Pool Magazine was able to speak with Lucas Congdon about his company Lucas Lagoons. They specialize in the design and construction of luxury pools as well as outdoor living areas. Congdon is also well-known for his role in the popular TV show Unsane Pools. It aired on Animal Planet and DIY Network.
About Lucas Congdon & Lucas Lagoons
Congdon founded Lucas Lagoons with the aim of creating unique outdoor living spaces for clients. Congdon and his staff have built some of the most unique and extravagant outdoor spaces and swimming pools in the country over the years.
The Animal Planet network approached Congdon about appearing in a TV series that would highlight his work at Lucas Lagoons. Congdon and his crew quickly made the show a success, and they traveled all across the country to build and design some of the most spectacular swimming pools in the country.
Insane Pools stands out from other home improvement shows because of the creativity and scale of the projects Congdon and Lucas Lagoons were able to undertake. Congdon and his team are capable of creating anything from pools with waterfalls or slides to outdoor kitchens or living spaces. We take a deeper dive together as we meet Lucas Congdon (owner and founder of Lucas Lagoons).
Interview with Lucas Congdon: One-on-One
PM: It’s safe to say that Lucas Lagoons is a household name now.
LC (Lucas Congdon). Everywhere I go, people are excited to see me. Sometimes I even get the question, “Where do you know me from?” Then I instantly know what they are like. They are not my friends. They are a fan and it’s very flattering. It’s quite cool. ”
Sometimes it’s like you run to catch a late-running flight and someone stops you. It’s not your intention to be rude so you make every effort to make it work. It’s great to be able share my passion with others. It’s not easy to start a business and let people know what your passion is. Insane Pools helps people see what we are about. That’s quality, fun, and creating unique pieces of art that you can swim in.
PM
LC: “Well it’s funny when you’re young. It can be difficult to decide what you want to do as a grownup. The video camera was something I loved from a young age. My uncle and aunt were the first to own a video camera. They would jump up in front of the camera every chance they got and make silly faces. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in college. I didn’t know if I wanted to be a landscape architect or filmmaker. I was bored at school so I just started creating things. Both passions ended up blending together, which is cool. This was not something I planned. It was just a matter of stepping up and letting the other things happen. I have always loved making videos and sharing my adventures through YouTube. This is how it all started.
PM – How did you start in the industry? What was the journey like from building Lucas lagoons to being one of the most recognizable pool builders in the world.
LC: “Well, it was one winter in Vermont, where I was stone-working for my mother. It was an hour drive each morning to get to the beautiful Lake Champlain home. But it was winter so we had to clear all the snow off the stones before we could start working. I was so cold that my fingers shivered and I recall thinking I would find another job. My girlfriend and I went on a tour of the US together. We tried to find a permanent place where I could work all year. We were torn between Florida and California, as I was a young child without much money and California is very expensive. I decided to go with Florida. It seems like Florida has the same opportunities, but it is much cheaper. We chose Florida. It was a case of one thing leading to another. I began tree work, some landscaping, and then moved on to water features. Finally, I was contacted by a client who wanted to remodel their pool.
LC: “I didn’t know much about swimming pools but I knew that if I did beautiful rockwork around it, like the ones I did growing up here in Vermont, it would be beautiful. I had also met Crash who was on the TV show with me since the beginning. He was familiar with pool tile coping and remodels. He was a bit familiar with the process, while I was more knowledgeable about the rock work. It was beautiful, so we had our first pool remodel. The rest is history. It was what I loved to do, and that is where I found my passion. I changed the name of my business from Earthworks to Lucas Lagoons, and stated, “This is what I want.” In 2003, I started to build lagoon-style pool designs.
PM: Congratulations on your recent awards. These projects are truly amazing. We were able to see them.
LC: “Yeah it’s difficult to keep them all straight. Although I have a list with the most recent awards, they are all so different and unique. When I started, we submitted for many awards. Within the first few years, we won almost 40 awards. After I became too busy with the show, Lucas Lagoons didn’t get submitted for awards for many years. We have had some time to submit again, and it was amazing to receive such great feedback from FSPA. Then we won a Pinnacle award. It has been amazing.”
Each job is unique. Modern designs are something we have been working on, and we get awards for them. Lucas Lagoons doesn’t do one trick. We can create beautiful designs using a lagoon-style pool but we also have options for modern styles. It’s been fun to explore that style and we really enjoy it. We are always trying new things and that is what keeps me motivated to do what I do.
PM – How did you first get involved in the Insane Pools show and then make the jump from YouTube to TV?
LC: We got really, really lucky. Our YouTube channel was created and people found us there. We had our YouTube channel and people were finding us through that. He created a sizzle reel, and pitched it to several networks. Nothing happened in the first round. The second round was drawn and took many years. It was truly gut wrenching. It’s like thinking you have a show. But then, you realize you don’t. This is a lot of back-and-forth. It was taking too long for me to tell people Lucas Lagoons would have a show. They thought I was making it up.
“I just thought I’d just let it go and whatever was meant was, was. It was a lot more difficult than I thought, but luckily’Insane pools’ came together. It was worth it in the end. We are proud of the show, the pools and how it got us noticed. It was a challenge to manage to film the show while also running a business. Yes, there are many challenges.
PM: Could you please share this with us? What are the challenges in building a pool to accommodate a customer who is going to appear on a TV program?
LC: “Everyone believes that because you’re on television, you are rich and well-off. Reality TV is a great opportunity. They don’t pay much because they know it’s a good thing. The show doesn’t pay you much. Clients know that you will get advertising for the show, so they ask for a discount or something extra. Many people have seen Extreme Home Makeover, where they offer free services. It’s a mentality that they might get something free if they reach to the show.
“Here I’m, just a small pool company – Lucas Lagoons. I am a self-starter and everybody is trying to get a deal. I just want to make a living and keep my family afloat. We had very limited budgets back then because I wasn’t well-known. This was my chance to show the world how we could accomplish this. I was willing to go the extra mile, no matter how small my clients’ budgets were. We did everything we could to get the best deals. It was certainly very difficult.”
“The first season was very difficult because they had low budgets for the pool. I created something five times as valuable as what I was paid. It was season one. I believe that was seven years ago. With inflation, things have gotten more expensive. People see the first season and think that $150,000 is enough to build the pool they saw. That’s the average design fee we pay to create these large projects. It’s amazing how much has changed.
PM – What was your favorite thing about the show?
LC: “It was just being able connect with so many people before the show. Whether it’s homeowners, other people in industry, or kids that have been inspired and want to work with their hands. Many kids these days are too busy with their phones and disconnected from the hard work and art. It’s been great. I have received videos from kids showing them making their own ponds, Lego pools, and hand-drawn pools. This is just a small sample of fan mail. It’s amazing. It’s so rewarding to know that I am inspiring creativity and hard work in the next generation.
PM: What advice would you give to a homeowner looking to build a luxurious resort-style pool similar to the ones your company builds? Budget-wise, what’s a good place to start?
LC: “On these projects, a smaller project begins at about half a billion, and our average jobs are approximately a million. There are more than 10 million jobs. With inflation and the need to increase our labor force, it’s quite expensive. I recommend that someone with a small budget consider other options.
There are many ways to build a pool. You could build a fiberglass or vinyl pool with amenities. Then, they can have a covered outdoor kitchen and a swimming pool. My aunt and uncle owned an above-ground circular pool that I had as a child. We loved playing Marco Polo there.
It’s easy to reach for the moon. But it doesn’t have to be complicated to have fun. In the beginning, when we didn’t have the money to build huge footers or piles to support the massive rocks, we would take an old pool and add a pond liner. Then we would use smaller rocks to create a waterfall. We would add lighting to the deck and cut some planters out. You can do many things if you have the desire or the ability to do them yourself. Or hire someone else to do it for you.
“My first pool remodel cost $35,000 and was absolutely beautiful. 10 million is our most expensive project. Everything was built from $35,000 to $10,000,000, and everyone felt the same, no matter how small the budget. This is more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. It’s all about putting in as much effort and passion as you can. Make it beautiful with whatever budget you have.
PM: Your episode on Pool Chasers was very interesting. We were just listening to it. Remodels were what you did to get your feet wet. Do you consider yourself to be self-taught?
LC: “Yeah there wasn’t anybody doing what I wanted, and I mean nobody. I tried to find people who could help me, but there wasn’t anyone in my area that was doing it. I had to ask for little pieces of information. The one thing that I have is able to visualize my goals and then figure out how I can achieve them. This part was always easy for me. It wasn’t something I thought was that important. It’s possible that there are some things that I find so difficult that are very easy for others. It’s almost like it comes as a gift if you have it. ”
“I was always creative though. Growing up, I didn’t have TV or a place to live. I would just make things. My father was a furniture maker so he had a shop and worked at home. As a child, I was able to access all that and would play in the shop building things.
“I never imagined I would be this successful.” It wasn’t an overnight success. I’m referring to 2003, when I began. It’s 2023 here. It’s been 20 years of, well, stress, hard work, and ups, and downs. But I do know this: at the end, I can’t think of anything else.”
PM: That’s awesome. We must ask you a question we know you will continue to be asked. What time is Insane Pools’ next season? Is there another season?
LC: “We have been trying to figure how we can do that. We have too many projects going on in different states right now. Florida is a huge state. It takes almost 12 hours to drive from Key West and Tallahassee. We have a lot of ground to cover. It would be a great idea to make it happen. We don’t currently have any episodes in the works, but we’re self-producing some episodes again on YouTube because it’s manageable, and we’re compiling lots footage from all our projects. We are saving this money and looking for a format or formula that will allow us to have a few full-length episodes available. We are just trying to find out if we can get that on Insane Pools, as perhaps a special.
PM: We see that you have been exploring a few other things. One of those was shipping container pools. Could you tell us more about this?
LC: “So, I went to Vegas and met with the company. They have a great product. I have been looking for other affordable options. I decided to put a shipping containers pool in my backyard. Maybe you would like a small pool house or cabana. They’re very cool and a great backyard investment. They are difficult to permit. You have to lift it up in areas where they are allowed. It wasn’t as easy as I expected. There were definitely challenges. It could still be an option for some people, but I think it is a great idea.”
PM: Your company is well-known for its extravagant resort-style lagoon pools. This will be like seeing a whole new side of his business.
LC: “I think that what I would like to do is get my construction company sorted out. I love doing big projects and do a lot consulting. As we work out the business, I think that’s what I want to pursue, which is not only coming up with the multimillion dollar pools but also affordable backyards. No matter how much money someone makes, everyone deserves a beautiful backyard. Everybody wants the same thing. They want to share memories with their families and friends. It would be great to assist people in finding a way, regardless of their budget, to have a backyard that they love.
PM: What’s next for your team at Lucas Lagoons, and what are you looking forward to?
LC: “We’re doing like 15 big jobs right now. It’s crazy. It’s a lot of consulting and traveling. I have been building and training other teams to do the travel work. My team can continue to work here in Florida. Every day is unique.”
“Some days, I travel or fly or drive. Right now, I am assembling a large team to complete a huge pool in Texas. They are on 7,500 acres. It will be the largest pool in our careers.
It will be a massive, huge pool that extends over a lower one. Between the two pools is a 3,000-square foot grotto with a lazy river and pretty much every feature you can think of. It will be very difficult to build.
We are also going to design and build our first commercial pool. It will be a resort-style pool in Pigeon Forge. It’s called the Inn At Christmas Place, and it’s going to be themed Christmas. We are going to make an Igloo-like grotto. Acrylic ice sculptures will be available.
“We are going to have a lazy island in the river with something like an old truck and a Christmas tree inside. It doesn’t have to look too cheesy, because Christmas is a difficult holiday. How can you make a Christmas pool look not only cheesy but also elegant? Although it was a challenge, it is looking great. We’ve got lots of fun things happening.
Listen to the entire interview with Lucas Congdon, Pool Magazine podcast.
Kevin, Featured photo credit
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