Why Haven't Pools in America Evolved Since the 1940's?
In the United States, most swimming pools are still built using the same methods introduced in the 1940s: spray a gunite or shotcrete shell, cover it in plaster, and fill it with water. While pumps, heaters, and automation have advanced, the core process of pool construction hasn’t meaningfully evolved in nearly a century.
That matters for homeowners. Outdated construction leaves families in Kansas City, Missouri with structural issues, plaster failures, high maintenance costs, and disappointing swim experiences. (Admit it, we've all heard the horror stories.)
At High Prairie Outdoors, we believe Kansas City families deserve better. That’s why, as a nationally recognized Certified Pool Builder and Pool Designer, we’ve spent over a decade researching and training internationally to bring world-class pool construction to Missouri. The result is our Legacy Method Thermally Insulated Pool—the only one of its kind in the region.
Our Legacy Method pools use methods we've learned in Europe and South America. The result is a longer lasting pool with more comfortable water. Discerning homeowners in Kansas City, Missouri, and beyond, are discovering they don't have to settle for an inferior pool.
The Problem: Frustration with Limited Options
Most Kansas City homeowners have heard (or lived) a pool horror story. The issues are all too common:
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Cracking & Shifting: Clay soils and freeze–thaw cycles damage conventional shells.
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High-Maintenance Plaster: Plaster stains, roughens, and requires costly replacement every 7–15 years.
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Temperature Swings: Traditional pools are too hot in summer and too cold in spring/fall.
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Disappearing Pool Companies: Someone shows up to dig a hole and you don't see them again for months.
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The Subcontractor Shuffle: It can take between 14-23 different companies to complete your entire outdoor space. This is a nightmare for scheduling, quality control, and warranty claims.
How High Prairie Builds Pools Differently
As Kansas City’s leading luxury pool builder and designer, we engineered our Legacy Method Thermally Insulated Concrete Pool to solve these problems and elevate the entire experience.
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Engineered Durability: Built with thermally insulated concrete, these shells are designed to last 75–100 years—far beyond conventional expectations.
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Comfortable Water Temperatures: Insulation keeps water cooler in summer and warmer in spring and fall, often extending pool season and maximizing heater efficiency.
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Complete Customization: Just like gunite pools, Legacy Method pools can be designed in any shape, size, or style. The only limits are imagination, site, and investment range.
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Superior Finishes: In Europe, plaster is rarely used due to poor performance and high cost. We offer resin-based and advanced membrane finishes that are smoother, more beautiful, and longer lasting. No more snagged swimsuits, chalky residue, or expensive re-plaster bills.
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Year-Round Beauty: No need for tarp-style covers. Your pool remains a stunning visual feature in your landscape all 12 months of the year.
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Advanced Safety Solutions: Our layered safety systems provide 24/7 protection proven as effective—or more effective—than covers alone.
Bottom line: Tailored Design. Lasting Engineering. Elevated Living.
If you’re looking for a Kansas City pool builder who delivers more than the 1940s status quo, High Prairie Outdoors is the answer.
Our Legacy Method Thermally Insulated Pools combine durability, beauty, and comfort in a way conventional gunite, fiberglass, or vinyl pools simply can’t.
This is pool construction reimagined—crafted by certified experts, designed for Kansas City’s unique climate, and built to last for generations.
Feature
Legacy Method™ Pool
Conventional Gunite/Shotcrete Pools
Structural Wall System
Reinforced thermal concrete walls
Sprayed concrete (gunite/shotcrete)
Structural Lifespan
75-100+ years
15-50 years
Plaster Finish Lifespan
10-15 years (if chosen)
8-12 years typical
Renolit Membrane Finish
20-25+ years (often longer in residential use)
Rarely used
Energy Efficiency
High - insulated concrete shell retains heat and moderates temperature swings
Low - porous shell loses/gains heat quickly to surrounding soil
Crack Resistance
Superior - monolithic reinforced pour with insulation protection
More prone to shrinkage and soil-driven cracking
Investment Range
$290-$330 per sq. ft.
$250-$310 per sq. ft.
Maintaining Your Investment: What to Expect
- Routine Care: Regular cleaning, skimming, and water chemistry balancing are essential.
- Surface Maintenance: While concrete is durable, the finish may require resurfacing every 10-15 years, depending on usage and care.
- Winterizing: Proper seasonal care, including covering the pool and winterizing the equipment, will extend its lifespan.
- Full-Service Maintenance Program: High Prairie offers a comprehensive pool maintenance program, which can be combined with our fine gardening and seasonal color programs. This ensures your entire outdoor space remains stunning and functional year-round.
The High Prairie Difference
What sets High Prairie apart from other Kansas City pool builders is our unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Our exclusive Legacy Method ensures that every step of your project is handled with precision and care, leaving you free to enjoy the process.
- Expert Engineering: By consulting with engineers, we’ve developed advanced construction methods that result in pools with superior structural integrity and longevity.
- Full-Service Approach: We design, build, and maintain the entire outdoor living space in-house. We're the pool builder, stone mason, horticulturalist, and carpentry team!
- Bespoke Design: As the premier Kansas City pool designer, we collaborate with you to create a pool that reflects your style and enhances your outdoor space.
- Comprehensive Design and Craftsmanship: With a pool designer, landscape designer, and certified build team in-house, High Prairie ensures your entire outdoor space is cohesively designed, expertly crafted and maintained by one organization.
- Embracing the Al Fresco Lifestyle: Our custom pools are designed to help you make the most of outdoor living, encouraging relaxation, connection, and fun.
- Proven Durability: Our enhanced building techniques mean your pool will stand up to the test of time and the elements, providing peace of mind for decades to come.
- Exclusive Features: With our expertise, you’ll gain access to luxury materials and unique features not available through other builders in the region.
- Decade of Global Research – We studied in Europe and South America to bring better pool construction methods home.
- Only Legacy Method Provider in Kansas City – No other Missouri pool builder offers thermally insulated concrete pools.
Discover How We Bring Your Vision to Life
Our work is personal to us. We take extreme care in crafting the luxury outdoor experience you deserve, the one that meets the aesthetic of your home and serves your lifestyle. Take a look at some of the work we've done in the Kansas City, Missouri, area.
The High Prairie Process
Designed for You
Our processes create customized solutions to help you master the art of the experience-driven lifestyle. This is what to expect when you work with us on Design/Build projects or all-inclusive Maintenance:
Get In Touch
Fill out our online form to get started. We'll be in touch to discuss the details of your project to make sure we're a good fit for you. If so, we'll set up your Discovery Meeting and provide a pricing guide to help you know what to expect.
Discovery Meeting
This is a free meeting at our design studio, where you'll select a design package. You'll have an opportunity to meet your designer and share details about your unique design style. We'll learn about your priorities and preferences as we help you discover your many options and possibilities. At this time, we'll collect half of the design fee.
Site Analysis
The Site Analysis breaks down the three pillars of memory making: how you relax, play, and connect. It includes measurements, drainage and grading considerations, architectural and existing element analysis, soil analysis, and a review of design opportunities, all seen through the lens of your three pillars.
Concept Reveal Meeting
At our studio or remotely, this is where you'll review your detailed design and discuss material options with your designer. If there are budget considerations, we can discuss phasing the project as needed.
Final Design Reveal and Proposal Presentation
We'll finalize the materials and order your selections upon your approval. Your Prairie Power Team will create a project plan, complete with milestones and target tasks. As we work through planning and permitting, you'll receive weekly updates, and after you sign, we'll get you on the schedule.
Crafting Your Space
The team will work diligently and according to schedule. You can track our progress and watch your landscape unfold via our project web platform.
Final Walkthrough + Ongoing Maintenance
You'll do a final walkthrough with the designer, and we will accept the final payment. You’ll learn more about our worry-free maintenance program options and we can schedule your Lawncierge project check-ins for proactive attention and monitoring of your new space.
Tailored Pool and Outdoor Solutions for Every Lifestyle
All of our services are completed by highly skilled crews equipped with specialized tools and landscaping know-how. With stonemasons, pool builders, horticulturists, and more on our team, we can complete 95 percent of our projects completely in-house, which means you’ll enjoy a stress-free build! As certified General Contractors, we can bring in electricians and plumbers as required, eliminating the need for you to juggle multiple contractors. This is what we can do for you:
Pools
Redefine your summers with a custom concrete or stainless steel pool installed by our in-house pool builders. Your design may include pool decking and landscaping as part of a comprehensive outdoor living space. Visit our Pools page to learn more.
Landscape Design
With a deep understanding of the five distinctive historical garden styles, we create timeless designs that age with grace and beauty. Our experience-driven approach means we take everything into consideration: your lifestyle, existing architecture, personal preferences, practical requirements, and future goals for outdoor living. Visit our Landscape Design page to learn more.
Landscape Installation
The lushest landscapes begin with the healthiest soils. As part of our “Legacy Program”, we’ll lab test your soils and provide a comprehensive plan for building your soil health. Then, our horticulturalists will plant each plant with the care and nurturing even a Master Gardener would appreciate. (Seriously, Master Gardeners love us!) Visit our Landscape Installation page to learn more.
Outdoor Living
The experience-driven lifestyle starts outside! Your outdoor living space should be uniquely yours, with the colors, plants, and features—like built-in grills, outdoor kitchens, privacy panels, fireplaces, paver patios, pergolas, landscape lighting, sound systems and more—that meet your lifestyle goals. Visit our Outdoor Living page to learn more.
Landscape Maintenance
Customize an effortless landscape maintenance program with services like water feature maintenance, plant health care, tree pruning, fungus treatment, lawn mowing, weed control, and so much more. We show up on time, work with precision, and keep you updated on the condition of your property. Visit our Landscape Maintenance page to learn more.
Decks
As a full-service landscaping company, we have our own deck builders. Collaborate with us, and we will match your deck to your needs and home aesthetic. Visit our Decks page to learn more.
Holiday Lighting
Get in the festive spirit without climbing on any ladders! We have the tools and experience required to design exceptional holiday lighting displays that uplift the entire neighborhood—and we'll take those decorations down for you at the end of the season, too. Visit our Holiday Lighting page to learn more.
Spas
Nothing says relaxation like a backyard spa. We can design your spa to fit beautifully on your patio or amidst your garden, and you'll enjoy it for years to come. Visit our Pools & Spas page to learn more.
Sprinklers / Irrigation
Practical, responsible watering solutions give your lawn and plants the support they need without waste. Easy-to-use digital systems offer incredible water and cost savings and require minimal maintenance. Visit our Sprinklers page to learn more.
Drainage
Proper drainage is an investment in the longevity of your home and landscape. We address it as part of your landscape design and installation—or you can work with us to fix any drainage issues in your existing landscape.
Bringing Exceptional Concrete Pools to Kansas City, MO, and Beyond
We offer our comprehensive landscaping services to homeowners throughout the Kansas City area:
- Parkville, Missouri
- Belton, Missouri
- Lee's Summit, Missouri
- Liberty, Missouri
- Blue Springs, Missouri
- Westwood, Kansas
- Fairway, Kansas
- Olathe, Kansas
- Mission Woods, Kansas
Visit our Service Area page to get a closer look at where we work.
