Spilling the Beans on our Pool Installation (including the cost!)

If you are curious about pool installations, including their cost, then this post is for you. I’m spilling the tea on everything from design to installation, cost, and more.

When my husband and I first started dreaming about this project, we were pretty clueless about the overall process. We had a general idea about the cost from talking with neighbors, but we soon found out that pricing is all over the map for pools. We had no idea about timing, construction, and everything else in between. We’ve learned so much throughout this process, and I thought it helpful to share it with you.

About our Pool

Our pool is a rectangular 16×27 foot saltwater gunite pool. The depth goes from 3.5 feet to 6 feet, which is fairly standard these days. Our pool installers told us that it’s very rare for them to install deep 8-foot pools anymore. You need to have a longer pool to really grade the bottom properly to a deeper depth, and we just don’t have it, nor did we really want it. And after seeing the depth of a 6-foot pool in person, it feels plenty adequate for our needs.

My husband and I love the look of a clean and simple rectangular pool without all the frills. No tanning ledges. No bubblers, fountains, or waterfalls. No hot tubs. No tacky slides. Just a simple pool large enough for swimming your heart out!

We initially debated between installing a gunite or fiberglass pool.

Fiberglass pools are relatively new but are becoming more common. They are pre-built pools (off-site in a factory) and can be installed in a day or two. Basically, the hole is dug, and the fiberglass pool is dropped in.

Fiberglass has a smooth surface, so it doesn’t require as much maintenance or cleaning since algae and dirt don’t stick to it. It has a different look and feel (almost slippery under your feet). It’s less customizable because the shells are premade, but you can choose the color of the shell, which will determine the color of your pool.

Gunite is basically just a type of concrete mixture. These pools are built in the ground and are very customizable, including the color of the water. You can literally build any shape or size you want and add any features that you want. Gunite pools are generally more expensive, take longer to install, and require a tiny bit more maintenance over the years.

After speaking with numerous fiberglass and gunite pool people – the choice really comes down to personal preference. In the end, we just liked the look of gunite pools more, and we wanted a custom-sized pool. We didn’t want to settle for a premade shell size. We are SO happy we ended up going with a gunite pool. It’s so beautiful and a dream come true for our family.

All photos were taken with my iPhone with very minimal processing (so if they look a little amateur, that’s why).

How long did it take?

Our pool project officially started on March 5th and officially wrapped up on May 5th! So, about 8 weeks in total. Not bad for a custom gunite pool! Here are a few pictures from beginning to end…

My husband is an amazing planner and had our landscaping project completed during the pool installation breaks – so our yard was back to normal right around the time we were filling up the pool.

What is your pool surround?

Our pool surround consists of pavers from the Paverscape Castlescape collection in the color Ice. These light gray pavers look great against our darker gray house and the deep blue pool. Our coping tile is also part of this collection in the same Ice color. We chose a blue waterline tile.

A lot of people use Travertine around their pools. Why didn’t we? Personally, we don’t like the look. I’m not a yellow/beige fan. Also, we’ve been at friends’ pools with travertine, and they were quite slippery.

Was your yard ripped to shreds?

Yes, it was a mud pit for a while. I should mention that our yard is kind of small, so the big equipment really destroyed most of the grass. Not one single blade stood after the construction phase. But we knew this was going to happen, so it didn’t really bother us.

Surprisingly, the thing that caused the most dust and mess for us was the paver installation around the pool. I felt like I was eating dust every time I went outside. Everything was covered in it. So, word to the wise: cover up anything you can during this process.

Is your Pool saltwater or chlorine?

Our pool is saltwater, which was our preference. Saltwater pools are easier to maintain, don’t require any chemicals, and are easier on the skin and eyes.

Is your pool heated?

No. For one, adding a heater significantly raises the installation price. We know from living in NC for a few years now that most pools are so hot by August that you don’t really need it. You can comfortably swim from early May until mid-October, where we live—no heater required! It’s just not that important to us.

Additionally, the utility cost to heat an entire pool is crazy expensive!

Why didn’t you add a hot tub?

Again, it’s personal preference. Hot tubs are expensive, like $20k more expensive, and they take up a good bit of room in your pool. We wanted a big open pool with lots of room for swimming and enjoying. We can always get a stand-alone hot tub down the road.

What color is your Pool?

With a gunite pool, the pool finish determines the color of the water. The pool finish is commonly Pebble Tec, or in our case, StoneScapes. It’s like little rocks mixed in with cement. The rocks have different colors to them that reflect the light and in turn, change your water color.

We like darker pools, not lagoon dark, but that beautiful, rich dark blue. This was the HARDEST decision for us, and we changed our minds so many times. We live in a traditional house, and we didn’t want a Bermuda light blue or a Caribbean blue color because they didn’t really fit our traditional style home.

In the end, we went with our gut and chose Midnight Blue. The other finishes we considered were Tropics Blue and French Gray (which is their most popular finish!) We are SO happy with the color of the water. We don’t feel it’s too dark at all, and it’s that rich blue color we were looking for.

How much did it cost?

As I said before, we got a total of 5 estimates, and they were all across the board, but the general range was $80-$125k. That’s for generally the same size pool AND even one fiberglass estimate. So, honestly, fiberglass is not that much cheaper, according to our research.

Another neighbor of ours was having a fiberglass pool installed at the same time as our gunite pool, and although their pool went in the ground in 1 day, the overall process for them was not as quick as I thought it would be.

Most pool companies will regrade your yard and haul away the excess dirt, but you should definitely ask upfront to be sure. Our 16×27-foot pool cost us about $91,000, all in. It is not heated, and this number does NOT include landscaping (but it does include regrading the yard and hauling away dirt). It also includes pool lights, a pool vacuum and cleaning tools, and all pool equipment.

How long does it take to fill it?

Some pool companies will fill your pool for you, and others will have you fill it. We were told it’s cheaper and less of a headache to fill it yourself than to get a hydrant permit or special water truck. We started filling the pool Friday afternoon, and by Sunday evening, it was completely filled.

Let me know if you have any additional questions about pools. Stay tuned for the full reveal of our backyard/pool area.