Scottsdale · Morris Pools

Luxury pool builder in Scottsdale: custom pools and remodels

A Scottsdale pool is rarely just a pool. It is the view from the great room, the light on the water at dusk and the first thing guests see from the terrace. Morris Pools designs and builds custom concrete pools, spas and complete outdoor environments for Scottsdale homes, and transforms existing pools that no longer match the house around them. Family-owned since December 2010, we work from our base in the East Valley of Arizona, about 20 to 25 minutes from Old Town.

Designed with the architecture

We design with the home, not around it. Water lines follow the architecture, edges are set to the views, and every material is chosen to work with the stone, tile and planting around it. We collaborate with architects, interior designers, home builders and landscape teams, and the best results come when everyone is aligned from the first drawings.

On one recent Scottsdale project, a hand-set Greek key mosaic wraps the waterline and carries straight up onto a raised infinity-edge spa, with no break in the line. Every tile was laid to a layout drawn before excavation began. Another pairs a negative-edge pool and a large spa with a separate, oversized spa for the guest house.

Vanishing edges in the foothills

Scottsdale's foothills are made for a vanishing-edge pool. On a lot that falls toward the McDowells or Pinnacle Peak, an edge can carry the water straight into the view, while natural stone and desert-toned finishes let the pool sit quietly within the preserved desert around it. In central Scottsdale, the same precision goes into perimeter-overflow pools and spas that sit flush with the deck as part of an indoor-outdoor living space.

A vanishing edge only works if it is engineered: an edge level to within 1/16 of an inch, a catch basin sized for the pool and the way you swim, and hydraulics calculated before excavation. That discipline has earned us three PHTA awards in the vanishing-edge category, including the 2022 Gold for a hillside vanishing-edge pool.

Signature work

Vanishing-edge, negative-edge and perimeter-overflow pools
Raised and infinity-edge spas, sheer descents and water walls
Reflecting pools and entry water features
Linear fire features, cabanas, outdoor kitchens and shade
Custom tile, mosaic and natural stone
Lighting, equipment and automation, programmed and explained at handover

A standard you can see in the water

Every Morris pool is concrete, and water shows every flaw. A sheet of water that falls cleanly takes a dead-level bond beam, tile set to laser-checked elevations and a final wet test before we call it done. We visit the job site regularly as part of our quality control, and the same family-owned team stays with your project from the first sketch to the final inspection.

Pool remodeling in Scottsdale

Many Scottsdale homes have a pool designed for an earlier version of the house. A remodel can change it entirely: new depths, structural changes, new decking and coping, a modern interior finish and tile, water features, lighting and automation. Every remodel starts with an on-site evaluation, is quoted individually and is pressure-tested, and when an existing pool can't deliver what you want, we'll tell you if removing it and starting fresh is the better path.

A remodel can combine several services, each with its own page: resurfacing with a pebble or premium Wet Edge finish, new tile and coping, a new pool deck and modern equipment and automation. Explore pool remodeling in Scottsdale.

Scottsdale permits, NAOS and HOAs

Scottsdale asks for more on paper than most Valley cities, and it pays to plan for it from the first sketch.

Plans. The City requires a pool construction plan and a site plan showing the pool's location and setbacks, the staging area for materials, the height and location of the pool fence, and any Natural Area Open Space (NAOS) or native plants. The fence or wall plan has to be approved before the pool plan, and the City won't issue a pool permit until the home itself is permitted, which matters if you are building new.

NAOS and setbacks. Many north Scottsdale lots carry NAOS easements: natural desert that must stay undisturbed. The pool, the deck and the equipment all stay out of NAOS and other easements, and the City's site plan requirements call for a construction buffer of at least 5 feet from recorded NAOS, or a revegetation plan. Where no easement applies, the standard setback is 2 feet from the property line, and pool equipment must be at least 10 feet from any opening into living space on the neighboring property.

Barriers during and after construction. As Scottsdale requires, we give you written notice of the barrier requirements before construction begins. From excavation until the permanent barrier is complete, the site is enclosed by construction fencing at least 60 inches high, and we explain Scottsdale's rules for alarms on doors and windows that open onto the pool area during design.

HOAs. Many Scottsdale communities have their own design review. We prepare the HOA submittal alongside the City's, so both approvals move together.

Areas we serve: Old Town, McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale Ranch, Gainey Ranch, DC Ranch, Silverleaf, Grayhawk, Troon, Pinnacle Peak and Desert Mountain.

Award-winning work

The best way to judge a builder is by what they have built. Read the stories behind our hillside vanishing-edge pool (2022 PHTA Gold) and our resort-scale freeform pool (2026 PHTA Gold), browse the pool gallery, or see every award on our awards page.

Why Scottsdale homeowners choose Morris Pools

Nine PHTA International Awards of Excellence in five consecutive years (2022–2026), including Gold for a vanishing edge in 2022 and for a freeform pool in 2026
Owner-led: founder Daniel Morris was named to PoolPro's 30 Under 40 (2021)
Featured by Luxury Pools Magazine and Wet Edge Technologies
City, NAOS and HOA submittals prepared for you, with the required barrier notice in writing
Licensed under Arizona ROC #320987

Scottsdale pool FAQs

My lot backs onto natural desert. Can I still have a pool?

In most cases, yes. We map the NAOS and other protected areas first, keep at least a 5-foot construction buffer from recorded NAOS (or provide a revegetation plan), and design the pool, deck and equipment to stay clear of them while making the most of your views.

How close to my property line can a Scottsdale pool be?

The standard setback is 2 feet unless an easement applies. Pool equipment has its own rule: it must be at least 10 feet from any opening into living space on the neighboring property.

My pool was built in the 1980s. Does a remodel mean meeting today's barrier code?

Scottsdale's current barrier requirements apply to pools built after July 20, 1995, and older pools follow the rules in effect when they were built. If a remodel changes the barrier, though, that work has to meet current code, so we check it before you commit.

Can you transform a pool that's decades old?

Yes. A remodel can bring new depths, new decking, a modern finish and tile, water features and efficient equipment, or a complete redesign. Every remodel is evaluated on site and pressure-tested, and we'll tell you honestly if starting over is the better option.

Do you work with our architect and builder?

Yes. We collaborate with architects, interior designers, home builders and landscape teams, and planning the pool with the house keeps grading, drainage and utilities working together.