Your Bel Air estate deserves a pool that was built for it. Not a catalog design dropped into a hillside lot. A custom pool and spa designed around your terrain, your home, and how you actually live. Stout Design Build has designed and built custom pools and spas on Bel Air properties for 30 years. We know the hillside grading requirements, the City of Los Angeles permit process, and the engineering that hillside pool construction demands. One company. Full design-build. From permit to plaster.
Why Bel Air Homeowners Choose Stout Design Build
We are a design-build firm. That means the same company that designs your pool pulls the permits and builds it. There is no gap between the pool designer, the engineer, and the contractor. You have one point of contact from the first site visit to the day you swim. We have completed pool and spa projects on some of the most demanding hillside lots in Los Angeles. We have worked on estates off Bellagio Road where the pool deck required three separate retaining walls. We have built infinity edge pools on Stone Canyon Road where the view required precise elevation work to frame it correctly. We do not subcontract the work to crews you have never met. Our team builds your pool.
Our Custom Pool and Spa Services in Bel Air
Custom Pool Design and Construction
Every pool we build starts with a site-specific design. We account for your lot's slope, soil conditions, sun orientation, and how the pool will connect to your home and outdoor living areas. We build freeform pools, geometric pools, lap pools, and resort-style pools with multiple water features.
Custom Spa and Hot Tub Construction
We build attached spas, detached spas, and elevated spillover spas that feed into the pool below. Every spa is designed with your property's elevation, sun exposure, and entertaining style in mind. Bel Air evenings get cool. A properly placed spa extends your outdoor season by months.
Infinity Edge and Vanishing Edge Pools
Infinity edge pools require precise elevation work and engineering. The water line has to align with a specific sight line for the visual effect to work. On hillside lots along Stone Canyon Road or Mulholland Drive, this is complex work. We have built it many times and we know exactly how to get it right.
Pool and Spa Decking
We build pool decks in natural stone, travertine, flagstone, and large-format porcelain. Materials are selected for slip resistance, heat retention, and compatibility with your home's architecture. We do not install stamped concrete on a $5 million property.
Water Features and Grottos
Waterfalls, grottos, and deck jets add depth and sound to a pool environment. We design and build water features that feel like a natural part of the landscape rather than accessories added as an afterthought.
Pool Lighting and Automation
We install LED pool lighting, underwater lighting, and perimeter landscape lighting as an integrated system. Automation controls pool temperature, jets, lighting, and water features from your phone. We use Pentair and Jandy systems, which are the industry standard for luxury residential pools in Southern California.
Pool Equipment and Mechanical Systems
We install variable speed pumps, saltwater chlorination systems, UV sanitization, and energy-efficient heating systems. Every equipment pad is designed for quiet operation and positioned per Los Angeles County setback requirements.
Hillside Pool Engineering and Retaining Systems
Building a pool on a Bel Air hillside requires engineered shotcrete walls, soil nail systems or caissons in some cases, and drainage plans that protect both your pool structure and your neighbor's property. We work with licensed geotechnical engineers on every hillside pool project.
How Custom Pool Construction Works in Bel Air
Step 1: Site Assessment and Consultation
We visit your property anywhere in the Bel Air 90077 zip code. We assess soil conditions, slope, sun orientation, drainage, and existing structures. We listen to how you plan to use the space.
Step 2: Custom Design
Our design team produces a full site plan showing pool shape, spa placement, decking, equipment location, and integration with your home's architecture. You see every detail before we submit a single permit application.
Step 3: Engineering and Permitting
We coordinate structural and geotechnical engineering for hillside sites. We submit all permit applications to the City of Los Angeles or Los Angeles County. We manage all inspections. You do not deal with the building department.
Step 4: Excavation and Shotcrete
We excavate to engineered specifications and spray shotcrete to form the pool shell. On hillside lots this step includes shoring systems and drainage management to protect adjacent structures.
Step 5: Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing
We install all pool equipment, plumbing, electrical, and automation systems. All work is inspected and permitted.
Step 6: Finish Work
We apply plaster or pebble finish to the pool interior, install tile, set decking, and complete all water features, lighting, and landscaping. This is where the project transforms from a construction site into a finished estate.
Step 7: Startup and Handoff
We fill the pool, balance the water chemistry, and walk you through every system. You leave the handoff knowing exactly how your pool operates and who to call if you ever need anything.
Bel Air Pool Construction: Real Projects
Case Study 1: Infinity Edge Pool on Stone Canyon Road
The client owned a hillside estate on Stone Canyon Road with a direct view of the canyon below. They wanted an infinity edge pool that framed the view and connected to an outdoor kitchen and fire feature on the upper terrace.
The lot dropped 22 feet from the house to the rear property line. We engineered a cantilevered pool deck with a structural concrete slab below it. The infinity edge was set to align precisely with the canyon sight line from the main seating area.
The project required a soils report, structural engineering, and separate permits for the pool, the retaining wall, the electrical, and the gas line. Total permit process: 11 weeks. Construction: 6 months.
Total project value: $780,000 including pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, fire feature, and full hardscape.
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Case Study 2: Resort Pool and Spa on Bellagio Road
A family on Bellagio Road wanted a resort-style pool with a large attached spa, a grotto with a waterfall, and a dedicated pool house changing area. The lot was relatively flat by Bel Air standards but had a 6-foot grade change from the house to the rear fence line.
We designed a freeform pool with a natural stone waterfall grotto, a raised spa with a spillover, and a travertine deck surrounding the full pool perimeter. The pool house was built as a permitted structure with a changing area, outdoor shower, and equipment storage.
Construction completed in 7 months. The family now uses the pool daily from April through October.
Total project value: $1.1 million.
Our Guarantee
Every pool and spa we build in Bel Air comes with a written workmanship guarantee. If any structural element we built fails within the guarantee period, we fix it at no cost to you.We do not walk away from a project and become unreachable. We have been in this market for 30 years. Our reputation is built on what happens after the job is done, not just before you sign.We also provide a startup period where we monitor water chemistry and equipment performance after fill. If anything is not operating to standard, we correct it before we close the job.
Pool Equipment and Technology We Install
We specify and install equipment that matches the scale and expectations of Bel Air properties.
Pentair IntelliConnect and Jandy iAqualink automation systems allow full pool control from any smartphone. Temperature, lighting, jets, and water features all managed from one app.Variable speed pumps reduce energy consumption by up to 90 percent compared to single-speed pumps. Required under California Title 20 energy regulations for all new pool installations.Saltwater chlorination systems produce a gentler swimming environment and reduce ongoing chemical costs compared to traditional chlorine systems.UV and ozone sanitization systems reduce chemical dependency and maintain water clarity at the highest standard.Heating options include gas, heat pump, and solar depending on your usage patterns and energy preferences. We size all heaters to maintain target temperature through Bel Air’s cooler winter months.LED color-changing lighting from Pentair or Hayward provides full ambiance control and lasts significantly longer than traditional incandescent pool lighting.
