PEBBLECRETE / MATERIAL LIBRARY
Planning the whole-life cost of a pool finish without a price list
What drives the cost of an exposed-aggregate pool finish over its life, and how to compare quotations on a like-for-like basis.
The whole-life cost of a pool finish includes material supply, preparation, installation, downtime, water care and future repairs. It depends as much on the work around the finish as on the material itself. If you set out each cost driver as a defined scope with a named responsibility, it becomes easier to see where quotations differ and to compare complete systems and who is responsible for each part.
Why a price list is not enough
A rate per bag or per square metre tells you what one part of the work costs on the day. It does not tell you how much preparation the shell needs, how many days a hotel pool will be closed, or how water chemistry will affect the way the surface ages. Two quotations with similar headline figures can describe very different work. Before comparing any figures, make every cost driver visible.
1. measured finish area
Work out quantities from the surface to be covered, not from the pool’s water-surface area, which is only the plan area. Your measurement should include:
- floors, including slopes and changes in depth
- walls, measured up to any tiled waterline band or coping
- steps, both treads and risers
- benches, ledges, beach entries and other finished details
As a planning figure, one 25 kg bag of PebbleCrete covers about 1.8 m² at the nominal applied thickness of 10 mm. For example, a measured finish area of 90 m² gives an early estimate of around 50 bags. Replace this estimate with a measured project plan, and confirm order quantities with the supplier against the measured scope.
On a large pool where an even colour matters, discuss batch planning with the supplier. Geometry, substrate and access all affect real coverage. The aggregate bag does not include cement. The cement specified in the Method Statement is bought locally and should appear as its own line in the quotation. Confirm in writing what the supplied package includes and which components are sourced separately.
2. the shell and the preparation scope
On renovations, the preparation scope can vary widely. The finish is decorative. It is not structural repair or waterproofing, and it depends on a sound, prepared, watertight base.
- New pools: the shell, penetrations, waterproofing and water testing should be complete and accepted at the stage the pool designer defines, before finishing begins.
- Renovations: require a professional substrate assessment and a written removal, repair and acceptance scope. Hollow, loose or deteriorated layers need to be removed, and a bond coat is required. Cracks should be investigated to find their cause and whether they are moving.
- Leaks: find the cause of any water loss first. A new finish is not a remedy for an unexplained leak.
Ask the contractor to state in writing what will be removed, repaired, kept and tested. A finish quotation and a renovation quotation cover different work.
3. access and logistics
On resort and island sites, logistics can change the scope a great deal. Confirm delivery arrangements, dry storage and the distance from storage to the pool. Make sure there is adequate working space and that access arrangements for the professional applicator are agreed, especially in an occupied hotel.
Arrange a sufficient, tested supply of filling water for when it is needed, and check the source, the storage tanks and the hoses. Agree filling readiness, timing and responsibility under the approved start-up programme. Filling should begin when the applicator releases the pool and should continue without interruption. Clean balance tanks, sumps and circulation areas before filling. Protect the new surface from other trades so that debris, slurry and chemicals do not land on it.
4. programme and downtime
Before application, check grilles, drains, lights and covers against the intended finish thickness. Fittings that no longer fit lead to rework and delay.
For a hotel, every day a pool is closed has a cost. The closure period is set by the whole sequence, not just the finishing visit: draining, removal, repairs, waterproofing and testing, adjusting fittings, finishing, filling and start-up. In tropical climates, plan the timing around the weather as well.
Start-up is part of the programme. Allow for the start-up programme issued for the pool. It typically includes daily brushing and continuous filtration through the first month, and brushing may need to be more frequent early on. The programme’s requirements for brushing, filtration and monitoring take precedence. On salt-chlorinated pools, the usual wait before adding salt is 28–30 days. After that, follow the written start-up instructions and the chlorinator manufacturer’s requirements. Agree with the operator when the pool can reopen under the approved programme. Water that looks clear does not on its own show that the pool is ready for use.
5. water care and routine maintenance
Water care is a running cost. It is also one of the main factors in how a cement-based surface ages, alongside substrate preparation, application quality and maintenance. PebbleCrete’s operating targets include:
- pH 7.6–7.8
- total alkalinity 80–120 ppm
- calcium hardness 200–400 ppm
- cyanuric acid 30–50 ppm
Confirm these targets against the treatment system, any local requirements and the approved care guidance for the pool, and assess readings together rather than one at a time. The most common cause of premature wear we see is low-pH filling water followed by trichlor dosing with no pH correction.
Your budget should cover test equipment that measures alkalinity, calcium hardness and cyanuric acid as well as chlorine and pH, and a trained operator who keeps a written record. Where salt chlorination is chosen, allow for a chlorinator with spare capacity. An undersized unit can run at 100% and still fall short, and the operator then has to make up the difference by hand dosing. Agree a dosing arrangement under the approved care and equipment instructions, and use the skimmer only as a fallback. Never add chlorine directly onto the finish.
PebbleCrete Classic, Supreme and Glass have the same water chemistry, maintenance and preparation requirements. Allow for the same care requirements whichever family is selected.
6. repair approach
Agree in advance how surface changes will be handled. Before deciding on a repair, investigate the change, photograph it and review the water records. A local repair may remain visible because of natural variation, differences in surface texture and the age of the surrounding finish, so agree what appearance to expect beforehand.
Do not use aggressive acid cleaning as a shortcut. Where poor water has etched the cement matrix, the finish may have some depth for remedial work. That only applies once the water has been corrected and the damage has been assessed professionally. Restoration cannot be assumed, so agree a repair scope for the specific project. Keep the approved sample, colour name and batch details for reference if a repair is needed.
7. service life as a planning figure
As a planning figure, an exposed-aggregate pool finish is generally expected to serve for 15–20 years. This is an industry estimate, not a warranty term. Where an individual pool falls within or outside that range depends on substrate preparation, application quality, water chemistry and routine maintenance.
Use this range when budgeting for a future refinish, not as a promise. The material warranty is set out separately.
Comparing quotations like for like
Before comparing figures, check that each quotation covers:
- The same measured finish area, broken down into floors, walls, steps and benches
- The material family and exact colour, with the approved sample reference. Acceptance should be against a current physical sample viewed wet and against the approved mock-up
- Supply responsibilities: what the material package includes, separately sourced cement, freight and storage
- Application: the named applicator, responsible for the mock-up and the finished result
- Preparation: demolition, structural repairs, render, waterproofing and water testing, each with a named party
- Bonding: the arrangement agreed for the substrate. A bond coat is required on every renovation
- Details: waterline tile bands, step markers, movement joints and adjustments to fittings
- A mock-up (test panel) for approval before work starts
- Filling and start-up: who supplies and tests the water, who operates the pool and for how long
- Documentation: the Method Statement revision, substrate acceptance and handover records
- Exclusions, stated clearly
If one quotation leaves out an item that another includes, add it as a named allowance before comparing totals.
In Thailand: for the wider budget of a villa pool, see the Pebble Pools (pebblepools.co.th) guide what a villa pool budget depends on.
Frequently asked questions
Can I estimate the finish quantity from the pool’s surface area?
No. The water-surface area is only the plan area. Measure the floors, walls, steps, benches and other details to be finished, then apply the planning coverage of about 1.8 m² per 25 kg bag at 10 mm. Treat the result as an early estimate and confirm order quantities with the supplier.
Does choosing Classic, Supreme or Glass change the running costs?
The care requirements stay the same. All three families are cement-based and have the same preparation, water-chemistry and maintenance requirements, so allow for the same care whichever you choose. The material cost differs between the families, so ask for a quotation.
Will a new finish solve a leaking pool?
No. The finish is decorative and does not replace structural repair or waterproofing. Diagnose and fix the leak, then complete and accept the water test before the base is covered.
Photographs and screen colours are illustrations. Confirm colour and texture with a current physical sample viewed wet and an approved on-site mock-up.