In 1987, masonry contractor Paul Claffey carved a turquoise ribbon of water into a quiet Southlake backyard, convinced that a pool could pull a family together the way a kitchen table does. He pictured cannonballs, midnight swims, and birthday candles reflected on still water. More than three decades later, over 10,000 backyards shimmer with Claffey craftsmanship—each one a tribute to a dream—and now carried forward by Paul’s three children: Shelly, Brian, and Charlie, who honor the legacy their father set in motion.
“We’re still active owners—all three of us are in the day-to-day business,” Shelly says from inside the new sales building. From 3D renderings, to the luxurious courtyard with spa, cabana, and water feature examples, to the new selections room with hundreds of samples for clients to explore, everything a client needs to picture their custom oasis lives at this location—and so do
the Claffey siblings. “Being on-site keeps us connected to our customers and to our team. We would have it no other way.”
The team at Claffey Pools numbers around 90 employees, many of whom have spent a decade or more shaping gunite, setting tile, and perfecting hydraulics. This continuity creates not just efficiency, but artistry—refined through time and teamwork. Together, they’ve earned hundreds of design awards and a longstanding place in Pool & Spa News’ Top 50 Builder and Service rankings—most recently holding the No. 4 Builder spot in the U.S. in 2024. Yet the most
meaningful wins often happen poolside: a child’s first brave jump, a graduation party by the water, a grandparent floating beneath the stars.
“That’s the joy of what we do—seeing the memories and happiness a pool brings into a family’s life,” Shelly says. Her designs range from sleek lap lanes to freeform lagoons, always guided by one question: How do you imagine using this space? “Our job is to shape water around the rhythm of real life.”
Claffey introduced its Weekly Maintenance & Warranty Division two years ago to ensure that every pool remains as beautiful and functional as the day it was completed. Now cleaning over
1,000 pools, the program reflects the same standards that built their reputation: detail, dependability, and family-level service. “We build it, and now we maintain it. Offering full-cycle care felt like the natural next step,” Shelly explains.
That care extends well beyond the backyard. Claffey Pools has donated over a million dollars to local causes and is deeply involved with national initiatives like St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital and PHTA’s Step Into Swim, which provides drowning-prevention classes for children who otherwise couldn’t afford them. Supporting veterans, first responders, and youth athletics remains equally central to their mission.
Integrity, they say, is the current that runs through it all. “Our name is important because it’s what we stand for—quality, integrity, and being there for our customers,” says Shelly. Their greatest compliment? Generational trust. Whether it’s a renovation call from a client twenty years later or a grown child coming back to build with Claffey, those relationships affirm the family’s legacy—and fuel its future.
Spend a moment in the design center and you’ll hear future memories being dreamed aloud—toddlers on a baja shelf, cousins grilling beside a stacked-stone wall, grandparents counting fireflies as the day winds down. Every detail leans toward connection: tile that stays cool in the sun, heaters that stretch the season, automation that brings light with a tap.
Claffey Pools may have grown into a full-service firm, but its heart remains the same—a family, shaping water with purpose, and bringing people closer in the process.