Liberty Independence 12x25 Fiberglass Pool

Liberty's pitch is that the Independence frees you from the complicated, and for once the marketing matches the product. It is a straightforward rectangle with no deep end. Every adult can stand anywhere in it, which makes it ideal for pool volleyball, basketball, water aerobics or keeping an eye on kids who are still learning.

We like it for homeowners who want a pool that works with the architecture: a straight edge parallel to the back of the house, a patio that squares up with it and a fence line that runs clean.

Liberty lists a single depth of 4 ft 6 in and a wading area. Because the floor does not slope away, the Independence holds more water than you might expect for its size, about 8,100 gallons, more than the 7,000 gallon Hero, which has a longer outline but a sloped, shallower floor at one end.

One depth also means no one steps off a slope into water over their head. The pool is non-diving, like every Liberty shell, and the uniform depth makes that easy to explain to kids.

The tradeoff is plain. Nobody is going to swim underwater to the deep end, because there is none, and teenagers who like to jump and sink to the bottom may find 4 ft 6 in tame. For many households that is exactly the point. The pool gets used for play and for cooling off, and the parents can relax a little while it happens.

With our 4 ft deck, the Independence needs about 20 by 33 ft. It works on many mid-size lots. Massillon, for example, keeps pools at least 4 ft from any building on the lot and out of easements, so on a smaller city lot the plat matters as much as the setback. Stow's 10 ft side and rear setback is easy to meet with a shell under 12 ft wide.

Liberty tags the Independence as auto cover ready. For a rectangle this size a track cover is a practical buy in Ohio, where summer nights can drop fast and a cover keeps the day's heat in the water.

You get the Liberty shell and full installation, a Pentair variable-speed pump, a Pentair DE filter, Pentair MicroBrite color-changing LED lights, a 4 ft concrete wrap deck, a cleaning kit, starter chemicals and the electrical hook-up at the equipment, plus the 3D design and permits.

We price the yard-specific items after the site visit: the barrier fence, extra decking, spoils haul-off, dewatering if needed and the power run to the pad. That way the number you plan around covers the whole job. On a flat lot with good access and a panel near the pad, those extras stay modest. On a wet spring dig in heavy clay, dewatering and stone behind the shell take more, and we would rather you know that before the design is final.

An automatic cover and a heater first. After that, owners add sheer descents or bubblers along one long side, a wider patio for furniture, and automation. Some choose a salt system for the softer feel of the water. And because the Independence is so often a game pool, think about where the spectators sit. A strip of patio along one long side gives them a place to watch, and it is far easier to plan before the concrete is poured than after.