Barton Plunge

The Brief · Barton Creek

A real pool. Not a stock tank.

4 Weeks · Half the Cost of Gunite

The homeowners wanted a pool for cooling off in Austin’s 100°F+ summers and entertaining on weekends — but their lot sat on shallow limestone with limited excavation depth, and they didn’t want to spend $100K+ or wait 6 months for a traditional gunite build.

A shipping container plunge pool solved both constraints. The 20-foot modified ISO container arrived pre-lined with fiberglass, with plumbing penetrations factory-cut. Red Agave handled everything from excavation and structural pad through cedar cladding, marbled concrete decking, landscape lighting, and native planting screens — a complete outdoor living environment, not just a pool dropped in a yard.

The Raypak R8450ti heat/cool pump keeps the water at 82°F year-round: heating through Austin’s brief winters and — critically — cooling during July and August when unmanaged pool water hits 95°F and is too warm to be refreshing. Total project cost: under $48,000. Timeline: 4 weeks from excavation to first swim.

Container plunge pool with cedar cladding flush against marbled concrete deck — Barton Creek Austin TX — 01 · Cedar-Clad Pool20-ft container / fiberglass lined

Raypak R8450ti heat/cool pump housed in ventilated cedar equipment enclosure — Barton Creek Austin TX — 02 · Raypak Heat/CoolR8450ti / 240V dedicated

24V FCOB underwater lighting and marbled concrete deck edge with 6-inch turf margin — Barton Creek Austin TX — 03 · FCOB Underwater24V / IP67 / 2700K

The Build

Engineered to swim. Built to last.

Container pool crane placement onto compacted gravel and concrete support slab — Barton Creek Austin TX

Western Red Cedar horizontal cladding with concealed stainless steel fasteners on container pool — Barton Creek Austin TX

Water · 01 The Pool Cedar Clad · Raypak Cooled 20-foot ISO container modified with fiberglass lining, resistance jets, and factory-cut plumbing penetrations. Partially buried into a limestone shelf with compacted gravel pad and poured concrete support slab. Raypak R8450ti heat/cool pump on dedicated 240V circuit. Variable-speed Pentair IntelliFlo circulation pump with salt chlorine generator.

System Details

Container + Equipment

—20-ft ISO container, fiberglass lined, factory plumbing penetrations
—Interior: 7 ft wide × 19 ft long × 4.5 ft deep
—Raypak R8450ti heat/cool pump — 82°F year-round
—Pentair IntelliFlo variable-speed pump + salt chlorine generator

Cladding + Deck

—Western Red Cedar horizontal planks ($12/sq ft installed)
—Stainless steel furring + concealed fasteners
—Poured marbled concrete deck at $14/sq ft — 380 sq ft
—6-inch synthetic turf margins between concrete and pool edge

Lighting + Controls

—IP67 24V FCOB tape — underwater + deck perimeter
—ESP32 WLED controller — app-based scene programming
—2700K warm-white ambient + color mode for entertaining
—COB path lights on native planting zones (CRI 90+)

Landscape + Screening

—Privacy screening: Bamboo Muhly, Gulf Muhly, Mexican Feathergrass
—Specimen Blue Glow Agaves in steel planter bands
—Decomposed granite pathways with 1/4" steel edging
—Drip irrigation on dedicated zone controller

Takeoff / Barton Creek

The blueprint.

01 / Pool System

Container + Equipment

20-ft modified ISO container
Fiberglass interior lining
Resistance jet system
Raypak R8450ti heat/cool pump
Pentair IntelliFlo circ pump
Salt chlorine generator

02 / Hardscape

Cedar + Concrete

Western Red Cedar cladding
Concealed SS fasteners
380 sq ft marbled concrete deck
6" synthetic turf margins
1/4" steel edge separation
Ventilated equipment enclosure

03 / Lighting + Flora

FCOB + Native

IP67 FCOB underwater strips
FCOB deck perimeter line
ESP32 WLED controller
COB path lighting (CRI 90+)
Native screening grasses
Blue Glow Agave specimens

Component	Specification	Cost
Container (modified, fiberglass lined)	20-ft ISO, factory plumbing, resistance jets	$18,000
Excavation + structural pad	Partial bury into limestone shelf, compacted gravel, concrete slab	$5,200
Raypak heat/cool pump + filtration	R8450ti, 240V, IntelliFlo, salt chlorine	$6,400
Western Red Cedar cladding	Horizontal planks, SS furring, concealed fasteners	$4,100
Marbled concrete deck (380 sq ft)	$14/sq ft, 4" slab, rebar, compacted base	$5,320
24V FCOB lighting system	Underwater + perimeter, ESP32 WLED, COB path	$2,800
Electrical + plumbing	240V dedicated, supply/return/drain, permits	$3,900
Landscape + irrigation	Native screening, agave specimens, drip zones	$2,280

Location

Barton Creek

Build Time

4 Weeks

Total Cost

$48,000

Execution

100% In-House

Engineered to swim. Built to last.

Container + Equipment

Cladding + Deck

Lighting + Controls

Landscape + Screening

The blueprint.

Westlake Steel.