Shipping Container Pool Sizes: Find the Right Modpool for Your Property
Modpools come in six sizes, from the compact 12x8 plunge pool to the 40x12 estate. Every model ships with Pentair filtration, LED lighting, and app control built in. The only question is which container pool size fits your backyard, your lifestyle, and your goals.
Which Shipping Container Pool Size Is Right for You?
Choosing a container pool size comes down to three things: how much space you have, how you plan to use the pool, and how many people will be in it at once. Modpools are built on standard shipping container dimensions, which makes the sizing decision more straightforward than it is with a custom concrete build.
The 8-foot-wide models (the 12x8, 16x8, 20x8, and 40x8) suit most residential backyards and are the most common choice for homeowners and Airbnb properties. The 12-foot-wide models (the 20x12 and 40x12) are the wide-body options, offering significantly more swim space and a more resort-style feel. All six sizes ship with Pentair filtration, LED lighting, and app control fully installed. Every model is available with optional spa sections, viewing windows, swim jets, and automatic covers. Note that heating is included on 20 and 40 foot models and is an optional add-on on the 12 and 16 foot models.
Below is a full breakdown of each container pool size, including who it is best suited for, what fits in it, and what to consider before you order.
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The 12x8 is the smallest container pool size Modpools offers, and it punches well above its footprint. At just 12 feet long and 8 feet wide with a 4-foot water depth, it is the ideal choice for properties where space is a genuine constraint: compact urban backyards, rooftops, elevated decks, and patios where a full-size pool simply isn't feasible.
It is also the most popular model for cold plunge and hydrotherapy applications, where the goal isn't lap swimming but rather immersion, recovery, and relaxation. Plenty of Airbnb hosts use the 12x8 as a premium amenity that photographs beautifully and fits where nothing else would. It ships with Pentair filtration, LED lighting, and app control factory installed. Heating is an optional add-on on the 12x8.
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The 16x8 is a versatile mid-small option that gives you meaningfully more swim room than the 12x8 while still fitting comfortably in backyards where space is limited. At 4 feet deep and 16 feet long, it is a genuinely swimmable pool rather than a pure plunge pool, and it is the smallest model that is compatible with Modpools swim jets.
That swim jet compatibility is what earns this model the "swim spa" nickname. Add a jet and you can swim in place against a current, making the 16x8 a serious fitness tool in a surprisingly small footprint. It is a strong choice for smaller lots, urban properties, side yards, and homeowners who want swimming capability without committing to a larger model.
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The 20x8 is Modpools' most popular container pool size by a significant margin, and it's easy to see why. At 20 feet long and 8 feet wide with a water depth of 4 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 8 inches, it hits the sweet spot between a genuinely useful family swimming pool and a footprint that works in the vast majority of residential backyards across North America.
It is comfortable for a family of four, ideal for entertaining, and one of the most-photographed pool sizes on Airbnb listings featuring a Modpool. The deeper water depth compared to the 12 and 16 foot models makes it a more immersive swim experience, and swim jet compatibility means it can double as a serious fitness pool. If you are unsure which container pool size to choose, the 20x8 is almost always the right answer for a typical residential property or vacation rental.
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The 20x12 takes the same 20-foot length as the most popular Modpool size and adds four feet of width, opening up the swim space considerably. Where the standard 8-foot-wide models have a distinctly linear, lane-like feel, the 20x12 gives you a pool that feels more like a traditional backyard pool in terms of how many people can comfortably use it at once.
It is the right choice for families who want a more resort-style experience, serious swimmers who want room to move laterally, and properties where the wider footprint is feasible. The 12-foot width also opens up more creative options for add-ons like Baja shelves and integrated spa zones. If you were considering the 20x8 but want more of a wow factor, the 20x12 is the upgrade.
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The 40x8 is a full lap pool in a container pool format. At 40 feet long, the length of a standard shipping container, it gives serious swimmers a real distance to work with, and its clean linear profile looks exceptional in larger residential yards, ranches, and commercial properties where there is room to stretch out.
It is also one of the most striking container pool sizes aesthetically. The long, narrow proportions photograph incredibly well and create a strong architectural statement in a backyard or commercial setting. Swim jets are compatible, adding even more training versatility. If you have the yard for it and swimming or fitness is a priority, the 40x8 is hard to beat on a per-dollar basis compared to a custom concrete lap pool of equivalent length.
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The 40x12 is the largest shipping container pool size Modpools produces, and there is nothing subtle about it. At 40 feet long and 12 feet wide, this is a pool that anchors an entire outdoor living space, whether that's an estate backyard, a boutique resort, a hotel amenity, or a high-end vacation rental property that wants a pool that stops people in their tracks.
The 12-foot width transforms the swim experience relative to the 40x8, adding real lateral space for multiple swimmers, generous room for Baja shelves, spa sections, and other add-ons, and a proportionally larger visual presence from the house or entertaining area. Commercial customers and hospitality developers regularly choose the 40x12 for its ability to serve as the centrepiece of an entire outdoor design. It is Modpools at its most dramatic.
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Compare All Modpool Sizes
All prices are in USD and reflect the base unit cost before shipping, site preparation, and installation. All prices are base unit costs before shipping, site preparation, and installation. Pentair filtration, LED lighting, and app control are included on all models. Heating is included on 20 and 40 foot models and is an optional add-on on the 12 and 16 foot models.
| Size | Water Depth | Swim Jets | Best For | Starting Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12' x 8' | 4' | No | Compact lots, rooftops, cold plunge | $36,000 |
| 16' x 8' | 4' | ✓ | Small yards, swim spa use | $36,000 |
| 20' x 8' Most Popular | 4'6" – 4'8" | ✓ | Families, Airbnb, everyday swim | $49,500 |
| 20' x 12' | 4'6" – 4'8" | ✓ | Resort feel, more swim room | $60,500 |
| 40' x 8' | 4'6" – 4'8" | ✓ | Fitness, large yards, ranches | $68,000 |
| 40' x 12' | 4'6" – 4'8" | ✓ | Estates, commercial, entertaining | $81,500 |
All prices USD. Shipping, site preparation, crane, and installation are separate costs. All six models are 5' tall with a swim depth of 4'6" to 4'8" as standard. Optional 6' tall (5'6" swim depth) and 8' tall (7'6" swim depth) upgrades are available on 20' and 40' models. Contact Modpools for full add-on pricing.
What Equipment Comes with Each Modpool Size?
Every Modpool ships with Pentair filtration, color LED lighting, and ScreenLogic2 app control factory installed regardless of which size you choose. Where things differ is heating. On the 20 and 40 foot models, a propane or natural gas heater is included in the base price. On the 12 and 16 foot models, heating is an optional add-on at an additional cost.
TruGuard UV sanitation is also available as an optional upgrade on all models. Visit our equipment page and liner page for the full breakdown of what is included and what is optional.
Container pool size questions answered.
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