Like a cannonball off the high dive, Riverstone Pools is making quite a splash in Middle Tennessee’s residential pool market.
From Columbia to Gallatin, and Dickson to Nolensville, the locally owned outfit has designed and built about 100 pools in a little more than two years, according to company co-founder, Jason Grieco. “With so many people moving into the Nashville area, there has been, and continues to be, a strong demand for residential swimming pools,” says Grieco. “Many families are moving here from colder parts of the country and they want that backyard experience for their kids. But we serve a lot of longtime residents who have decided that a pool would be a great addition to
their home.”
Grieco and his wife, Courtney, formed the company along with their friend and neighbor, AJ Steynberg, in 2020. Their inspiration came from watching another neighbor’s not-so-pleasant experience with a pool contractor.
“A job that should’ve taken one month, ended up taking seven months,” says Grieco. “The crews would come over, work an hour, and leave. There was little communication and their yard was left in a messy condition. That’s when AJ and I started talking. We saw an opportunity to do things differently and went to work.”
Grieco obtained his contractor’s license, assembled a team, and Riverstone Pools dove in headfirst. With finance and accounting degrees in hand, hands-on pool construction experience, and years of service with established and startup businesses, Grieco was up to the task.
He had worked as a CPA before joining his family’s retail pet store business. When that enterprise was sold to a national chain in 2015, Grieco was retained to manage the transition. “We stood up 60 stores in two weeks, then added 100 more in two years,” he says. “I was tasked with everything from leasing to buildout, staffing and banking. To do that, we had to put together teams that were competent and efficient.”
Those skills and experiences have transferred over to Riverstone Pools where no two jobs are identical. It begins with the type of pool itself: fiberglass or gunite (concrete). “Fiberglass pools are fabricated off-site then transported to your home where they’re installed,” says Grieco. “Gunite is shot through a high-pressure hose onto a custom-built frame that’s installed in the hole that’s been dug. If there are no issues, fiberglass pools can be completed in a about a month. You’re somewhat limited in terms of design but fiberglass pools have come a long way. We’ve put some in some tight spots. We’ll crane everything in, go straight over the house, and drop the pool into its location."
“With gunite pools, you’re design options are virtually limitless. The world is your oyster. But the process is slower and can take three to six months, depending on the complexity of the job.”
Pool sizes vary greatly. A cold plunge pool, which is primarily for therapeutic purposes, can accommodate one-to-four people at a depth of three feet. A common size for a small pool is 20 x 10. The largest fiberglass pool available is 40 x 16. Depths range from nine inches on a tanning ledge to eight feet, which is required for a diving board. Pools can also be heated for year-round use.
The entry level price is about $80,000 with the average fiberglass pool running about $125,000. About 25 percent of project expense goes into the deck. “We include four feet of swept concrete around the pool, so you don’t have to spend a lot of extra money on a deck if you don’t want to,” says Grieco. “But we do build some elaborate decks and hardscapes with waterfalls, firepits, walled spaces and pool houses. Some jobs run up to $1 million. Basically, anything outside the house we can do.”
About 100 splash-happy families agree. RiverstonePools.com