What a custom concrete pool really costs in 2026

The table shows the range most of our pools fall into for each type. The lower figure is a simple shape on a flat block with good access. The upper figure is a larger pool with natural stone, a fully tiled interior and some site work. Very few pools land outside these ranges, and when one does, it is usually because of the site rather than the pool.

Two things stand out in the ledger. Size matters less than most people expect: going from an 8 metre pool to a 10 metre pool on the same site adds roughly 8 to 12 per cent, because design, engineering, access and equipment cost the same either way. And the gap between the lower and upper figures is almost entirely finishes and site. Those are the decisions worth your time.

A fixed price from us is for a finished pool, not a shell. It covers every trade from the first survey to the day we hand over the keys to the equipment room. Allowances are written into the contract with quantities, so you can see exactly what has been assumed.

Across forty builds, five factors explain almost all of the difference between a pool at the bottom of its range and one at the top. In order of how often they matter:

01

Site access

Our excavators need a clear path about 1.8 metres wide. Where a side passage is narrower, we use smaller machines and more truck movements, which adds days. Where there is no path at all, a crane lifts the machine, the steel and the spoil bins over the house.

Typical effect · $6K to $25K

02

Soil, rock and water

Sandy coastal sites dig quickly but can need dewatering where the water table is high. Brisbane and hinterland sites often hit rock, which is broken out and priced by the cubic metre. Reactive clay can call for piers under the shell. Test holes before the contract tell us which of these we are dealing with.

Typical effect · $5K to $40K

Fig. 02 · Steel tied and inspected before the shell is sprayed. By this stage the ground is known, which is why we test before we price.

03

Size, depth and shape

Each extra metre of length adds concrete, steel, interior and coping, but no more design, approvals or equipment. Depth costs more than length, because a deeper pool means more excavation and stronger walls. Curves, raised walls and wet edges add formwork and hours.

Typical effect · $4K to $15K per extra metre

04

Coping, interior and tile

This is where taste meets the budget. A sawn bluestone or French limestone coping costs roughly twice a good porcelain paver. A fully tiled glass mosaic interior costs several times a quality pebble finish. Both last for decades, so we suggest choosing once and choosing carefully.

Typical effect · $8K to $45K

05

Approvals and engineering

A flat suburban block needs a standard engineered design and a certifier. A sloping block, a pool near a boundary, a sewer line or a house footing needs site-specific engineering, and coastal or flood overlays can add a council referral. Each adds consultants’ fees and weeks to the programme.

Typical effect · $3K to $20K

The build is the large number, but a pool also costs money every year. These are typical annual figures for a 9 metre concrete pool in South East Queensland with a variable-speed pump and a salt or mineral sanitiser.

A pool blanket is the cheapest saving we know of. It cuts evaporation, holds heat overnight and can halve the bill on a heated pool. Over the longer term, plan to replace the pump and sanitiser at around ten years and to resurface a pebble interior at fifteen to twenty.

A useful price needs a site visit. Anything quoted from an aerial photo is a guess with a number on it. Our process gets you to a fixed price in about six weeks, before you commit to the build.

If you are comparing builders, ask each one for the same three things: the allowances in writing, the rate for rock, and what happens if the ground is not what the test holes showed. The answers will tell you more than the headline price.