What Is a Gunite Pool? Everything You Need to Know About Sprayed Concrete Pools

Out of all the types of pools available on the market, gunite pools are the crystal-clear winner when it comes to luxury. This high-end concrete mixture gives you the flexibility to build the backyard oasis of your dreams, as long as your budget allows. Let’s dive into this topic and outline the pros and cons of gunite pools to decide if this is the right choice for your home.

What Is a Gunite Pool?

Gunite is a type of concrete that contains super-fine particles of concrete aggregate. While traditional concrete pools use wet, chunky concrete in the pool opening, gunite pools have a mix of super-fine concrete particles that pros pour in place. Your pool company will mix this powder with water via air pressure and a hose and spray it directly onto the floor and walls of a pool, creating an extra-durable base that can last a lifetime. 

This application makes gunite an excellent choice if your pool is a unique size or shape, or if you’re adding a handful of customizations like a tanning shelf or spa spillover. However, these benefits come with a high price tag—the average gunite pool costs a whopping $100,000.

How Gunite Pools Are Built

After your local pool company has dug out the pool and all plumbing is in place (the standard setup for any type of pool), pros place rebar all along the walls and floor of the pool. Then, a nozzle operator loads a hopper with dry gunite and connects it to a hose. Once everything is set up, the nozzle operator sprays the gunite all along the pool’s interior, letting it cure in place to create the foundation of the pool. The curing process alone can take up to a month. 

Once the gunite is cured, the pros will cover the gunite with one of a few types of pool finishes, including plaster or tile, to create a streamlined and smooth surface for swimming. These finishes help protect the gunite from staining and make it easier to maintain. From start to finish, it takes anywhere from three to six months to build a gunite pool.

Gunite Pool Pros and Cons

If you’re on the edge about installing a gunite pool, consider these pros and cons. 

Pros

• Endless customizations: You can customize a gunite pool to any backyard, aesthetic style, or need—as long as your budget allows.

• Highly durable and long-lasting: Gunite pools can last 50 years or more with proper installation and maintenance, making them one of the longest-lasting swimming pools.

• Luxury end result: Gunite pools definitely make a splash. If luxury is your goal, it’s hard to beat the aesthetic appeal of a gunite pool.

• Increases home value: If you live in a very large home next door to other upscale homes, investing in a gunite pool can absolutely increase your resale value. That doesn’t apply to all areas and neighborhoods, though.

Cons

• Very expensive: Compared to fiberglass, concrete, or vinyl pools, gunite pools are significantly more expensive to install. 

• Long construction time: A gunite pool takes a few months to build and cure, whereas you could be swimming in a new fiberglass pool in just a week.

• Difficult to repair: You’ll have to find a pool contractor that specializes in gunite pools, which isn’t easy in all areas.

When to Choose a Gunite Pool

Gunite pools are not the best choice for most homeowners, mostly due to their high price tag. However, homeowners with luxury homes and a higher budget will appreciate the next-level look and feel of a gunite pool. 

Here are a few other examples of times when a gunite pool is a good choice:

• You live in an extremely harsh climate: A gunite pool can handle anything the weather throws at it, including harsh weather patterns and extreme temperature fluctuations. It could pay itself off down the road by saving you out-of-pocket swimming pool repair costs.

• You’re building a highly custom shape: Whether you’re building on a slope or making a moat around your property, gunite can handle the job. The options are as vast as your creativity with a gunite pool, and you aren’t limited by pre-made molds. 

• You’re adding all the high-end features: From swim-up bars to infinity edges, gunite pools can handle nearly any customization you throw at them. 

Gunite vs. Fiberglass Pools

Fiberglass pools are the most affordable and common pool types on the market. When comparing a gunite versus fiberglass pool, the most important thing to consider is your budget. The average gunite pool costs $100,000, while a fiberglass pool comes in around $33,270, although they can reach three figures fairly easily, too, with customizations.

You also need to factor in long-term costs. For example, repairing a swimming pool made of gunite is more expensive than repairing a fiberglass pool. But, if budget isn’t a huge deciding factor, a gunite pool offers more customizations, a longer lifespan, and a luxurious look and feel that you can’t achieve with a traditional fiberglass pool.