Custom gunite pools

When gunite is the right call

• You want a shape no mold offers, or a pool wider than about 16 ft
• A raised spa spilling into the pool, a tanning ledge, a negative edge or fire bowls
• An odd lot: a slope, a tight corner, a curve around a live oak

If a stock fiberglass shape fits what you want, it will usually be faster and simpler.

From contract to first swim

1. Design, contract, survey and permits
2. Excavation, with pumping if groundwater shows up
3. Steel, plumbing, then the shell is shot
4. Tile, coping, decking and the equipment pad
5. Interior finish, fill and start-up

A local builder puts this at one and a half to three months ({a(AP_GUNITE, "Acadiana Pools")}). Spring is when queues are longest.

Interior finishes

Standard white plaster is the cheapest; quartz and pebble finishes cost more, feel different and generally last longer. All of them get redone eventually: plan on resurfacing every 10–15 years. Pebble finishes are listed by several builders here, including Bella in Scott.

Concrete and groundwater

A gunite shell is heavy, but pressure from a high water table can still crack or lift an empty one. Ask for a hydrostatic relief valve and a written plan for any water in the excavation (Aqua Magazine).