A concrete pool is a custom-built swimming pool constructed on-site using reinforced steel and sprayed or poured concrete. Unlike fibreglass pools, which arrive pre-made, concrete pools are built from scratch to any shape, depth, or size. They’re the most durable and design-flexible pool type available.
What actually goes into building a concrete pool?
Most people picture a pool as something that gets delivered and dropped into the ground. Concrete is the opposite of that.
A concrete pool is built from raw materials on your property, one stage at a time. Here’s how it works:
1. Design and engineering The pool shape, depth, and structural specs are drawn up and signed off by a structural engineer. This is also when council building approval is obtained.
2. Excavation: The hole is dug to the engineered dimensions. Soil is removed from site. This stage is heavily influenced by access width, soil type, and whether the site is flat or sloped.
3. Steel reinforcement: A steel rebar cage is assembled in the shape of the pool. This is the skeleton — it gives the pool its structural strength and allows it to withstand ground pressure from all sides.
4. Concrete application (shotcrete). Concrete is sprayed under high pressure onto and around the steel frame. This is called shotcrete (or gunite). It creates a dense, single shell with no joints — one of the reasons concrete pools are so strong and long-lasting.
5. Waterproofing membrane A flexible waterproof membrane is applied to the cured shell. This is the layer that actually keeps the water in and groundwater out.
6. Interior finish: The pool gets its finished surface — pebblecrete, glass bead, tile, or mosaic. This is what you see and touch, and it determines the water colour and feel underfoot.
7. Plumbing, filtration, and electrical Pump, filter, sanitiser system, LED lighting, and any automation is installed and commissioned.
8. Fencing, coping, and paving. Pool fencing (legally required in Queensland), coping tiles around the edge, and surrounding paving or decking complete the space.
Disclaimer: The construction process varies by builder and site. Cascade Pools manages every stage in-house, from design through to handover. All work is carried out to Australian Standards and Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) requirements.