--- title: Plunge Pools in Coastal NC | Small Pool Cost & Sizes description: Under 300 sq ft, $55,000-135,000 installed, swimming in 4-10 weeks. Built for the narrow island and infill lots this market actually has. --- Hampstead · Wilmington · Surf City · Topsail Beach · Jacksonville NC Licensed Swimming Pool Contractor (S) · Insured  ·  [(910) 277-5560](tel:+19102775560) [SUNRISE*.*POOLS INC](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/?hsLang=en) Menu - [Home](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com) - Pools - [Commercial Pools](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/commercial-pools/) - [Fiberglass Pools](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/fiberglass-pools/) - [Concrete Pools](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/concrete-pools/) - Spas - [Spas](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/spas/) - [Swim Spas](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/swim-spas/) - [Repair & Maintenance](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/pool-repair/) - [Contact](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/contact) [Home](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/?hsLang=en) › Plunge Pools Plunge & cocktail pools # Plunge pools for lots that will not take a full build. **A plunge pool is under roughly 300 square feet — typically $55,000–135,000 installed in coastal NC, four to ten weeks depending on whether it is a shell or poured.** On the island lots and infill parcels around Surf City, Topsail and Wrightsville, setbacks often leave a strip of yard that will not take a 16 by 32. A plunge pool fits that strip and still runs a heater and jets. [Get a Free Design Consultation](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/contact?hsLang=en) [See the cost breakdown →](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/pool-cost-guide?hsLang=en) ![Plunge pool built in Castle Hayne NC](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/hubfs/IMG_1846.jpeg) ## What a plunge pool does well, and what it will not do ### What it’s good at - **Fits.** Works where setbacks, septic fields or a narrow lot rule out a full pool. - **Cheaper to run.** Less water to heat and treat; a heater actually keeps up year-round. - **Faster.** Four to ten weeks rather than a season. - **Deck-forward.** Leaves budget and square footage for decking, seating and shade. ### What it isn’t - **Not a lap pool.** If anyone in the house swims laps, look at a swim spa instead. - **Depth limits.** No diving. Most sit around four feet, flat. - **Fewer people.** Comfortable for four; crowded at eight. - **Cost per square foot is high.** The equipment, permit and access costs barely shrink with the pool. Step by step ## How a plunge pool goes in 1. 01 ### Measure the buildable area Setbacks, septic, easements and the access path decide the maximum footprint. 2. 02 ### Shell or poured A molded shell is faster; poured concrete fits an odd-shaped gap exactly. 3. 03 ### Dig, set, plumb Same engineered base and hydrostatic plan as a full build, at smaller scale. 4. 04 ### Deck & startup Decking, fence to code, water balance and handoff. Sizes & costs ## What a plunge pool runs Ranges from completed coastal NC projects. Your number is fixed after a site visit. | Build | Installed | Footprint | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Fiberglass plunge shell | $55,000–90,000 | 10 × 20 ft | Fastest option; fixed shape | | Poured concrete plunge | $75,000–115,000 | Custom | Fits an irregular gap exactly | | Plunge with spa jets | $85,000–135,000 | Custom | Heater, jets, bench seating | | Add coastal decking | $8,000–30,000 | — | Concrete, paver or travertine | NC requires a barrier around residential pools; on island lots the fence line often decides the footprint before the pool does. ## Not quite what you need? ### Swim spas Laps and hydrotherapy in a similar footprint. [Swim spas](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/swim-spas?hsLang=en) ### Fiberglass pools A full-size molded shell if the yard will take one. [Fiberglass pools](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/fiberglass-pools?hsLang=en) ### Hot tubs & spas Smaller again, and year-round. [Spas & hot tubs](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/spas?hsLang=en) Common questions ## Plunge pool questions How much does a plunge pool cost in NC? Most land between $55,000 and $135,000 installed. A molded fiberglass shell is the cheapest route; poured concrete costs more but fits an irregular space exactly. How small can a pool legally be? There is no minimum size — the constraint is setbacks and the barrier requirement, not the pool. Pender, New Hanover and Onslow each set their own setbacks from property lines and septic fields. We check those before drawing anything. Can you heat a plunge pool year-round? Yes, and it is one of the better arguments for the size. A smaller volume means a heat pump keeps up on a coastal winter day, at a running cost that is a fraction of a full pool. Do plunge pools add value on a small lot? On a lot that will not take a full pool, it is usually the only way to add a pool at all. We will tell you honestly if your yard would take a full build instead — that is a different conversation and usually a better one. Next step ## Send us the lot dimensions We’ll check setbacks against the parcel and tell you the largest pool that actually fits. | Phone | [(910) 277-5560](tel:+19102775560) | | --- | --- | | Email | [sales@sunrisepoolsinc.com](mailto:sales@sunrisepoolsinc.com) | | Hours | Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 · Sat by appointment | ### Request your free design consultation We’ll call within one business day to set up a site visit. [SUNRISE*.*POOLS INC](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/?hsLang=en) [(910) 277-5560](tel:+19102775560) [sales@sunrisepoolsinc.com](mailto:sales@sunrisepoolsinc.com) Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 · Sat by appointment #### Pools - [Fiberglass pools](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/fiberglass-pools?hsLang=en) - [Concrete & gunite](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/concrete-pools?hsLang=en) - [Plunge pools](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/plunge-pools?hsLang=en) - [Cost guide](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/pool-cost-guide?hsLang=en) #### Spas - [Hot tubs](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/spas?hsLang=en) - [Swim spas](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/swim-spas?hsLang=en) #### Commercial - [Commercial pools](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/commercial-pools?hsLang=en) - [HOA & community](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/commercial-pools/hoa-community-pools?hsLang=en) - [Resurfacing](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/commercial-pools/resurfacing?hsLang=en) - [ADA compliance](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/commercial-pools/ada-compliance?hsLang=en) #### Service - [Repair](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/pool-repair?hsLang=en) - [Resurfacing](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/pool-resurfacing?hsLang=en) - [Renovation](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/pool-renovation?hsLang=en) - [Maintenance](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/pool-maintenance?hsLang=en) - [Yard drainage](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/drainage?hsLang=en) - [Pool fill-in](https://www.sunrisepoolsinc.com/pool-fill-in?hsLang=en) © 2026 Sunrise Pools, Inc. 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