Custom Water Features Near Me

Water features for pools are the moving-water elements built into or beside a pool. They include weirs, cascades, spouts, feature walls and shallow reflecting pools. Each one adds movement, sound and a focal point. Trademen Pools designs and installs custom water features for homes and businesses across the whole of Gauteng, including Johannesburg, the East and West Rand, Centurion and Pretoria. We work across a wide range of Gauteng ground conditions, from dolomitic West Rand soil to established East Rand suburbs. Every weir or cascade is integrated with your pool and pump system. We can also build the new swimming pool around it, designed and built to suit your home, site and budget.

A water feature, whether a weir, cascade, spout or wall, adds movement and sound, and we integrate it neatly with your pool’s plumbing and pump. A well-planned feature gives you:

• A focal point. Moving water draws the eye to the pool from the garden and from inside the house.
• Sound. Falling water is calming and can soften background noise from the street or neighbours.
• Character. The same pool can look classic, contemporary or dramatic depending on the feature you choose.
• No surprises later. Planned from the start, the feature’s plumbing, pump capacity and position are settled before the shell is built.

From homes and businesses across the whole of Gauteng, including Johannesburg, the East and West Rand, Centurion and Pretoria, we’ve worked on pools like yours all over the province, so the advice you get is grounded in local experience.

Types of water features for pools: weirs, cascades, spouts and reflecting pools

Each type of feature changes how a pool looks and sounds. Here is how the main options differ.

Weirs

A weir lets water spill over a level edge in a smooth, even sheet. It gives a clean line and a gentle sound, and it works in both contemporary and traditional gardens.

Cascades

A cascade brings water down in one or more steps. It makes more movement and more sound than a weir. It suits a pool next to a raised terrace or a change of level.

Spouts

A spout funnels water into a tight, thin stream that falls into the pool. It is compact and adds sound without taking up much space.

Feature walls

Water runs down the face of a wall and into the pool. The wall becomes a backdrop and is easy to see from the house.

Reflecting pools

A reflecting pool is a shallow, wide surface, often just a few hundred millimetres deep. It is made to be looked at rather than swum in, mainly from indoors. Still water mirrors the sky and the building, and a feature at one end can add gentle movement.

Designing water features for pools: plumbing, pump capacity and sightlines

Good design starts with the questions we ask before anything is drawn:

• Where will you see it from? A pool is often viewed from above, through glass or from the lounge as much as from the water. The feature should look right from those windows, not only from the pool edge.
• Can your plumbing and pump carry it? Weirs, cascades and spouts add plumbing and, in some cases, extra pump capacity. Planning this from the start keeps it in the overall price and out of the change-order pile.
• What will fit on the site? The stand, levels and boundaries decide how large a feature can be and where it can sit.
• How will equipment get there? Access for people and materials decides how the feature is built and in what order.
• Which finish suits it? Marbelite is a classic, matte plaster finish that suits natural stone and warmer, more traditional exteriors. Fibreglass is smoother and more consistent, with a slight sheen, and suits cleaner, more contemporary lines. Both work well with moving water, so the choice follows the look you want.

What our pool builds include

• Site assessment, levels, access and a custom design
• Excavation, steelwork and a sound, engineered shell
• Your choice of finish — marbelite, fibreglass or plaster
• Tiling, coping and surrounds for a complete look
• Plumbing, pump, filtration, lighting and commissioning
• Weirs, cascades and feature walls integrated with your pump system

Other pool services we offer

We’re a full-service pool company, so we can also help with:

• Swimming Pool Company Near Me
• Swimming Pool Construction Services Near Me
• Swimming Pool Builders Near Me

How custom water features work with us: design and installation

1. Consult and design. We consult on your needs, site and budget and prepare a design. For a water feature, this settles the type, its position, and the view of it from the house. AI-designed visualizations help you see the feature in place before anything is built.
2. Quote. We provide a fixed written quote and timeline. The feature, its plumbing and any extra pump capacity are included from the start.
3. Excavate, set steel and build the shell. We mark out and square the site, then excavate by hand and/or TLB, depending on access and space. The steel is Y8 bars and 100mm mesh wire, with a ring beam. The shell is 30 MPa ready-mix concrete from a reputable supplier, poured to 150mm. While the concrete sets, the weir, aim-flow and LED light are positioned. The shell then cures for three to five days.
4. Apply your chosen finish and install all equipment. On a marbelite pool, ceramic mosaic tiles are installed with 50mm PVC piping for suction and return. Marbelite is applied and left to cure overnight. On a fibreglass pool, the shell is plastered and left to dry completely before resin and gelcoat are applied and cured. The “Box” combo unit goes in: pump, sand filter, electrical distribution board with a battery-backed timer, and a pump house. The smaller fittings, such as the weir, aim-flow and LED light, are then connected, with wiring run back to the board.
5. Fill, commission, balance and hand over. The final step is filling the pool with water and commissioning, so the feature runs with the pump system before handover.

A pool is a long-term investment in your property, so it pays to build it right. That means sound engineering, quality materials and a finish matched to how you’ll actually use it. A water feature is no different: positioned while the concrete sets and connected to the pump system, it becomes part of the pool rather than an add-on.

What do water features for pools cost?

Every build is quoted on its design, size, finish and site. For water features for pools, the type of feature, the plumbing it needs and any extra pump capacity all affect the price. That is why the feature belongs in the quote from the start. Major jobs such as a new build, a remarbelite or a refibreglass are priced with one overall price, and minor changes such as a light change or sand change are included in it. You get a clear, fixed written quote and timeline before any ground is broken, with a fair price for the work in your area and no surprises.

Water Features for Pools FAQs

Can you add a water feature to an existing pool?

Often yes. We assess your plumbing and pump and design a feature that works with them. If the existing pump can’t carry the feature, we tell you what extra capacity it needs before you commit.

Do water features need extra plumbing or a bigger pump?

Weirs, cascades and spouts add plumbing and, in some cases, extra pump capacity. We plan and price this into the build from the start.

What is a reflecting pool?

A reflecting pool is a shallow, wide surface, often just a few hundred millimetres deep. It is meant to be viewed, mostly from indoors, more than swum in.

Can I have a water feature on a marbelite or a fibreglass pool?

Yes, on both. We install and refinish marbelite and fibreglass pools, and the feature is planned around the finish you choose.

How long does it take to build a pool?

Most new pools take two to three weeks from breaking ground to handover. The concrete shell alone cures for three to five days. Size, finish and especially the weather can move the timeline a little either way.

Can you build on a sloped or difficult site?

Yes. We plan access and engineering around the site, including slopes and tight stands. Where a TLB can’t get in, excavation is done by hand.

Do you handle approvals and safety compliance?

We build to the relevant standards and advise on safety and any approvals your pool needs. We handle council management as part of the build. Council typically requires approved drawings and a signed indemnity form before work starts.

Want the full picture? Read more about our pool construction work, or see every town we cover on our pool service areas page.

Get a free quote for custom water features

Send us a few photos of your pool and tell us where you’d like the feature to sit and which windows you’ll see it from. We’ll give you honest guidance and a fair quote.

Call: 081 537 0757
Email: sales@trademen.co.za
Serving the whole of Gauteng — including Johannesburg, the East & West Rand, Centurion, Pretoria and surrounds.