Custom Pool Builder in Ellensburg, WA
Ellensburg is the windiest place we build, and that single fact shapes almost every decision on a Kittitas Valley pool.
Building in the Kittitas Valley
Wind in the Kittitas Valley is not an occasional inconvenience, it is a constant. It accelerates evaporation, strips heat off the water surface, carries dust and organic debris into the pool, and makes an exposed deck uncomfortable on days that would otherwise be perfect. A pool designed here without accounting for it will disappoint its owner every spring and fall.
We answer wind with placement and structure first. Siting the pool in the lee of the house, a garage, or an existing windbreak changes the experience more than any piece of equipment can. From there, walls, raised planters, pergolas, and solid-panel screening are used to build a sheltered pocket around the swim area and the seating. Integrated cover systems do the rest, cutting evaporation dramatically and keeping debris out between uses.
The valley floor gives us relatively level ground with silt loam and gravel deposits, and properties toward the Manastash and Umtanum benches introduce slope and rock. Geotechnical review sets the structural approach in either case, and our 10 inch rebar-reinforced shells with two coats of waterproofing are built to hold their geometry through the valley's freeze-thaw swings.
Ellensburg also runs cooler at night than the valleys to the south, even in midsummer. That temperature drop is exactly what covers and heat pumps exist to manage, and it is why almost every pool we design here is planned around retaining heat rather than simply generating it.
Ranch and view properties
Many of the properties around Ellensburg are working ranches, acreage homes, and view lots looking out toward the Stuart Range. Space is rarely the constraint. Instead the design question is how to make a very large outdoor area feel composed rather than scattered.
Our answer is usually a clear hardscape structure: a strong deck geometry, a defined sheltered zone, and a pool that sits in deliberate relationship to the house and the view line. Material palettes stay restrained, drawn from the stone and timber already present on these properties, so the finished space reads as part of the land rather than an addition to it.
What suits Ellensburg properties.
Wind detailing
Sheltered placement, screening, raised planters, and pergolas that make the deck usable on the valley's windy days.
Integrated cover systems
The most effective single response to wind and evaporation here, and the reason a Kittitas Valley pool holds its heat overnight.
Spas and spools
Compact, quick to heat, and easy to shelter, a spa or spool suits a climate with cool nights and shoulder seasons that run long.
Integrated outdoor living
Fire features, cook areas, and lighting placed inside the sheltered zone so the space keeps working after the sun drops.
Projects near Ellensburg.
Built from Cashmere for Ellensburg.
Ellensburg is a little over an hour and a half from our shop in Cashmere, an easy and regular drive for our crews.
That proximity means responsive scheduling during construction and genuine availability afterward. One crew carries the project from excavation through tile and startup, weekly photo updates go out through the build, and Rick Newton remains the single point of contact from the first walk of the property to the final handoff.
Ellensburg
questions.
How do you design a pool for Ellensburg's wind?
Placement comes first, siting the pool in the lee of the house or an existing windbreak. From there we use walls, raised planters, pergolas, and screening to shelter the swim and seating areas, and an integrated cover to cut evaporation and keep debris out between uses.
Do cool Kittitas Valley nights limit pool use?
Not with the right equipment. Roughly 70 percent of a pool's energy is lost off the water surface, so an integrated cover plus an air-source heat pump, which operates down to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit, keeps water comfortable through cool evenings and long shoulder seasons.
Can you build on ranch and acreage properties outside town?
Yes. Acreage and view properties around the Kittitas Valley are a good part of our work, and we handle engineering, geotechnical coordination, permitting, and the full outdoor living scope around the pool.