Custom concrete pools, every kind.
Every Retreat pool is a custom concrete shell, drawn for one site and built by our own crew. Seven types cover almost every brief we see, from a courtyard plunge to a 25 metre lap pool. Prices are typical starting points for a finished pool.
N°01 · Pool types
Seven types · From $35K
Seven types, one way of building.
We build only in reinforced concrete, so every shape, size and edge on this page is drawn for your site rather than taken from a mould. Choose a type for sizes, prices, projects and questions.
View all projects
N°01
Concrete pools
The custom concrete pool, drawn to your site in any shape, length or depth. Reinforced steel, sprayed concrete and a finish chosen for how it will look in twenty years.
N°02
Infinity edge pools
Water spills over a hidden edge into a balance tank, so the pool meets the view. Engineered for sloping blocks, headlands and hinterland ridges.
N°03
Plunge pools
A deep, compact pool for courtyards and blocks under 450 square metres. Room to cool off, sit and soak, often with a heated spa bench along one wall.
N°04
Lap pools
Long, narrow pools for daily swimming, from 15 to 25 metres. Set along a boundary or through the garden, with a flat floor and a true line.
N°05
Spas
Concrete spas built alone or spilling into the pool, heated for year-round use. Jets, seats and controls are planned with the pool, not added later.
N°06
Renovations
New interiors, coping, tiles and equipment for sound concrete shells. We also reshape older pools, add spas and replace fibreglass with concrete.
N°07
Outdoor living
Coping, decks, cabanas, lighting and planting, drawn with the pool by our landscape architect. Built by the same crew on the same programme.
N°08 · Not sure yet?
Not sure which pool suits your block?
Most clients arrive with a picture and leave with a different pool. Compare the seven types side by side, or book a site visit and a director will tell you what your block allows.
N°02 · Which pool suits your block
Typical figures · 2026
Seven pools, side by side.
Sizes are the ones we build most often, not limits. Prices are starting points for a finished pool, including excavation, steel, interior, coping and equipment.
Read the 2026 cost guidePool type
Best for
Typical size
From
Build time
01
Concrete pools
Best for
Family gardens, any shape or size
Typical size
10 by 4 m, 1.2 to 1.8 m deep
From
$95K
Build time
14 to 18 weeks
02
Infinity edge pools
Best for
Sloping and view sites, coast or hinterland
Typical size
12 by 4 m, 1.2 to 1.6 m deep
From
$160K
Build time
18 to 24 weeks
03
Plunge pools
Best for
Courtyards and blocks under 450 m²
Typical size
5 by 2.5 m, 1.4 m deep
From
$65K
Build time
10 to 14 weeks
04
Lap pools
Best for
Swimmers, narrow lots and long boundaries
Typical size
20 by 2.5 m, 1.2 to 1.4 m deep
From
$90K
Build time
14 to 18 weeks
05
Spas
Best for
Year-round use, alone or beside a pool
Typical size
2.4 by 2.4 m, 0.9 m deep
From
$45K
Build time
8 to 12 weeks
06
Renovations
Best for
Sound shells with tired finishes or equipment
Typical size
Your existing pool
From
$35K
Build time
6 to 10 weeks
07
Outdoor living
Best for
Coping, decks, cabanas and planting
Typical size
The whole garden
From
By design
Build time
With the pool
N°03 · How we build
Six stages · About 20 weeks
The same six stages, every pool.
The order never changes. How long each stage takes depends on the pool type, the site, approvals and the weather. Weeks shown are for a typical concrete pool.
Our process in detail01
Weeks 1 to 2
Consult and survey
02
Weeks 2 to 6
Design and 3D
03
Weeks 6 to 10
Approvals and engineering
04
Weeks 10 to 13
Excavation and steel
05
Weeks 13 to 18
Shell and finish
06
Week 20
Handover and care
N°04 · What moves the price
Five factors
What moves the price.
Two pools of the same size can differ by $40K or more. Five factors explain almost all of it, and each one is known before you sign.
01
Site access
A pool dug from the street costs less than one reached by a narrow side path or a crane over the roof. Tight access adds days of small-machine digging and hand barrowing.
02
Soil and rock
Beach sand needs shoring and dewatering, and hinterland rock needs breaking. A soil test before we fix the price shows which, and by how much.
03
Size and depth
Every extra metre adds concrete, steel, interior and water to heat. Depth costs more than length, because the walls and the dig grow with it.
04
Finishes
Glass mosaic costs more than pebble, and natural stone coping more than pavers. Finishes are where most budgets move, so we price two options for each.
05
Approvals and engineering
Slopes, retaining walls, easements and coastal or heritage overlays add engineering and council time. We can tell which apply from the first site visit.
Fixed price
A fixed price before we dig.
After design and engineering you get one fixed price for the pool, with every inclusion listed. Nothing is dug until you have signed it.
Book a design consultationN°05 · Questions
Questions on pool types.
Straight answers to what we are asked before a pool type is chosen. For anything else, call the studio on 07 5550 3480.
All questionsWhich pool type costs the least?
A plunge pool, from $65K, or a renovation of a sound existing shell, from $35K. Size matters less than most people expect: access, soil and finishes move the price more than a metre or two of length. You get a fixed price after design and engineering, before anything is dug.
Can you combine pool types, such as a lap pool with a spa?
Yes, and most of our pools do. A spa can spill into a lap pool, a plunge pool can take an infinity edge, and any type can sit inside a wider outdoor living plan. Each combination is engineered as one shell, so it is built once rather than joined later.
Why do you only build in concrete?
Concrete is the only method that lets us draw the pool to the site: any shape, depth, edge or step, on flat or sloping ground. It also has the longest structural life, which is why every shell we build carries a lifetime structural warranty.
How do I choose between a plunge pool and a lap pool?
Start with how you will use it. Swimming laps most mornings needs at least 15 metres of straight water. If the pool is for cooling off, sitting and entertaining, a deeper plunge pool uses less of the garden and costs less to heat.
Does every pool type need council approval?
Every pool in Queensland and New South Wales needs approval and compliant fencing, whatever its type. Infinity edges, pools on slopes and pools near boundaries usually need structural engineering as well. We prepare and lodge all of it during stage three.
Do prices differ between the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Northern Rivers?
Our starting prices are the same in all three regions, because we only build within ninety minutes of the Burleigh Heads studio. What changes is the site itself: beach sand, river clay and hinterland rock each cost differently to dig.