Custom Pool Houses Built for Atlanta Backyards
A pool house is a standalone structure near your pool that gives you a place to change, store pool gear, host guests, or add a full bathroom and kitchenette for a guest suite.
Most pool house builders are pool contractors adding on a bonus structure. CottageSmith is an Atlanta ADU builder, so every pool house we build is permitted and code-compliant from the start, ready to function as a legal accessory dwelling unit if you want that flexibility. Whether you want a simple cabana or a permitted pool house ADU with plumbing and power, we can walk your property and build a plan around it, with a real budget number before we leave.
What Is a Pool House, and Is It an ADU?
A pool house can be anything from a single room with hooks and a shelf for pool chemicals to 400-plus square feet with a bathroom, kitchenette, and bedroom. Whether it also counts as an ADU depends on what's inside it, not what it's called.
Add plumbing and enough square footage, and your county may classify it as an accessory dwelling unit, which means it can work as guest housing or a rental unit, not just a pool amenity. That distinction is exactly where an ADU builder brings more to the table than a pool contractor would. We handle that permitting path the same way we handle it for detached ADUs. Cabana or full ADU, the process doesn't change.
Why Choose a Pool House?
A pool house does more than hold your pool gear. From entertaining to storage to guest spaces, here's where it pays off.
Outdoor Entertainment
A pool house gives you a covered spot to host without running back into the main house for drinks, towels, or a bathroom. Add a wet bar, mini fridge, and covered seating, and it becomes the hub for pool parties all summer long.
Convenient Storage
Pool chemicals, floats, skimmers, and pool covers need a dry place that isn’t your garage. A pool house keeps that gear off the pool deck and out of the weather, so your yard stays usable and your garage stays free for everything else.
Build as a Legal ADU, Not Just an Add-On
Add a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette, and your pool house can double as a guest suite or rental unit, if it’s built to ADU code from day one. We design the plumbing and electrical to meet that bar, so you’re not retrofitting a cabana later.
Pool Houses: What to Expect When You Build
Building a pool house in Atlanta involves the same permitting and inspection steps as any backyard structure, plus a few pool-specific details like drainage and electrical bonding near the water. Here’s how we walk you through it.
01. Consultation
We walk your backyard and look at how the pool house will connect to your pool or deck. We also talk through how you plan to use the space: lounging, changing, storage, or entertaining.
02. Design
Your layout takes shape around your pool area, often with large doors or windows that open to the water, while still fitting your lot, your pool equipment setup, and your county’s setback rules. We design it to complement your outdoor space, not compete with it. Our floor plans are a good starting point if you want to see options before we start drawing.
03. Permitting
Pool houses can involve extra code requirements tied to pool safety, like fencing and electrical near water. We handle the permitting process and make sure your design meets those rules.
04. Construction
Pool house construction includes foundation, framing, plumbing, and electrical on a schedule we set with you upfront, with regular updates so there are no surprises about timeline. Since construction happens around your existing pool and landscaping, we work carefully to protect what’s already there.
05. Final Walkthrough
We go through the finished ADU with you, checking doors, windows, and any plumbing or appliances. We answer any questions and address final touch-ups happen before you receive your keys.
Pool Houses Resources + Insights
Building an ADU: What to Expect
A step-by-step look at the ADU process, from consultation and design through permitting and final walkthrough.
Read Post
Key Considerations When Hiring an ADU Builder
What to look for in an ADU builder: experience, services, customization, reviews, and financing support.
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The Benefits of Adding an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to Your Property
ADUs boost property value, offer flexible living solutions, and provide a cost-effective way to add space.
Read PostPool Houses FAQs
Explore answers to frequently asked questions about the ADU process, design options, and project timelines to help you make informed decisions.
Is a pool house considered an ADU?
It can be, depending on what’s inside it and your county’s rules. Add plumbing, a kitchenette, and enough square footage, and Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, or Gwinnett County may classify it as an accessory dwelling unit rather than just a backyard structure. That distinction matters for permitting, which is why we design most pool houses to meet ADU standards from the start, even if you don’t use it that way right away.
What makes a pool house a pool house?
Location and purpose. A pool house sits near your pool and is built around how you’ll actually use that space, whether that’s a place to change, store gear, or host guests. Add a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette, and it crosses into full living space, which is where the ADU rules come in.
Can a pool house include a bathroom or shower?
Yes. A bathroom or outdoor shower is one of the most popular additions, since it means swimmers aren’t tracking wet feet through your main house. We run plumbing for a bathroom, outdoor shower, or both, and design the drainage so it works with your existing pool equipment and county code.
Can I live in a pool house?
Yes, if it’s built to your county’s ADU standards, which means a kitchenette, a full bathroom, and the plumbing and electrical to support them. Without those, it’s a great space for guests to change or hang out, but not a legal place to live. We design for either outcome from day one, so you’re not stuck adding those systems later if your plans change.
Does a pool house add value to your home?
A permitted pool house with real living space, plumbing, and code-compliant construction typically adds more resale value than an unpermitted shed or a prefab kit that doesn’t match your home’s style. Buyers and appraisers see it as usable square footage, not just a poolside extra. That’s the biggest reason we build as if it might function as an ADU, even for homeowners who only plan to use it for storage and entertaining today.
