Hampstead · Wilmington · Surf City · Topsail Beach · Jacksonville NC Licensed Swimming Pool Contractor (S) · Insured  ·  (910) 277-5560

Renovation

Pool renovation: renew it, do not replace it.

A full renovation — surface, tile, coping, decking and equipment — typically runs $25,000–90,000 in coastal NC against $135,000 and up for a new gunite pool. If the shell is structurally sound, almost everything else can be replaced. The decision worth making carefully is which items go together, because doing them in one mobilisation is far cheaper than three separate jobs.

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Renovate or replace

Renovate when

  • The shell is sound. No structural cracking, no movement, no chronic unexplained loss.
  • The footprint still works. You like where it is and how big it is.
  • Several items are due at once. Surface, tile and equipment together is one mobilisation.
  • You want it this season. Weeks rather than months.

Replace when

  • The shell has moved. Structural cracking or settlement is not a resurfacing problem.
  • The shape is the problem. A renovation will not make a 1980s kidney a rectangle.
  • It is in the wrong place. No amount of tile fixes a pool in the wrong part of the yard.
  • Depth is unusable. A deep diving well nobody uses is a common reason to start over.

Step by step

How a renovation runs

  1. 01

    Assessment

    Shell condition, plumbing pressure test, equipment age, deck and drainage.

  2. 02

    Scope & sequence

    What goes together, what can wait, and the order that costs least.

  3. 03

    Demo & rebuild

    Surface, tile, coping, decking and equipment in one mobilisation.

  4. 04

    Startup

    Fill, balance, equipment walkthrough and warranty paperwork.

What it costs

Renovation scopes

Coastal NC ranges for a typical residential pool. Surface area and deck size drive the numbers.

Scope Typical cost Window What it includes
Surface only$7,000–15,5001–2 weeksPlaster, quartz or pebble
Surface + tile & coping$14,000–33,0002–4 weeksWaterline tile, coping, surface
Add decking$25,000–60,0003–6 weeksConcrete, paver or travertine
Full renovation$40,000–90,0005–9 weeksSurface, tile, coping, deck, equipment

Doing surface, tile and decking in one mobilisation typically saves 15 to 25 percent against the same work spread over three seasons.

Related work

Resurfacing & replaster

If the surface is the only item due.

Resurfacing

Pool repair

Leaks and equipment, diagnosed first.

Repair

Weekly maintenance

Protect the work once it is done.

Maintenance

Common questions

Renovation questions

Is renovating cheaper than a new pool?

Substantially — a full renovation runs a third to two-thirds of a new gunite build.

The saving is the shell and the excavation. If the shell is sound, you are buying everything except the expensive part.

How long does a full renovation take?

Five to nine weeks for surface, tile, coping, decking and equipment together.

Each trade is sequential and coastal weather moves the schedule. We give a range and update it weekly.

Can you change the shape of an existing pool?

A gunite shell can be cut, extended or reshaped. A fiberglass shell cannot.

Reshaping gunite is real construction, not a finish job, and it is priced that way.

Should I convert to salt while renovating?

It is the cheapest time to do it, and on a fresh surface it makes sense.

Bear in mind salt shortens plaster life, so it also argues for quartz or pebble rather than standard plaster.

Next step

Send photos of the pool and deck

A few wide shots usually tell us whether you are looking at a resurface or a renovation.

Phone(910) 277-5560
Emailsales@sunrisepoolsinc.com
HoursMon-Fri 8:00-5:00 · Sat by appointment

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