Quick Answer
If you are fixing one thing or building one simple, flat patio, hire the one trade that does it. You do not need a design build company for that. Once the job is an inground pool plus a patio, a retaining wall, an outdoor kitchen, or a structure on an East Tennessee lot, one design build pool and outdoor living builder is usually the better route. When you act as your own general contractor, nobody owns the grade, the drainage, the bonding, or the coping joint. When something fails, each crew points at the other.
Should I hire a pool builder or a general contractor for a backyard pool in Knoxville?
If the project is a pool plus a patio, walls, a kitchen, or a structure, a design build pool and outdoor living builder is usually the simpler route because one company owns the grade, drainage, and schedule. A general contractor is a better fit when the pool is part of a larger house addition or remodel. Either way, ask who is accountable if something fails.
Can I save money by acting as my own general contractor on a pool?
You can save the coordination cost, but you take on the schedule, the sequencing, and the gaps between crews. That works for experienced owner builders and for single trade jobs. On a sloped East Tennessee lot with a pool, patio, and walls, the gaps between scopes are where most rework comes from.
What goes wrong when a pool and patio are built by different companies?
The usual problems are drainage and grade that were never planned across the whole yard, a rigid joint at the coping or tile that cracks as the shell moves, pool electrical and bonding that was not in before the concrete, and equipment mobilized twice. When two companies share a joint, each can point at the other.
The Short Answer
If you are fixing one thing or building one simple, flat patio, hire the one trade that does it. You do not need a design build company for that.
Once the job is an inground pool plus a patio, a retaining wall, an outdoor kitchen, or a structure on an East Tennessee lot, one design build pool and outdoor living builder is usually the better route. When you act as your own general contractor, nobody owns the grade, the drainage, the bonding, or the coping joint. When something fails, each crew points at the other.
We are a design build company, so we have a point of view. Here is the honest version, including when we are not the right call.
The Three Routes
1. One design build pool and outdoor living builder (like us). One company designs it, prices it, schedules the trades, and answers for the result.
2. A home general contractor who subs the pool out. A GC is a good fit for a house addition or remodel. Many do not build pools themselves, so the pool is a sub, and the patio and walls may be other subs. You get one contract, but the pool specialist and the GC may not be planning the same yard.
3. You act as your own GC. You hire a pool installer, a concrete or paver crew, a wall mason, and an electrician, and you sequence them. You can save the coordination fee. You also take on the coordination, the schedule risk, and the gaps between scopes.
When Separate Contractors Make Sense
Be straight with yourself about these cases:
- One trade, one job. A single repair, a lone deck, or one standalone patio has no coordination problem to solve.
- A small, flat turf area. Our turf minimum project is $6,500. That is a one crew job.
- You already have a trusted licensed electrician and you will agree on the run, the panel, and the timing before anyone pours concrete around it.
- You want to pick every vendor yourself and you have the time to manage them. That is a real choice, and some homeowners are good at it.
Where Separate Crews Collide on a Knoxville Pool and Patio
These are the failure points we see when a pool and patio are split across crews.
1. Grade and drainage. East Tennessee lots slope and the soil is heavy clay. If the pool crew sets the shell height without the wall and patio plan, water can sheet toward the house or wash out the base. Someone has to own the whole yard grade, not three pieces of it.
2. The coping, tile, and deck joint. A pool shell moves a little with freeze and thaw. The joint where coping or tile meets the deck needs a flexible joint, not rigid grout. Porcelain or travertine also needs a proper slab under it, not gravel. When two companies touch that joint, a popped tile becomes an argument about whose fault it is.
3. Excavation and rock. Buried limestone and shale are common here. If the pool dig and the patio and wall footings are done in separate visits, you can pay to mobilize equipment twice and haul spoil twice. Doing it in one pass is cheaper and cleaner.
4. Electrical, bonding, and gas. Pool bonding, lighting conduit, pump power, and any gas line have to go in before the concrete and patio base are poured and compacted. Miss the order and someone is cutting finished work.
5. Permits, barriers, and HOA submittals. The pool, the barrier, and the patio need to be shown as one plan. Your county, your city, and your HOA may each have their own rules, so ask who is pulling and tracking each one before you sign anything.
Side by Side
| One design build builder | Home GC who subs the pool | You manage the subs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is accountable | One company | GC for the contract, pool sub for the pool | You |
| Whole yard grade and wall plan | Planned together up front | Depends on the GC and the pool sub talking | You have to catch the gaps |
| Schedule | One schedule, one point of contact | GC schedules, pool sub may run on its own calendar | You sequence every trade |
| When something fails | One call to make it right | Can bounce between GC and sub | Can bounce between several companies |
| Best for | Pool plus patio, walls, kitchen, or structures | A house addition with a pool added | One simple trade, or an experienced owner builder |
What It Costs (2026 East Tennessee, Honest Ranges)
These are ranges, not quotes. They move with slope, rock, access, and finishes.
- Fiberglass pool (the pool itself): $80,000 to $190,000+. See our fiberglass pools page.
- Gunite or custom pool (the pool itself): $95,000 to $350,000+. See gunite pools.
- Paver patio or hardscape: $35,000 minimum project, which buys roughly 700 to 1,000 sq ft of standard pavers.
- Retaining walls: $8,000 to $150,000+, depending on height and engineering. See retaining walls.
- Complete backyard packages: $120,000 to $650,000+, from an essential pool and patio package up to a full resort backyard.
Does design build cost more than managing subs yourself? Sometimes the sticker price is higher because coordination, sequencing, and accountability are in the number. What you avoid is the gaps and rework between scopes. We will not claim it is always cheaper. If you have the time and the skill to run it, you can save the coordination cost.
Who We Are a Fit For, and Who We Are Not
We are a good fit if you want a pool plus patio, walls, a kitchen, or a cover planned as one yard, and you want one company to answer for it.
We are probably not the right call if you need one small repair, a single simple flat patio below our $35,000 minimum, or you want to pick the lowest bid on every trade and manage it yourself. We also book out furthest in spring and early summer, so reaching out early matters. For fit and timing, see are we the right fit and what to expect on your timeline. For how to compare any pool builder, see how to choose a pool builder.
Your Next Step
Start with the free online estimate or call for a free phone consultation. If you want us on your lot, our on site design consultation is $200, and it comes off your price if you build with us. We look at grade, drainage, and access, measure the yard, and give you a written proposal. You can see finished work in the Kensington project and the Rarity Bay project, or talk to our team.
Christopher Morales
Co-founder of Morales Outdoor Living. 16+ years designing and building pools, patios, decks, and complete outdoor living spaces across East Tennessee. TN License #77919.
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