Pool Houses + Cabanas | Custom Design + Build
Custom pool houses, cabanas, and poolside structures designed around how you entertain, relax, and use your backyard.
Pool House Overview
Most pools are used hard for a few hours and then everyone retreats inside. A well-designed pool house or cabana solves several problems at once — and turns the pool deck into the part of the property people actually gather in.
Pool House / Cabana / Pavilion
These aren't rigid industry definitions — they're starting points. The right answer depends on how you want to use the space, and we design the structure around those goals rather than a product catalog.
How Will You Use It?
"We need a cabana" is usually the beginning of the conversation, not the end. The structure follows the use — so we start there.
Large gatherings, food prep, drinks, seating, TVs and music — planned as one environment instead of scattered zones.
Shade, towels, cold drinks, storage, changing space and easy circulation between the water and everything else.
A comfortable place for kids, adults and guests — meals, downtime and a home base that isn't the kitchen table.
Lighting, fireplaces, TVs, seating and bug protection so the space keeps working after the sun goes down.
Depending on the design, space that can support a restroom, changing area, flex room or occasional guest use.
Indoor + Outdoor Options
Each step toward enclosure changes Privacy, Weather protection, Airflow, Temperature, Storage, Bathroom access, Entertainment and Visual connection to the pool — which is exactly the conversation we walk through during design.
Enclosed when you want it. Open when you don't.
Interior space that works like part of the home
Kitchens + Bars
A poolside kitchen isn't an appliance dropped onto a counter — it's the reason the structure gets used. Planning the kitchen at the same time as the structure means gas, electrical, drainage, ventilation and clearances are designed together, instead of retrofitted at a premium later.
Restrooms + Changing Space
One of the most practical things a pool house can do is keep wet feet, towels and guests outside. Restroom access, a changing area, towel storage and a place for wet clothing mean pool days stop running through the middle of your home — and guests stop dripping through the kitchen.
Whether a restroom or changing space makes sense depends on:
We evaluate feasibility during design and give you a straight answer before anything is built into the plan.
Storage
Pools generate clutter. Built-in storage keeps it out of sight and close at hand — so the backyard feels clean and usable instead of staged for company.
Shade + Climate Comfort
Texas sun exposure decides whether a poolside structure gets used in August or admired from inside. Orientation, airflow and screen integration are design decisions — not accessories.
Architectural Design
A prefab kit has one answer for every yard. A designed structure responds to the house, the pool and the land it sits on — which is why it reads as architecture instead of an addition.
Pool + Structure Relationship
Placement decides whether the structure becomes the center of the backyard or an afterthought at its edge. We design the two together.
Design + Planning
Depending on the project, we coordinate the design and technical work that makes a poolside structure possible — so you're managing one conversation, not nine.
Project Gallery
Real TWT projects across Greater Austin and the Hill Country — pool houses, cabanas, pavilions, kitchens, interiors, screens and wide pool views. Explore more of our work.
Real Project Spotlight
A custom poolside project designed as one environment — an open structure beside the water with space to cook, gather and relax, connected to enclosed areas that keep the whole property working together.
The structure from across the pool
Indoor-outdoor flexibility
Finished interior space
Questions Homeowners Actually Ask
Specific answers about pool houses, cabanas, features and process. Anything else — call us at (512) 878-3892.
There's no rigid industry definition. Generally, a pool house functions more like an enclosed or partially enclosed accessory structure — potentially supporting a restroom, changing area, storage or flex room — while a cabana is typically more open-air, focused on shade, lounging and entertaining. We design the right solution around your goals rather than a label.
Often, yes — but not every project can support plumbing. Feasibility depends on property conditions, existing utilities, permitting, structure design and scope. We evaluate it during design and give you a straight answer before it's built into the plan.
Yes. Poolside kitchens and bars are among the most common features we design. Planning them alongside the structure lets gas, electrical, drainage and ventilation work together cleanly.
Yes. Structures can range from fully open pavilions to screened structures to partially or fully enclosed pool houses with conditioned space. Each level of enclosure changes privacy, airflow, temperature and cost — which we walk through during design.
Yes. Where appropriate, we integrate retractable screens — including MagnaTrack — during design so housings, columns and openings are planned together instead of retrofitted.
Yes. Many of our projects start with a pool that's already in place. We design around its shape, location, equipment and circulation so the structure works with what you have.
Yes. A pool house or cabana doesn't need to be built at the same time as the pool. We evaluate site conditions and design the structure to integrate with the existing pool and yard.
Yes. Built-in storage for towels, floats, cushions, cleaning equipment and seasonal items is one of the most practical features a poolside structure can include.
Requirements vary by property, municipality and project. As part of qualifying design-build projects, we determine what applies to your project and coordinate the permitting process.
Yes. Where the project includes plumbing, electrical or gas, we coordinate that work as part of the overall design-build scope rather than leaving you to manage separate trades.
Yes. Where a neighborhood requires architectural review, we prepare and coordinate the drawings and documentation needed for submission.
Yes. Design is the first phase of our process, and for appropriate projects we develop 3D visualizations so you can see the space before committing to construction.
It depends. Setbacks and placement requirements vary by property, municipality and project specifics — there's no single universal answer. We determine what applies to your property during design and permitting.
Field-tested judgment on structure, utilities, permitting and the details that age well.
Design, engineering, permitting and construction coordinated by one team.
Owners involved in the work, building where we live.
Know what’s happening, what’s next, and who is responsible — without having to ask.
Related Project Types
Tell us how you want to use the backyard. We’ll help you think through the structure, layout, features, and next steps.
