Williamson County · Thompson’s Station, TN
Outdoor living in Thompson’s Station
In Thompson’s Station we build the outdoor rooms around a pool: stone walls, fire pits, covered seating and kitchens. The town’s pool checklist requires an engineered design for any retaining wall 48 inches or taller, which comes up on every yard that steps down.
What is Cenote Azul?
Cenote Azul is our Thompson’s Station project. A raised round spa spills into a freeform pool, and beyond it sit a stone wall and a fire pit. The footage is on the project gallery. That layout lines up the water, the wall and the fire from the house, which is the whole idea behind planning them as one space.
What does the town’s pool checklist ask for?
The Town of Thompson’s Station requires a Swimming Pool Permit for in-ground and above-ground pools. Plans are filed through GeoCivix and signed off by the Town Planner and the Building Codes Official. The checklist, updated June 6, 2024, asks for a state contractor license, proof of insurance and a plot plan showing the silt fence and the pool barrier.
Two items are easy to miss. Retaining walls of 48 inches or more need an engineered design, and a home on septic needs a letter from the county where it applies.
How do walls and fire features fit a sloping yard?
Where the ground falls away, a stone retaining wall creates the flat shelf a fire pit or seating area needs. Taller walls bring the engineered design into the plans; shorter ones still get a proper base. Either way the wall carries a drainage path behind it.
The fire pit, kitchen and covered seating are drawn with the pool, so gas, power and lighting go in before the patio is paved.
What else should you know about the town?
Thompson’s Station is small and historic. The old Thompson’s Station Bank, the Critz houses and the site of the Battle of Thompson’s Station are all here. The town sits between Franklin and Spring Hill, and we work in all three.
Thompson’s Station, on film
Cenote Azul
A raised round spa spilling into a freeform pool with a stone wall and fire pit beyond in Thompson’s Station.
All five projectsWhat we build in Thompson’s Station
Pools, stone and outdoor rooms
Custom Pools
Fiberglass Pools
Factory-molded shells, set in days.
See fiberglass poolsCustom Pools
Gunite Pools
Any shape, vanishing edges, spas.
See gunite poolsHardscapes
Custom Hardscaping
Patios, walls, walkways, decks.
See custom hardscapingOutdoor Living
Outdoor Living Design
Kitchens, pergolas, fire features.
See outdoor living designNearby: Franklin · Spring Hill · College Grove · All 18 towns
Questions, answered
Pools in Thompson’s Station: common questions
Does a retaining wall need an engineer in Thompson’s Station?
Yes, once it reaches 48 inches or taller. The town’s pool permit checklist, updated June 6, 2024, requires an engineered design for retaining walls at that height. Shorter walls still need a sound base and drainage behind them, and we show every wall on the site plan, whatever its height.
Do I need a septic letter for a pool in Thompson’s Station?
If your home is on septic, yes. The town’s pool checklist calls for a county septic letter where it applies, since a pool and its excavation have to stay clear of the septic system. The site visit locates the tank and field lines early, so the pool, patio and fire pit are placed away from them.
Can a raised spa spill over into a pool?
Yes. A spa set above the pool, with water spilling over its edge into the main body, is a common gunite feature, since the shell is shaped on site. Our Cenote Azul project in Thompson’s Station has a raised round spa spilling into a freeform pool, with a stone wall and a fire pit beyond it.
Why does a pool plan show a silt fence?
A silt fence keeps soil from washing off the dig into streets, drains and neighboring yards when it rains. The Thompson’s Station pool permit checklist requires the plot plan to show where the silt fence goes, along with the pool barrier. It stays up until the ground around the pool is paved or stabilized.