How a Gunite Pool Is Built, Step by Step
Wondering what actually happens when you build an inground pool? Here is the full construction process for a gunite pool, in order, so you know what to expect on your project.
Why we build with gunite
Most quality inground pools in our area are built with gunite, which is concrete sprayed over a steel framework to form the pool shell. We build this way because gunite can take almost any shape, size, or depth, which matters on the varied lots across the Gateway Cities, and because a properly built gunite shell is extremely durable. It is the method that gives a family the most flexibility and the longest-lasting structure.
Understanding how the pool gets built helps you follow the project and know that the important work is being done right. A pool is built in a fixed order, and each stage sets up the next, so there is a clear rhythm to it once you know the steps.
Here is how a gunite pool comes together, from the first stake in the ground to the first swim.
Layout, excavation, and steel
It starts with layout. We stake out the exact shape and position of the pool in your yard, double-checking the setbacks and how it relates to the house and the rest of the backyard. This is your last easy chance to confirm the pool is going exactly where you want it, so we walk it with you before anything is dug.
Next comes excavation. The crew digs the hole to the pool's shape and depth, including the steps, the benches, and any ledges. On compact lots this is where access planning pays off, since the equipment has to reach the dig and the soil has to be hauled out. Once the hole is shaped, we rough in the plumbing lines that will circulate the water.
Then the steel goes in. We tie a grid of rebar throughout the excavation, following the engineering for your specific pool. This steel cage is the skeleton that gives the gunite shell its strength, and it is inspected before any concrete is sprayed. Getting the steel right is one of the parts that quietly decides how long the pool lasts.
- Stake out the exact shape and position
- Excavate to depth, including steps and ledges
- Rough in the circulation plumbing
- Tie the rebar grid to engineering spec
- Pass the pre-gunite steel inspection
Shooting and curing the shell
With the steel inspected, the crew sprays the gunite. This is the day the pool starts to look like a pool. The concrete is applied at high pressure over the rebar cage, then shaped and smoothed by hand to form the floor, the walls, the steps, and the benches. A well-shot, well-finished shell is the foundation of everything that comes after.
After the gunite is shot, the shell needs time to cure. Curing is what gives the concrete its full strength, and rushing it is a mistake that shows up years later as cracks. During this period the shell is kept damp so it cures properly, and the project pauses to let the structure gain strength before the finish work begins.
It is normal for the pool to sit looking rough and gray for a while at this stage. That waiting is the shell doing exactly what it should, building the strength that will carry the pool for decades.
Tile, finish, and deck
Once the shell has cured, the project moves to the parts you will see every day. We set the waterline tile and the coping that caps the edge of the pool. Then we apply the interior finish, the plaster, quartz, or pebble surface that makes the pool smooth and gives it its color. This finish is both the look of the pool and the layer that protects the shell from the water.
Around the same time, we build the deck. Whether it is concrete, pavers, or stone, the deck is graded for drainage and finished to be safe and comfortable underfoot. The deck and the pool are planned together so the finished backyard feels like one connected space rather than a pool with concrete tacked on around it.
These are the finishing stages, and they are where the pool finally comes to life visually. But the reason it will still look and run this well in ten years is the careful work done in the stages before, underground and out of sight.
Startup, fill, and your first swim
The last stage is bringing the pool to life. We install and start the equipment, fill the pool, and balance the water chemistry. The fresh plaster needs a careful startup process in its first weeks to cure properly underwater, and we walk you through it so the new surface gets off to the right start.
We finish with the final city inspection and a walk-through where we show you how to run the equipment and care for the pool day to day. By the time we hand it over, you understand how everything works and you have a pool that was built right at every stage.
If you want a pool built carefully and explained clearly at every step, call 562-620-3514 for a free design visit and an honest plan for your backyard.
Now that you know how a gunite pool is built, you can follow your own project with confidence and know the important work is being done right.
Call 562-620-3514 for a free design visit and a clear plan for your Southeast LA County backyard.
Call 562-620-3514 and we will look at the yard and quote it in writing.