kgolby- Can't comment on the cost of Rico Rock vs sheer descents for your part of the country. I'm in Louisiana and knew I wanted Rico Rock for the natural look I was after. After working closely with Rico Rock on the selection of boulders/waterfalls for my design, they provided a list of local builders that have experience with their products. Rico Rock only sells to distributors/PB's and the price of their products are region specific. What I like about Rico Rock is their natural look and exact dimensions so you can design the "look" of your poolscape on paper and know exactly what you are going to get. Also, their waterfalls work great and are designed to sheet perfectly at specified gpm's and drain down when off so there is no standing water. It all depends on the look you want. Personally, I think sheer descents look to contrived for a natural poolscape and they go better with symmetric roman style designs but to each his own. My experience was the Rico Rock product was about twice as much as natural boulders or other type of water features such as sheer descents. The PB told me that they double the price of the waterfall kit to account for installation, labor and materials for a structural kit. I did not have any modular kits, because I didn't like the look of them as much as the structural, but I would expect the labor to be less because they are easier to install than the structural kits. The structural kits require more concrete, rebar, shaping and custom mortar work. It took 3 guys plus me an entire month to finish all the Rico Rock waterfalls and boulder placement around the pool! They commented if the waterfalls were modular, it would have taken them 1 week tops to complete everything and move on to the next job. Hope this helps!

Thank you all so much! I really like the firebowls a LOT, but think our pool is a bit too formal for them. The Horchow site is pretty neat, and I particularly think (as others have mentioned) that urns - maybe atop pedestals - would look good. (I also like the Foo Dogs and herons/cranes.) The columns are 3' x 3,' so I need something kinda on the beefy side. smbnobles, we don't have a dairy farm, but we are planning to start raising mini-cows (just for pets) later this year. (Your dog is such a cutie by the way! :)

@jane mauksch, the price of a pool will vary quite a bit based on geographic location and local labor rates and availability. Our pool project in FL, similar to the ones above will be around $100K. That is just the pool and does not include any pavers around the pool as those are done by the house builder. It also didn't include any electrical and water hookup preparations and cement pad for equipment as those were also done by the builder.

I realize it's been over 3 weeks since you asked your question, and hopefully you have found answers in the meantime. Basically, you can use any type of styrofoam stacked up as a form, but it should have the general shape you want to end up with. Mix up 1 part portland cement (not concrete) with 2-3 parts sand and enough water to get a thick paste that won't slide off the styrofoam. Apply this paste all over the top and sides of the styrofoam that will be above ground. Use a trowel to smooth some parts or put crevices where you want them. Then take a wire brush and use it to brush the cement if you want striations or tap it if you want a smoother stipple effect. Generally, stone in a watercourse has a smoother surface. The finished stone will be concrete gray, so plan on painting it with a masonry paint or better yet an epoxy paint. Use a rough shaped sponge to dab on pale grays, ochers and umbers. Try to mimic the colors in real rocks. Before you get started I urge you to watch YouTube videos on this subject. Even when someone is using a different method or material you can learn something.