Start with new pool or existing pool
Most Gold Coast homeowners land in one of two camps. Some have an empty backyard and want a pool built from scratch. Others have an older concrete pool that looks tired, leaks or no longer suits the household. Settle which camp you are in first, because the services split cleanly along that line.
Picking a service for a new concrete pool
When a standard build is enough
If your yard is reasonably flat and you want a family pool for cooling off and play, standard concrete pool construction covers it. You pick the size, depth and finish, and the shell is formed to suit your yard.
When to ask for custom design
Custom design suits odd-shaped yards, pools that need to line up with a deck or alfresco area, or features like beach entries and built-in seating. If you already have a picture in mind that a standard rectangle cannot deliver, start here.
Small yard or tight budget for space
A plunge pool fits courtyards and narrow side yards where a full-size pool would swallow the lawn. It is built for cooling off and relaxing rather than swimming laps.
Swimming for fitness
A lap pool is long and narrow, so it can run along a boundary fence. Think about how many strokes you want per length, as that sets the minimum length more than anything else.
Hillside and hinterland blocks
On sloping sites in suburbs near the hinterland, a sloping block pool is designed around the fall of the land. Expect the design to deal with retaining, access for machinery and how the pool sits against the slope.
Picking a service for an existing pool
Surface worn, structure sound
Rough, stained or flaking interiors usually point to pool resurfacing. The shell stays, and a fresh interior finish goes on.
Time for a bigger change
Concrete pool renovation goes further. It can mean new coping, tiling, steps, equipment or a reshaped layout. If you want the pool to look and work differently, not just feel smoother underfoot, renovation is the better fit.
Rules worth knowing before you build
In Queensland, concrete pool work over $3,300 needs a contractor holding the right QBCC pool construction licence, a written signed contract and Queensland Home Warranty Scheme cover. A new pool and its safety barrier also need building approval from a licensed building certifier before work begins, and the barrier must be certified before the pool is filled to 300 mm or deeper. Once finished, the pool goes on the QBCC swimming pool register.
Decide these three things first
Before comparing builders, note whether your block slopes, roughly how much yard you can give to the pool, and whether swimming, play or relaxing matters most. Those three answers narrow the right service quickly.
