Small Yard Pool Rocklin CA | Jim Chandler Pools

Hillside Pool Construction in a Tight Backyard — Rocklin, CA

Building a pool in Rocklin often presents a significant topographical challenge: a yard that appears small on paper but carries significant grade change and structural challenges. On this Rocklin project, we managed nearly nine feet of grade change from the rear fence line down to the house foundation. The only point of entry was a side yard corridor measuring exactly 3 feet 9.5 inches of working clearance — a constraint that dictated every logistical decision from day one.

This case study documents the transformation of a steep, unusable slope into a functional outdoor living space. Despite the technical hurdles and my own recovery from a total knee replacement in March 2025, the project ran on schedule.

Steep backyard slope with existing retaining walls before custom pool construction in Rocklin California — The Rocklin backyard before construction. Nearly nine feet of grade change, aging railroad tie retaining walls, and a side yard corridor measuring 3 feet 9.5 inches — the only access point to the site.

T.K. — Rocklin Client
5 out of 5 stars |
Read the Client’s Google Review | March 2026

Worked with Jim to design a pool in our small tight backyard. Came out great. Very happy. Kids love it. And was able to create more space than expected. Jim was very communicative and returned calls and answered questions in a timely manner, which is very important to us.

The Project Challenge: Logistics and Structural Integrity

Managing the access constraints required a specialized equipment suite. With only 3 feet 9.5 inches of working clearance, we utilized dual Yanmar mini excavators paired with a Linkit sectional conveyor system to extract approximately twenty ten-yard truckloads of soil. This method allowed us to move a massive volume of earth over four days without endangering the home’s foundation or the neighboring property.

To resolve the grade change, we engineered a five-foot-high structural gunite retaining wall system. The wall holds the slope directly behind the pool. Above the gunite wall, a stacked block retaining wall system addresses the remaining two and a half feet of grade to the rear fence line — seven and a half feet of total grade change managed above the pool shell. Each wall is an independent structural system, engineered for its specific load and position in the slope.

The Four Stages of Construction

Follow the step-by-step progress of this Rocklin hillside build:

1. Stage 1: Design and Site Planning
How we mapped a nine-foot grade change into a buildable design, established the -0- bond beam elevation, and made the equipment decisions before anything arrived on site.

2. Stage 2: Excavation in a Tight Backyard
The logistics of soil removal through a 3-foot-9.5-inch access corridor using a Linkit conveyor system and dual Yanmar mini excavators, and the structural engineer inspection that cleared the site for footing and wall construction.

3. Stage 3: Retaining Wall Construction and Pool Build
The structural phase — gunite retaining wall, rebar, plumbing, and pool shell construction.

4. Stage 4: Tile, Deck, Plaster, and Completed Pool
The completed Rocklin small yard pool — tile, wall cap, concrete deck, stucco, plaster, and water-in.

Custom rectangular pool with white tile tanning shelf and raised wall with sheer descent waterfall in small yard hillside build Rocklin CA — The finished design concept for the Rocklin small yard pool project — rectangular pool with tanning shelf, raised bond beam wall, and sheer descent waterfall.

Finished small yard pool with gunite retaining wall and hillside in Rocklin CA backyard — The completed Rocklin small yard pool. Rectangular gunite pool with tanning shelf, five-foot structural gunite retaining wall, stacked block wall above, and concrete deck — built in a backyard with nine feet of grade change and 3-foot-9.5-inch side yard access.

Our Engineering Standard

As a second-generation custom gunite builder and former CSLB Swimming Pool (C-53) Subject Matter Expert panelist (2012–2017), I maintain a standard of care that exceeds municipal requirements. On this project — as with every project I build — I brought in the structural engineer to inspect the excavation and footing conditions at near-final depth. The building department does not require this inspection. I do. It is the only way to verify that actual field conditions match the structural engineering assumptions before steel and gunite are placed.

Does your yard have slope, limited access, or both?

The first step is a visual site consultation to determine what is actually buildable. If the project is a good fit, we move into a paid design consultation where everything is measured and engineered correctly.

Schedule a Complimentary Site Consultation | (916) 624-5296

About Jim Chandler Pools

I specialize in custom gunite swimming pools and have been building throughout the Greater Sacramento region and Sierra Foothills for more than 35 years. My work focuses on hillside construction, difficult-access sites, and engineered vanishing edge pools — projects that require more than standard methods.

As a second-generation pool builder, I bring deep technical knowledge to every project. I previously served as a paid Swimming Pool (C-53) Subject Matter Expert panelist for the California Contractors State License Board (2012–2017). That experience strengthened my understanding of engineering standards and regulatory compliance.

I focus on challenging sites where others hesitate. Hillside construction is my specialty. Complex structural conditions are my expertise. Projects requiring more than standard construction are where I do my best work.

Serving Sacramento, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Auburn, Grass Valley, Colfax, Folsom, and El Dorado Hills.

California Contractor License #585004

Schedule a Complimentary Consultation | (916) 624-5296

Jim Chandler Pools Inc. has been building custom gunite pools in Rocklin, Placer County, and the greater Sacramento region since 1990. CSLB C-53 License #585004. Return to the Rocklin Small Yard Pool project overview.