
Is a Spool Right for Your Backyard?
A spool is an excellent fit if you have a smaller lot, want spa-style relaxation and a cool-down plunge in one feature, or simply don't need a full swimming pool. It delivers a high-end, custom result in a compact footprint, and it pairs naturally with a spa-forward outdoor design.
One honest note on budget is worth adding here. The price gap between a compact spool and a slightly larger pool is often smaller than people expect, which leads some homeowners to size up once they see their options. A spool makes the most sense when the compact size and the spa-plunge combination are genuinely what you want, and not just a way to spend less. The best way to find your fit is a real conversation about how you plan to use the space.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spool Pools
What's a spool pool?
A spool is a small pool fitted with spa jets, a hybrid between a spa and a full-size pool. It's typically around three to three and a half feet deep, comfortable to sit in, and often includes bench seating and a water feature. Heated, it functions as a spa; unheated, it works as a cool plunge.
What's the difference between a spool and a plunge pool?
The jets. A plunge pool is a small pool with no spa jets, built for cooling off. A spool is a small pool with spa jets added, so it doubles as a spa. The terms are otherwise used loosely across the industry and aren't standardized.
How deep is a spool pool?
Most spools are built around three to three and a half feet deep so you can sit comfortably while using the jets. That's shallower than a plunge pool, which can run up to roughly five feet. Depth is customized to how you intend to use the spool.
Can you heat a spool pool?
Yes, and most owners do, since a spool is often used as a spa. A gas heater provides fast on-demand heat, while a heat pump is more efficient for holding temperature over the cooler months. Keep spa-style soaking at or below 104 degrees Fahrenheit, the maximum the CPSC advises for hot tubs and spas.
How much does a spool pool cost?
Pool Perfection doesn't publish fixed prices, because a spool's cost depends on its size, design style, finishes, water features, site access, and automation. The gap between a compact spool and a slightly larger pool is often modest, so the choice usually comes down to space and how you'll use it. For a real number, book a free consultation.
Can you add a beach entry to a spool?
No. A beach entry needs a large pool, roughly 35 feet or longer, to create the gradual slope safely and to code. A spool is too compact for a true beach entry. If a walk-in entry is a priority, a full-size pool is the right direction.
Design Your Custom Spool with Pool Perfection
A spool packs spa relaxation and a cool plunge into a compact, fully custom feature, and it can be built in any design style you love. With 22 years of experience and more than 1,800 custom concrete pools across Tampa Bay and Orlando, Pool Perfection designs each spool around your space, your style, and the way you plan to use it.
Ready to see what a spool could look like in your backyard? Request your free 3D design consultation or call (727) 518-7665 today. You can also explore financing options to fit a custom spool into your plans.
