Site conditions
Slopes, rock, and tight yards
Ahwatukee sits against South Mountain. Some lots are flat and compact, others climb toward the preserve.
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When the yard slopes
A slope can mean a raised pool wall, retaining walls, or a vanishing edge. Each needs engineering for the site. Phoenix also has separate hillside development standards for steeper lots. Ask the city or your builder early whether they apply to your parcel.
Rock and caliche can slow excavation. Ask each builder how rock is priced in the contract so a hard dig does not become an open ended charge.
When the yard is small
Many Ahwatukee homes have compact backyards and narrow side yards. A smaller pool, a plunge pool, or a spa with a sun shelf can still fit. Ask how equipment will reach the back and whether a wall section has to come out and be rebuilt.
Lots that back onto open desert
View fencing toward the desert is popular. It still has to meet the Phoenix barrier rules, including the five foot height measured from outside, no openings a four inch ball can pass, and limited clearance at the bottom. See Phoenix pool barrier requirements.
Keep reading
Questions on this service
Can I build a pool on a steep lot?
Often, with the right engineering and approvals. Ask the city whether hillside standards apply to your parcel and get a builder to look at the site.
Ask about your Ahwatukee yard
Say the neighborhood or ZIP code, the yard size, and whether the lot slopes or backs onto open desert.