Custom Pools Designed Around Your Home, Property & Lifestyle
CJR designs and builds custom pools and complete outdoor spaces for Carmichael homeowners.
THE CJR EXPERIENCE
A pool may become the centerpiece of your backyard, but it doesn't exist independently from everything around it.
Concrete. Drainage. Landscaping. Irrigation. Lighting. Outdoor kitchens. Pavilions. Fire features. Utilities. Access. Existing trees and structures.
Each can influence how the pool and surrounding outdoor space should be planned.
At a newer Carmichael home, we may have the opportunity to think through the entire backyard before much of the outdoor space has been developed.
At an established property, the conversation may be completely different. Mature landscaping, existing concrete, older hardscape, drainage, utilities, structures, and improvements accumulated over the years can all influence what makes sense for the new design.
Before excavation begins, we want to understand where the entire outdoor space is headed.
Even if certain features aren't being built immediately, discussing the long-term vision early can allow us to consider future utilities, drainage, elevations, access, and infrastructure before finished improvements are installed.
The goal isn't simply to put a pool in your backyard. It's to create a pool that belongs there.
Additional Custom Pool Features & Outdoor Living Options Available Upon Request
DESIGNED FOR CARMICHAEL PROPERTIES
One of the things that makes Carmichael interesting from a design perspective is that its residential properties don't all look the same.
Some homeowners are starting with newer homes and relatively open backyards, giving us the opportunity to think through the pool, spa, concrete, drainage, landscaping, lighting, and future outdoor living features together from the beginning.
Other Carmichael properties have been established for decades. Mature trees and landscaping, older patios or concrete, existing structures, utilities, drainage, and previous improvements may all need to be considered when determining how a new pool should fit into the property.
On larger properties, there may also be room to think beyond the pool itself—creating distinct areas for swimming, entertaining, cooking, relaxing, gathering around a fire, or simply enjoying more of the backyard.
We don't want to erase what makes an established property special just to add something new. We want to understand what's worth working with, what needs to change, and how the new pool can become a natural part of the home.
Designed Around How You Live
Custom pool design is about much more than choosing a shape. We spend time understanding how you want to use your backyard before deciding what belongs in it.
For some Carmichael homeowners, that means a backyard centered around family, swimming, and summer days at home. Others may want an integrated spa for evenings outside, a Cabo shelf where the kids or grandkids can play, more room for entertaining, or quieter areas to relax away from the activity of the pool.
The property itself helps shape those decisions. An established Carmichael backyard may already have mature trees, landscaping, patios, or structures worth incorporating into the plan, while a newer or more open property may give us the opportunity to consider the pool and surrounding outdoor environment together from the beginning.
We consider how the pool relates to the home, where people naturally enter the backyard, how the sun moves across the property, what existing features should remain, and how the pool will connect with patios, landscaping, outdoor kitchens, shade structures, fire features, and other parts of the outdoor plan.
Features such as a Cabo shelf, integrated spa, bubblers, waterfalls, raised walls, lighting, steps, benches, and custom finishes can then be incorporated intentionally based on the property and the way your family wants to use it.
A well-designed pool should feel natural to your Carmichael property, your home, and the way your family lives—not like a pool that could have been placed in any backyard.
PLANNING FOR THE PROPERTY
Many established Carmichael properties already have mature trees and landscaping that contribute to the character, privacy, and shade of the backyard. Rather than treating everything existing as something to remove, we look at what makes sense to preserve, what may conflict with the new construction, and how the pool can be planned around the features that should remain.
Older patios, concrete, structures, utilities, fencing, and previous backyard improvements can affect both the design and how construction will take place. Understanding these conditions early helps us think through demolition, equipment access, elevations, utilities, and the sequence of construction before excavation begins.
A new pool changes more than the area inside the pool shell. Surrounding concrete, finished elevations, drainage, landscaping, and future outdoor features all need to work together. Planning those relationships early helps prevent one improvement from creating a problem for another later.
Concept to Completion
A complete backyard can involve far more than pool construction.
Concrete, drainage, landscaping, irrigation, lighting, structures, utilities, outdoor kitchens, retaining conditions, and finish work all need to come together in the correct sequence.
CJR provides one team to help plan and coordinate those moving pieces from the beginning.
That means fewer gaps between trades, clearer communication, and one company looking at the project as a whole instead of treating every element as an unrelated scope of work.
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Craftsmanship You Can See
A pool changes more than the appearance of a backyard. It creates a place for summer afternoons, family gatherings, quiet mornings, evenings outside, and the everyday moments that make home feel like home. Take a look at some of the custom pools and outdoor environments our team has had the opportunity to build.
Outdoor projects become much easier to manage when the company planning them understands more than one trade. Here's what sets the CJR experience apart.
We design and build pools, concrete, hardscape, outdoor living, landscape, drainage, and more—so every element works together from the beginning.
CJR is a family-owned and owner-operated company. You work directly with owner Colton Ray from the initial consultation through construction—there isn't a salesperson between you and the person responsible for the work.
Our background in concrete, excavation, pools, and complete outdoor construction helps us anticipate challenges, plan properly, and consider how each part of the project affects the next.
We want our clients to understand what they are building, what is included, how the project will be approached, and who is accountable for bringing it together.
From established backyards with mature trees and existing improvements to newer homes with more open outdoor spaces, we take the time to understand what is already there, what needs to change, and where the property is ultimately headed before construction begins.
Our focus is thoughtful planning, proper preparation, quality craftsmanship, and doing the work correctly—not taking shortcuts to move a project along.
Colton and his team were EXCEPTIONAL in their work at our home. We had a big backyard of flat dirt and he helped turn it into a beautiful resort like feel.
— Heather A. · CJR client, via Google
Our Pool Construction Process
We believe every homeowner deserves a clear understanding of the pool construction process. That’s why we’ve outlined our proven process, guiding you through each phase of your project, from your first design consultation to the day you get your toes wet.
View Our Step-by-Step ProcessThe Details That Matter
Yes. For projects requiring additional design development before construction pricing can be finalized, CJR offers Design + Pre-Construction Services.
This gives us an opportunity to work through the pool layout and its relationship to surrounding concrete, drainage, landscaping, structures, utilities, elevations, access, and other outdoor improvements before construction begins.
Many of the decisions that have the greatest impact on a pool project happen long before excavation.
We start by understanding what is already there.
Mature trees, landscaping, existing concrete, patios, structures, utilities, drainage, access, and previous improvements may all influence the design. Some features may be worth preserving, while others may need to be removed, relocated, or redesigned to make the new outdoor space function properly.
The goal isn't to force a predetermined pool into the available space. It's to determine what makes sense for the property as a whole.
Start with the scope—not simply the number at the bottom.
Look closely at what each proposal actually includes: pool specifications, equipment, finishes, electrical and plumbing work, excavation assumptions, concrete, drainage, access, demolition, site preparation, and other work surrounding the pool.
Also pay attention to what is excluded or left undefined.
A lower number isn't necessarily the same project for less money if the scopes aren't actually equivalent.
CJR believes homeowners should understand what they're comparing before making a decision based on price alone.
There isn't one meaningful number that applies to every custom pool because the pool itself is only part of what determines the investment.
Size, spa integration, finishes, water features, equipment, access, excavation conditions, surrounding concrete, drainage, retaining conditions, demolition, landscaping, and other outdoor improvements can all affect the overall project.
That's why one of the conversations we have early is about your targeted comfort zone of investment. Understanding that range helps us determine whether the ideas being discussed align with the level of project you're comfortable pursuing.
Yes. CJR is an all-in-one outdoor construction company.
Depending on the project, our team can coordinate the pool with custom concrete, hardscape, drainage, outdoor kitchens, pavilions and shade structures, fire features, artificial turf, lighting, retaining walls, landscape installations, irrigation, and other outdoor improvements.
This is particularly valuable when several parts of the backyard affect one another. Instead of asking separate contractors to make their work fit together later, the different elements can be planned as part of one overall project.
That can absolutely be discussed during planning.
The important part is thinking about the later phases before the first phase is built.
If you eventually want an outdoor kitchen, pavilion, additional concrete, lighting, landscaping, fire feature, or another improvement, knowing that early may influence utilities, drainage, elevations, access, conduit, or other infrastructure installed during the pool project.
Good phasing begins with planning the later phases before the first one starts.
Potentially, yes, and that is particularly relevant on many established Carmichael properties.
We evaluate how existing trees and landscaping relate to the proposed pool, construction access, excavation, surrounding hardscape, drainage, and the long-term use of the backyard.
Not everything existing can or should necessarily remain, but we don't believe an established property should automatically be treated like a blank slate. We want to understand what contributes to the property and make informed decisions from there.
You'll meet directly with CJR owner Colton Ray, rather than being handed off after an initial sales appointment.
Colton remains personally involved in planning and construction, while our team coordinates the different parts of the project from design through completion.
For us, owner-operated isn't simply a description of the company. It means there is direct accountability and construction experience involved in the decisions being made for your project.
Planning an outdoor project comes with a lot of questions. We’re here to help you understand your options, what may make sense for your property, and the right next step.
More than just your average pool builder. We specialize in complete outdoor construction, including decorative concrete, structural concrete foundations, landscape installations, artificial turf, outdoor living, and more. One point of contact. One seamless experience thoughtfully designed and built by one experienced team.
Explore All ServicesBuilding your dream backyard may be more attainable than you think. Through our trusted financing partners, Lyon Financial and HFS Financial, we offer flexible financing options for custom pools and outdoor living projects. Get pre-approved today with a soft credit inquiry and explore financing that fits your budget and goals.
Explore FinancingTrusted Partners & Suppliers
Take a look at a few of the trusted suppliers and local businesses we rely on for quality products and professional services.
Local Suppliers & Partners →CJR's Local Picks
A Carmichael coffee shop with a personality all its own. Fast Cat combines specialty coffee and gourmet grilled cheese with a vintage motorsports-inspired atmosphere. A fun local stop when you’re looking for coffee, breakfast, lunch, or somewhere a little different from the usual coffee shop.
Visit
Located in Carmichael’s Crestview Village Shopping Center, Twisted Mac puts a fun spin on familiar comfort food with customizable mac and cheese, gourmet subs, and brick-oven pizzas. It’s an easy local pick for a casual lunch or dinner when comfort food sounds just right.
Visit
The Char Market is a locally owned Carmichael restaurant known for its MexaCali-style menu, grilled meats, tacos, and especially its bone marrow dishes. It has earned attention well beyond Carmichael while still feeling like the kind of neighborhood spot locals are lucky to have nearby.
Visit
Whether you're starting with a newer backyard or reimagining an established property, we'll take the time to understand your home, your priorities, and how you want to use the space before determining what comes next.
