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What is the cheapest way to resurface a pool? What is the average price to resurface a pool?

Is your dear old swimming pool looking a little worse for wear? Perhaps the surface of your pool is beginning to age and fall into disrepair, causing your water to look an uninviting colour. Whatever the case, you’ll likely want to know what your options are in terms of resurfacing. More importantly, if you are on a budget, what is the cheapest way of resurfacing a pool is. 

In addition to that, we’re going to look at the average price to resurface your swimming pool. 

What is the cheapest way to resurface a pool?

Ultimately, the cheapest pool resurfacing option will be to use a simple white plaster. And whilst plaster is being less frequently in the pool resurfacing market, it is still a simple and affordable choice for a re-finish. 

You’ll be looking at around $4.00 per square foot for basic white plaster. This is especially ideal if you have a relatively large swimming pool but don’t quite have the budget to spend. 

What is the average price to resurface a pool?

Across the board, the average cost for resurfacing a swimming pool is about $7,000 per 1,000 square feet. It all depends on where you live and the type of swimming pool that you have, but you can easily spend anywhere from $1,500 and $50,000 (and beyond). 

You must factor in the material cost itself and the cost of labour when looking at your budget. In most cases, you will likely want to hire a professional in order to get the job done right. Botching a DIY attempt can become rather expensive.

Labour typically costs around $45 to $65 an hour. If a pool takes one to two weeks to finish, it could come to around $3,000. 

You should also think about the complexity of the job (what shape and size your swimming pool is), and what machine parts may need repairing or upgrading. 

Then there is the cost of materials, which can be much higher than labour costs. Again, you could be looking at anywhere from $1,000 for basic white plaster, all the way up to $50,000 and beyond for things like designer tiling finishes. 

Is it worth having your swimming pool resurfaced? 

Absolutely. Particularly if you are no longer using your swimming pool because it has fallen into disrepair. A poor finish on the pool’s surface can not only pose a health hazard, but it can also make the water in your swimming pool an uninviting off-colour. 

This alone is reason enough to invest in a swimming pool resurfacing service. It will give you all the more reason to get back into the pool! Yet another great way to get your daily exercise in and enjoy more quality time with family and friends. 

In addition to that, if you may be thinking about selling your house and moving on in the near future, then having a recently resurfaced swimming pool will not only make your house more attractive to potential buyers, but it will also add value to your home. 

It’s good housekeeping and it will make your swimming pool far easier on the eye, even if you don’t use it every single day. 

What is the least expensive pool shape? 

The least expensive pool shape is typically an oval or rectangle shape. These in-ground pools are both cheaper to buy and resurface. The more complex shapes of pool, such as a custom-dolphin shape, for example, is going to be more expensive to resurface. 

How can you modernize your swimming pool? 

If you are resurfacing an old swimming pool and would like to modernize it, we’ve got some great tips for you. Firstly, invest in a quality resurface job. Sure, basic white plaster might be the cheapest, but if budget isn’t too much of an issue and you’d like a special job, for example, upgrading to tile), then you can rock some seriously cool designs with your pool renovation. But to really modernize a swimming pool, you need to upgrade the technology: 

  • Change purification. Changing to more advanced sanitation methods is better for your skin, hair, nails, and eyes (saltwater generates a pure form of chlorine). 
  • Improve heating (warm up your pool faster and with less energy). 
  • Boosted pump efficiency (slash energy whilst cleaning, heating, and circulating your pool more effectively). 
  • Upgrade to cartridge filters.
  • Automate functions.
  • Brighten your lighting (with less energy).
  • Consider installing or upgrading decking area.
  • Add water features 

There are many different things that you can try. Naturally, they will certainly start to add up, so you may wish to consider ticking these off the list over time. In any case, the most important change will be to have your pool resurfaced so that you can swim in it again safely and comfortably. 

Can you paint over basic white plaster? 

If you’d like to keep it nice and cheap, then having basic white plaster installed on your pool is the way to go (as mentioned above). However, you can also hire affordable pool painters to go over the basic plaster and breathe a little life into it. Perhaps a turquoise? Or a deep-sea blue. Whatever suits your tastes. 

Conclusion 

And that about sums it up. You can go basic white plaster for the cheapest option, and having it painted to a colour of your choice. The average cost for resurfacing a swimming pool is around the $7,000 mark (depending on where you are, how big /complex the swimming pool is, and which material you choose to use). If you’d like to explore pool resurfacing further and see what other methods and material options are available, then check out a local website such as West Coast Pool Resurfacing for more information.