Straight answers from a licensed Florida pool contractor. What drives the price, what each finish costs, and what to watch for in a quote. Written for Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee, and Lee County homeowners.
For a typical residential pool in our area, plan on the mid four figures for standard white plaster, the high four figures to around ten thousand for quartz, and low-to-mid teens for pebble, with tile and coping adding on top. Below is where those numbers come from.
Lowest upfront cost. Smooth, classic look. Lasts 7 to 12 years in Florida, less on well water. Shows stains and mottling the most. Best for a budget refresh or a pool you plan to sell soon.
Roughly 25 to 50 percent more than plaster. Plaster blended with quartz crystals for a harder, more stain-resistant surface. Lasts 12 to 18 years. The sweet spot for most homeowners on well water.
Roughly double plaster. Small stones in a cement base. Hides mineral stains, resists salt, and commonly lasts 15 to 20 years or more. Slightly rougher underfoot unless you choose a polished mini-pebble.
New waterline tile, new coping, deck resurfacing, LED lights, and replacing the main drain covers to current code. Each is cheaper done during a resurface than as a separate job later.
We come out, measure, test your fill water, and hand you a written price the same visit. No obligation. Call 941-302-8081. Licensed CPC1456897, veteran-owned.
Five things. If a quote does not account for all five, it is a guess.
Not the deck, the interior surface: floor plus walls plus steps and benches. A 14 by 28 pool with a 3 to 6 foot depth has roughly 650 to 750 square feet of surface. Bigger or deeper pools cost more because material and labor scale with the surface.
A first resurface over sound plaster needs a bond coat and goes fast. A pool that has been resurfaced twice, has hollow spots that sound drummy when tapped, or has delaminating plaster needs a chip-out first. Chip-out can add a third or more to the job. We check with a hammer before we quote.
Plaster, quartz, or pebble, in that order of cost. See the comparison above and our finish guide for the tradeoffs.
Waterline tile is usually replaced during a resurface because removing old plaster damages it. Coping that has lifted needs reset. Florida code also requires compliant drain covers, and inspectors check.
Well water with iron or high hardness needs a sequestering agent at startup and sometimes a different finish. Skipping that is how brand-new plaster turns brown in a season. It is a small line item that protects the whole job.
Cheap quotes usually leave one of these out.
Resurfacing requires a permit in Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee, and Lee counties. If the quote does not mention one, the contractor either does not plan to pull it or is not licensed to. Both are your problem later.
Inspectors require compliant anti-entrapment covers. A quote that leaves this off will grow by a few hundred dollars mid-job.
The first 30 days after new plaster decide how long it lasts. Daily brushing and balanced chemistry are required. Make sure the quote says who is responsible and for how long.
Ask for the material warranty and the workmanship warranty separately, with the years written down. Verbal 'lifetime' promises are worth nothing.
A Florida pool contractor's license starts with CPC or CPB. Ours is CPC1456897. Check any number at the Florida DBPR website before you sign. See our five questions to ask a pool contractor.
Most of our customers pay by check or card at milestones: deposit, after chip-out or prep, and at fill. For larger jobs we offer financing through Klarna on smaller amounts and Lyon Financial on bigger builds. Ask on the estimate visit.
Prices and conditions vary a little by town. See what is specific to your area: Sarasota, Venice, North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Englewood, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch, Fort Myers, Cape Coral.
Licensed CPC1456897. Veteran-owned. Serving Sarasota to Fort Myers.