How Trek Pools Custom-Builds Wider, Deeper, Stronger Shipping Container Pools
On the left: 10’x40’ custom Trek Container Pool + end wall window. On the right: 12’x20’ Trek Container Pool with automatic pool cover shown.
How Trek Pools Custom-Builds Wider, Deeper, Stronger Shipping Container Pools
One of the defining advantages of a Trek Container Pool is the ability to create a fully customized swimming experience — not just through finishes and features, but through true structural modification of the steel container itself. While most container pool companies only use standard 8'-wide containers, Trek Pools takes customization far beyond simple retrofitting. Trek is the only builder in the U.S. that routinely cuts, widens, reshapes, and re-engineers shipping containers to create pools in custom widths, depths, and configurations that traditional pool designs cannot match.
A 12’x40’ Trek Container Pool in production. This interior was custom designed by the client. Notice the multiple water depths along with benches and step boxes for ease of decent into the 8’ swim well. This pool also features our biggest window at 5’x10’. After fabrication the pool undergoes a coating transformation.
Widening the Container: Engineering Beyond Standard Dimensions
Standard shipping containers are only 8'–8.5' wide, but many homeowners want wider designs for lounge areas, family swimming, or integrated spas. Trek Pools solves this with a precise fabrication process:
The container is cut down the full length.
The two halves are separated to the customer’s desired width.
New C-channels are welded back together, recreating the container’s structural spine.
The wood or bamboo floor system is reinstalled.
A water-tight weld is applied to the 3/8" steel floor plate, ensuring long-term durability and leak protection.
8’ tall Trek Container Pool with multiple water depths on the interior.
After widening, Trek’s craftsmen begin shaping the interior — bending and welding benches, sun ledges, lounge platforms, steps, and multi-depth zones directly into the steel. This creates a monolithic, sculpted interior unheard of in typical container pool construction. Trek’s widest custom pool to date: 14 feet.
Understanding Shipping Realities for Wide Pools
Because width affects transportation, homeowners receive guidance early in the design phase.
Up to 8.5' wide: No special permits needed.
8.5' to 12' wide: Oversized transport permit + escort vehicle required.
Over 12' wide: Permit + escort + state police escorts through each state.
This ensures customers have accurate expectations for shipping logistics and cost considerations before fabrication begins.
Dialing in the Perfect Pool Depth — The Trek Method
Trek Pools' standard pool height is 5.5 feet, creating an ideal 4' “cocktail pool” water depth. For most adults, this allows elbows to rest comfortably on the pool’s edge — the perfect depth for relaxing, socializing, and enjoying scenic views.
But depth is entirely customizable. If a customer wants a 6' water depth, Trek increases the overall height to 7':
+6" beneath the floor for structural supports
+6" above the waterline for the skimmer, autocover, and rim or coping of the pool
For pools above 6' tall, Trek adds exterior vertical and horizontal reinforcements to maintain structural stability — ensuring the pool remains fully self-supporting.
Custom 12’x30’ Trek Container Pool loading for delivery. This design features a centered spill-over spa, an end wall bench and 2” closed cell spray foam on the exterior.
Self-Supporting Design: No Retaining Walls Needed
Unlike traditional pools that rely on surrounding soil pressure, Trek Container Pools are engineered to be self-supporting. They:
Do not require retaining walls
Do not need to stay filled with water to maintain shape
Can be set on piers, footers, platforms, or elevated structures
However, high-elevation installations or hillside sites may require specific engineering. Trek provides footer designs based on load points, but customers work with local engineers to determine depth, tie-backs, hillside reinforcement, and installation parameters. Trek manufactures the pool — your local team designs the foundation.
Example of an 8’×40’ Trek Container Pool footer design.
Why a Custom-Built Trek Pool Outperforms a Custom In-Ground Build
Five reasons a Trek custom container pool beats a custom concrete or fiberglass installation:
Faster installation — Your fully built pool arrives complete and installs in under a day.
No construction mess — No excavation delays, no mud, no torn-up landscaping.
No change orders — The pool is built in a controlled environment, not outdoors.
Lower lifetime maintenance — No underground plumbing, no cracked concrete, no resurfacing.
Predictable total cost — No surprise soil issues, utility conflicts, or hidden expenses.
A Trek Container Pool gives homeowners complete design freedom — width, depth, features, and layout — combined with the simplicity of a prefabricated, self-contained system. It’s the perfect blend of custom luxury and construction efficiency, delivered ready to swim.
If you're ready to build a pool unlike anything else on the market, discover your options at TrekPools.com.
12’x40’ Trek Container Pool with a double side sun ledge entry + a 6’ sun ledge at the opposite end. This design also features a 4’x8’ window and automatic pool cover.