Gunite pools, shaped to the yard you have

When is gunite the right choice?

When the design asks for something a mold doesn’t offer. That covers a vanishing edge dropping toward a view, a raised spa spilling into the pool, a grotto, a beach entry that slopes in like a shoreline, a custom depth for diving or for a sun shelf, and a shape that follows a curved property line or a tight corner of the lot.

Slope is the other reason. A gunite shell can step down with the grade, where a flat-bottomed factory shell would need much more wall built around it to sit level.

How is a gunite pool built?

1. The 811 locate request, at least 3 working days before the dig, then excavation to the design.
2. Steel rebar tied in a grid that follows every curve, bench and step.
3. Plumbing and lights set inside the steel.
4. Concrete sprayed over the rebar and shaped by hand while it is still workable.
5. Curing, then tile, coping and the interior finish.
6. Equipment, start-up and the final walkthrough.

How long does gunite take?

Longer than fiberglass. Forming, curing and finishing a shell on site adds weeks a factory shell skips. Angela doesn’t quote a duration at the first visit; the schedule comes with the design, once the shape, the features and the permit are known.

What does a gunite pool ask of its owner?

A little more attention. The interior is more textured than gel coat, so it wants regular brushing and steady water chemistry, and the finish will need renewing one day, depending on the material and how the water has been kept. Most people who choose gunite accept that for a pool built to their yard and nobody else’s.

Where can I see custom features?

The project gallery has five backyards on film, among them Cenote Azul’s raised round spa in Thompson’s Station and The Palm Oasis’s curved ledge in Franklin. Our article on vanishing edges in Franklin explains how that edge works and what the lot needs. If a factory shell fits your plans better, fiberglass has its own page and a side-by-side table.