How Gunite Pools Are Built, What They Cost to Own, and Whether They Are the Right Choice

The homeowner researching pools will encounter two primary construction methods: gunite and fiberglass. Both produce beautiful, functional pools. Both can be designed to fit the property, the lifestyle, and the budget. And both carry trade offs that the homeowner should understand before committing to a construction contract that will define the backyard for the next twenty years.

Gunite pools are the custom built option. The pool is constructed on site, from the ground up, using a framework of steel reinforcement and a pneumatically applied concrete mixture that forms the shell. The shape, the depth, the features, and every dimension are determined by the design rather than a manufactured mold. That design flexibility is the primary advantage of gunite. It is also the reason gunite pools take longer to build, cost more to maintain, and carry a different ownership experience than the fiberglass alternative.