Frequently Asked Questions about the Design Process

Currently,  custom pools by Lucas Lagoons in the state of Florida start at $300,000, not inclusive of pre-contract planning or designing. Custom pools by Lucas Lagoons in the Continental U.S. outside of Florida start at $350,000, but increase in price the further away from Florida the project is located and is not inclusive of pre-contract planning or designing. Custom pools by Lucas Lagoons outside the U.S. are reviewed on an individual basis.

How to get started with Lucas Lagoons

1. Complete our Project Inquiry Form after reading these Steps and requirements.

Completing and submitting this form adds you to our system and gives us valuable information about your needs and desires. Notated costs in this form are approximations only and are listed to aid you in completing the form. These costs do not reflect a binding contract nor are inclusive of all fees associated with a project.

2. Schedule a Telephone Consultation.

Once we have received your completed Project Inquiry Form, we will contact you within 5 business days to schedule a telephone consultation to clarify any information from the Project Inquiry Form, further identify your needs, and answer any questions you may have. Based on that discussion, you will determine if you would like to proceed to Step 3.

3. Schedule a Personalized, On-site Design Meeting with Lucas.

The visit is important for both you and Lucas as it reveals what words and photos cannot. It provides the time necessary to brainstorm each of your ideas, determine the specific elements you would like such as the type of rock and decking, and to share with Lucas any special inspirational items, or themes, from which to design. It determines if what you are requesting is possible based upon the type of site you have, the size of the site, the unusual challenges or hindrances that may exist, the budget range you indicated on the Project Inquiry Form, and so forth. Lucas’s assistant will document your design goals and specifics to be incorporated into the design so nothing is overlooked. Lucas will discuss the design process with you, then give you a general idea of the project cost. This is not a binding estimate, quote or contract. He will then provide you with a rough, hand-drawn design at this meeting, along with the price to produce a full, 3D rendering of this design, to determine if you would like to proceed to Step 4. If so, Lucas will take measurements and photos of the site, along with a check, made payable to Lucas Lagoons, Inc., for the 3D design rendering.

Personalized, On-Site Design Meetings with Lucas and his assistant within 200 miles of Osprey, Florida are $2700, including travel expenses, and last about 4 hrs. Personalized, On-Site Design Meetings with Lucas over 200 miles from Osprey, Florida, but within the continental U.S. are $6500, including travel expenses, and last about 4 hrs., but also accounts for the additional time to travel away from the office. Personalized, On-Site Design Meeting fees with Lucas outside the continental U.S. are determined on a case-by-case basis. A non-refundable deposit of 50% is needed to schedule the consultation with the 50% balance due the day of the on-site meeting. The deposit and balance is payable by major credit card.

To prepare for this meeting, Lucas will need the following items, in advance, sent to his office:

a current site plan/survey of the property

photos of the complete property

photos of your current pool, if any, or the area you would like your new pool

photos or items of inspiration to focus the project towards

4. Prepare a Full, 3D Rendering of the Hand-Drawn Design with Virtual Picture.

This detailed rendering will include the specific elements agreed upon at the on-site meeting with Lucas so you can see your vision come to light. It shows the location of your home, features, amenities, equipment, etc. Once the renderings are completed, they are emailed to you for your review. Should there be any changes, you can either meet with Lucas at his office (at no additional charge) or handle the changes via email/telephone. These custom renderings start at $6,500, but are based upon the scope of the project for which Lucas will determine the price at the Personalized, On-Site Design Meeting. 2 revisions to the original hand-drawn plan are included in the price and additional revisions are $750 each. A new design and rendering starts at $5,000 (regardless of whether you had any revisions to the original), but is based upon the scope of the project for which Lucas will, again, provide a general project cost. Step 4 can take 3-12 weeks to complete depending upon the number of rendering revisions and the scope of the project. Proceed to Step 5

5. Engineering the Design

Once a design has been approved, the next step is to contract for geotechnical engineering of the soil at the pool site, then proceed to engineering the design based upon the geotechnical report requirements. We will contact your county and state regarding all zoning laws and requirements to insure these are incorporated into the engineering as well. Once all engineering is complete, we will prepare a comprehensive budget for the project. This step typically takes about 8 weeks and requires a 5% payment of the projected price, payable by check, as well as, it holds the project’s place in the build schedule. Should no contract to build be signed in Step 6, you are refunded the unused portion of this fee. Otherwise, the balance of this fee is applied to the build contract. Are you ready? Proceed to Step 6.

6. Time to Build!

At this point, a contract is prepared and signed by all parties, as well as a Notice to Owner and the Child Safety Act paperwork required by most counties. A deposit of 5% of the total contract price is required at signing, payable by check, which establishes the start date and projections for completion. As that our custom projects vary greatly in size and scope, as well as the county permit lead times, Lucas will give you his best approximation for completion time. To learn more about the process please check out the information on the different phases of constructing a new Lucas Lagoon pool or a pool remodel.


Project Inquiry Form New Pool Process Pool Remodel