Hire a licensed builder · Not a DIY guide
Have a concrete pool built the right way
What a custom gunite or shotcrete pool actually involves — design, permits, the shell, the finish, the deck and the fence — so you can hire a crew with your eyes open. 65 listings on ConcreteNear show pool or pool-deck work in 29 states.
A backyard concrete pool is a permitted structure, built on your lot around a steel cage, then finished, decked and inspected. It is one of the larger jobs a homeowner will hire out. These guides are written from the concrete side of that work — 25 years in the trade, from Oregon City, Oregon — so you can tell a serious bid from a thin one. We do not walk you through spraying your own shell.
How a concrete swimming pool is built
What a licensed crew actually does when they build a concrete pool — design and permits, excavation, steel, plumbing, gunite or wet shotcrete, curing, tile, interior finish, decking and startup — with a realistic timeline.
Read the guide →Gunite vs. shotcrete vs. fiberglass vs. vinyl liner pools
A clear comparison of sprayed concrete (gunite and wet-mix shotcrete), fiberglass shells and vinyl-liner pools — how each is built, what you can customize, upkeep, and published cost ranges.
What a concrete pool costs
Current published ranges for building a concrete or gunite pool, what actually drives the bid, and how to read extras like decks, fences and permits — with sources, not invented numbers.
How to hire a pool builder
A practical hiring guide for a concrete pool: license and insurance checks, ACI-certified nozzlemen, payment-schedule rules (including California’s cap), contract items, questions to ask and red flags.
Concrete pool decks, coping and drainage
How to hire the right finish for a pool deck — broom, stamped, exposed aggregate or pavers — plus coping, wet-surface traction, drainage and why electrical bonding of the deck matters.
Pool resurfacing and replastering
When a concrete pool needs a new interior, what plaster, quartz and pebble finishes typically last (per the National Plasterers Council), and why draining and replastering is a job for a specialist.
Pool permits, fencing and barrier codes
What homeowners should know about pool permits and barriers: typical International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) fence and gate rules, construction fencing, and why your city or county is the last word.
The build, in stages
A custom concrete pool is a sequence of trades, with inspections in between. The durations below are planning ranges, not a contract.
- Design & contractOften 1–3 weeks
- PermitsOften 2–6 weeks, sometimes longer
- ExcavationUsually days, longer in rock
- Steel & plumbingDays, then inspection
- Shell & cureSpray in a day or two, then a curing window
- Tile, coping, deckOften 1–3 weeks
- Finish, fill, startupAbout a week, then clearance
Find a pool builder
We only tag a listing for pool work when the business name or the company’s own website shows pools, a gunite-pool page, or pool-deck work. We do not invent the specialty from a shotcrete category alone — many sprayed-concrete crews also do walls, slopes and tunnels. Always confirm before you hire. 65 listings currently carry that tag, in 29 states.
Used once to sort by distance. Nothing is stored.
Browse by state
Alabama (2)
- Elite Pool Services Birmingham
- Mancha Hardscapes Hoover
Arkansas (4)
- Advanced Pools & Spas Springdale
- BC Pools Springdale
- Burton Pools & Spas Fort Smith
- Seaside Pools Inc Bentonville
Arizona (1)
- Aquatic Pools and Landscape LLC Fort Mohave
California (1)
- Aqua Gunite Inc Livermore
Connecticut (2)
- Lang Pools Norwalk
- Wagner Pools Darien
Florida (1)
Georgia (3)
- Aquarius Pools Construction Columbus
- Georgia Gunite and Pool Company Woodstock
- Pamlico Pool Company Inc Milledgeville
Idaho (2)
- Gem Gunite Pools Nampa
- HDT Custom Pool Builders Boise
Indiana (3)
- Barton Pool Company Indianapolis
- Grand Family Pools Indianapolis
- Indy Custom Pools Indianapolis
Kansas (2)
- Edwards Pool Construction Rose Hill
- Elite Pool Construction Andover
Kentucky (1)
- Geddes Pools Co Inc Nicholasville
Louisiana (3)
- Acadiana Pools Breaux Bridge
- Sabine Pools Gonzales
- T-N-T Pool Company Denham Springs
Massachusetts (1)
- Bella Pools South Yarmouth
Maryland (1)
- Stevenson Pools Owings
Mississippi (2)
- Clearview Pools and Spa Madison
- CPS Pools and Spas Madison
North Carolina (1)
- Prestige Pools Wilmington
New Hampshire (2)
- Custom Pools Inc. Newington
- Yankee Pools Francestown
New Jersey (2)
- Custom Pool Pros Freehold
- Swim-mor Pools Northfield
New Mexico (1)
- Aqua Techs of Albuquerque Albuquerque
Nevada (1)
- JJ Pool Builders and Excavating LLC Las Vegas
New York (2)
- Eastern Aquatics Schenectady
- Gunite Pools of Westchester Pleasantville
Oklahoma (4)
- Aquascape Pools Oklahoma City
- Baker Pools Jenks
- Cardinal Aquatech Pools Oklahoma City
- Vista Pools Mounds
Pennsylvania (2)
- Aquavita Pools Media
- Fronheiser Pools Bally
Rhode Island (1)
- Premier Gunite Pools Portsmouth
South Carolina (2)
- ACR Gunite Pools & Spas Bluffton
- Aquarian Pools Of Columbia Inc Irmo
Tennessee (15)
- A Class Pools, LLC Old Hickory
- Absolute Pools LLC Nashville
- Allure Luxury Pools And Outdoor LLC Murfreesboro
- Backyard Blues Pools Murfreesboro
View all 15 in Tennessee
- Blue Water Pools, LLC Knoxville
- Concord Pool And Patio Lenoir City
- Dream Acres Pool Company Murfreesboro
- Evencut Landscape & Pools, LLC Franklin
- Everclear Pool & Backyards Co Chattanooga
- Hanalei Pools Tennessee, LLC College Grove
- Kevin Sparks Signature Pools LLC Murfreesboro
- Mitchell Pools, LLC Gallatin
- Precision Pools & Spa, LLC Mount Juliet
- Shuman Pools, LLC Nashville
- Tipton Builders Swimming Pool Contractors Knoxville
Texas (1)
- A & B Gunite Fort Worth
Utah (1)
- Paradise Pools American Fork
Vermont (1)
- Northeast Pools and Spas Sharon
Related trades
A pool job often involves more than the builder of record. These categories are the rest of the crew.
Common questions
Can I build a concrete pool myself?
This section is written for homeowners hiring a licensed pool builder, not as a do-it-yourself manual. A sprayed or formed concrete shell, the electrical bonding, the barrier and the interior finish are specialized trades under permits and inspections.
What’s the difference between gunite and shotcrete?
Shotcrete is the general term for sprayed concrete. Gunite is the dry-mix process, with water added at the nozzle. Wet-mix shotcrete is mixed first and then sprayed. Many pool builders use “gunite” loosely for any sprayed shell.
How much does a concrete pool cost?
Two 2026 cost guides put custom concrete or gunite pools typically in the $50,000 to $120,000 installed range, with different midpoints (HomeGuide about $85,000 for concrete; Angi about $65,909 as a national in-ground average across materials, and $65,000–$120,000 for concrete). Site, size, finish and features move the number. See the cost guide.
How do I find a pool builder on ConcreteNear?
We tag listings only when the business name or the company’s own website shows pool, gunite-pool or pool-deck work. Enter a ZIP below, or browse by state. Also check shotcrete and gunite contractors and confirm they build pools before you hire.
General information for hiring a professional. Codes, soils and climates vary. Check your building department and your contractor’s license board. These guides are not do-it-yourself instructions and they are not a substitute for a contract, an engineer or an inspection. Written with 25 years in concrete, from Oregon City, Oregon.
Photos are real job-site or completed-project photographs from Wikimedia Commons under their stated licenses, or existing ConcreteNear site photos. Photo credits.