Scott Payne — Founder & Lead Designer
Scott Payne is the founder of Scott Payne Custom Pools, where he serves as the lead designer, primary consultant, and the person clients work with directly throughout the entire sales and design process.
With over 25 years of experience in the pool industry and as a third-generation builder, Scott brings a level of insight that goes far beyond surface-level design or sales conversations.
Over the course of his career — including his work prior to founding Scott Payne Custom Pools and alongside family businesses — he has worked directly with over 2,000 homeowners, helping them navigate one of the most significant and complex investments they'll make in their home: a custom inground swimming pool.
What makes Scott's perspective different isn't just the number of projects — it's the depth of understanding behind how those projects are designed, built, and experienced over time.
Credentials & Formal Training
Scott's formal education in pool design and construction began with Genesis 3, the industry's original advanced training program. When the founding Genesis 3 faculty departed to establish Watershape University — widely regarded as the gold standard in watershape education — Scott followed. Across both programs, he has accumulated over 300 hours of IACET-accredited classroom education focused on design, engineering, and construction best practices. He now serves as a Faculty Member at Watershape University, contributing to the education of the next generation of pool professionals. He also holds an International Watershape Institute (IWI) certification.
That level of formal training, combined with decades of real-world experience, allows him to bridge the gap between:
- Technical accuracy
- Practical construction
- Real-world homeowner expectations
What He's Seen — And Why It Matters
Through thousands of conversations with homeowners, Scott has seen exactly where things go wrong — not just in construction, but in the decision-making process itself. He's seen budgets get misaligned, expectations set unrealistically, and critical details overlooked early on.
In most cases, these issues could have been avoided with better clarity upfront. That's what led Scott to take a different approach. Instead of relying on traditional sales tactics, he focuses on education, transparency, and helping homeowners fully understand their options before making a decision.
Content, Podcast & Published Work
Scott is the host of Talking Pools with Scott, where he answers real questions homeowners ask about pricing, design, timelines, and common mistakes to avoid.
He is also the author of How to Buy a Swimming Pool, a guide designed to help homeowners make smarter, more confident decisions throughout the buying process.
His Approach — Direct, Honest, Low-Pressure
Scott's approach is direct, honest, and intentionally low-pressure. If something isn't the right fit, he'll say it. If expectations need to be adjusted, he'll explain why. And if there's a better path forward — even if it doesn't involve his company — he'll point you in that direction.
Because at the end of the day, his goal isn't just to build pools. It's to help homeowners make decisions they feel confident about long after the project is complete.