How Many Yards of Gunite in a Pool? What Affects the Estimate
- 6 hours ago
- 7 min read
If you’re asking “how many yards of gunite in a pool?”, you’re looking at what it takes to build a strong gunite pool, not just the finished look.
As a planning range, many residential gunite pools use about 10 to 30 cubic yards. Smaller pools may use less, while custom pools with deep ends, spas, raised walls, benches, or water features may use more. Your pool builder should confirm the final amount before gunite day.
Gunite yardage depends on the floor, walls, bond beam, steps, built-in features, and normal waste from rebound or overspray. Here’s how that connects to the overall gunite pool cost.
Key Takeaways
Many residential gunite pools use about 10 to 30 cubic yards, but the final amount depends on the pool’s design and structural details.
Gunite yardage is based on the floor, walls, bond beam, steps, benches, spas, features, and waste allowance, not water volume.
Cubic yards help with planning, but your pool builder should confirm the final estimate from the completed project plans.
What Does “Yards of Gunite” Mean?
When a contractor talks about yards of gunite, they usually mean a cubic yard. A cubic yard is a volume measurement equal to 27 cubic feet. Picture a block that is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet tall.
That is different from a square foot, which measures surface area. A patio or decking area may be priced by the square foot because it mostly involves length and width. A concrete pool shell is measured by volume because it has thickness.
That thickness matters. Your pool is not a flat shape on the ground. It has a bottom, vertical walls, curves, steps, structural supports, and sometimes raised sections. All of that takes material.
What Is Gunite?
Gunite is a method of applying concrete. A dry concrete mix made with cement, sand, and fine materials is pushed through a hose using pressurized air. Water is added at the pressurized nozzle, and the mixture is sprayed over steel rebar.
That is the gunite process. It allows crews to shape the shell directly in your backyard, which is why gunite works so well for custom pool design, spas, benches, curves, and other features.
A gunite shell is not delivered as a finished piece like some fiberglass pools. It is built on-site, which gives homeowners more flexibility with the final look and layout.
How Many Yards of Gunite Does a Typical Pool Use?
For early planning, these ranges can help:
Small pools: about 8 to 15 cubic yards
Average residential pools: about 15 to 25 cubic yards
Larger pools or custom designs: about 25 to 40+ cubic yards
These are not ordering numbers. They are planning ranges. The actual quantity for a new pool depends on the final design, engineering, shell thickness, and site conditions.
Before a gunite pool installation, your builder should confirm the final quantity from the project plans.
What Parts of the Pool Use Gunite?
Gunite forms the structural shell of the pool. It is used in more places than many homeowners expect.
Floor: The bottom of the pool, including slopes, shallow areas, and deep-end transitions.
Walls: The vertical sides of the pool, including curves, deep ends, and raised areas.
Bond beam: The reinforced top edge that supports coping, tile, and surrounding work.
Steps and benches: Built-in features that are shaped as part of the shell.
Spas and raised areas: Attached spas, raised walls, and some water features may require additional gunite.
Builders also account for waste, rebound, and overspray during application. Not every bit of material sprayed through the hose becomes part of the finished shell.
A Simple Way to Estimate Gunite Volume
The basic formula is:
Area × thickness = volume
Then:
Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards
For example, a pool floor that is 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 6 inches thick would be calculated like this:
20 × 10 = 200 square feet6 inches = 0.5 feet200 × 0.5 = 100 cubic feet100 ÷ 27 = about 3.7 cubic yards
That example only covers the floor. A real estimate also needs to include the walls, bond beam, steps, benches, spas, raised sections, and an allowance for waste or overspray.
That is why online calculators and free quote range estimates are helpful for early planning, but the final quantity should come from the builder’s project plans.
What Affects the Number of Gunite Yards?
Several factors can change how much gunite your pool needs.
Pool size: Larger pools need more material. They can also increase excavation, plumbing, decking, water needs, and long-term maintenance.
Depth: A deeper pool needs taller walls and more structural material. This is especially important if your design includes diving boards.
Shell thickness: Thicker shells use more gunite. This is not a place to cut corners because the shell must meet structural requirements.
Shape: Simple rectangles are easier to estimate. Curves, raised areas, vanishing edges, and freeform designs can change the amount of material needed.
Built-in features: Steps, benches, tanning ledges, spas, and water features add volume.
Site conditions: Slope, rock, groundwater, tight access, and land clearing can affect the project design and construction plan.
How Gunite Yardage Affects Gunite Pool Cost
More gunite usually means more materials, more labor, and more application time. But yardage is only one part of the full gunite pool cost.
A complete pool installation may also include:
Pool design
Excavation
Steel rebar
Plumbing
Equipment
Permits and building permit fees
Tile and coping
Interior finish
Pool lighting
Decking and patio work
Landscaping
Startup and cleanup
That is why gunite pool prices can vary so much. A simple pool with a clean site is very different from a full backyard oasis with a spa, retaining walls, premium tile, lighting, and outdoor living upgrades.
Gunite Pool Cost Is More Than the Shell
The shell is a major part of the project, but it is not the whole inground pool cost.
Before the shell is built, the site may need grading, tree removal, utility checks, access prep, or land clearing. After excavation, crews install rebar, plumbing, drains, returns, lighting conduits, and equipment lines.
Then comes gunite application, curing, tile, coping, interior finish, decking, equipment startup, and final cleanup.
You may also choose add-ons such as:
Pool lighting
Water features
Diving boards
Pool covers
Heaters
Automation
Fire features
Attached spas
Outdoor kitchens
Larger patio areas
Upgraded tile
Retaining walls
Some add-ons require more gunite. Others raise the pool cost through electrical work, plumbing, masonry, equipment, or finish materials.
Can You Save Money by Using Less Gunite?
Not safely.
Reducing shell thickness to save money can create serious structural problems. The pool shell needs to be built correctly from the start. Cutting corners on gunite, steel, drainage, or plumbing can lead to expensive repairs later.
Better ways to manage the budget include:
Choose a simpler shape
Keep the pool slightly smaller
Limit raised walls
Be selective with extra features
Build in the off season when scheduling allows
Use practical finish materials
Phase landscaping
Start with a simpler patio
Avoid major design changes after work begins
Spend the money where it matters most: structure, steel, plumbing, drainage, permits, professional installation, and finish prep. Those items help protect the pool for the long run.
Gunite vs. Other Pool Types
There are a few different types of inground pools, and each comes with different costs and tradeoffs.
A gunite pool offers the most design flexibility. It is ideal for custom shapes, deep ends, spas, benches, and a long-lasting concrete shell.
Shotcrete is another sprayed concrete method. The main difference is that shotcrete is usually applied as a wet mix, while gunite uses a dry mix with water added at the nozzle.
Fiberglass pools use a pre-made shell. They can install faster and may require less surface maintenance, but they offer fewer shape and size options.
Vinyl liner pools may have a lower upfront cost, but liners need replacement over time and the design options are more limited.
Compared with other pool types, gunite often costs more and takes longer to install, but it gives homeowners more control over the final design.
Maintenance and Operating Costs
A gunite pool is durable, but it still needs regular care. Long-term maintenance costs can include brushing, water balancing, filter care, acid washing, resurfacing, equipment service, and checking for small cracks.
You should also plan for operating costs, such as:
Electricity
Chemicals
Water needs
Heating
Pool lighting
Pump and filter use
Seasonal openings
Seasonal closings
Professional service
A smart new swimming pool budget includes both installation and ongoing maintenance, not just the upfront build.
What to Confirm Before Gunite Day
Before moving forward, ask clear questions about the shell and the full project:
How many cubic yards of gunite do you estimate?
What shell thickness are you planning?
Does the estimate include steps, benches, spas, and raised walls?
How much waste or overspray is included?
Are you using gunite or shotcrete?
What steel rebar spacing will be used?
How will site conditions affect excavation?
What permits are required?
Which add-ons will increase cost?
What maintenance costs should we expect?
Clear answers help you understand the full project, not just one line item.
Turn Gunite Numbers Into a Real Pool Plan
Cubic yards are helpful, but they are only one piece of the project. Ferrari Pools: Custom Outdoor Living can help you turn the estimate into a buildable plan that accounts for design, the permitting process, patio room, other materials, and where your dollars make the most sense.
Since 1966, Ferrari Pools: Custom Outdoor Living has served Boston, Massachusetts, and Greater New England with custom pools, hot tubs, hardscapes, pool renovations, and weekly maintenance.
Call Ferrari Pools: Custom Outdoor Living to start planning your custom gunite pool.
Conclusion
A gunite estimate starts with yardage, but it should never stop there. Many residential pools fall around 10 to 30 cubic yards, with the final number shaped by depth, shell thickness, walls, steps, spas, water features, and waste allowance.
Before construction begins, your pool builder should confirm the cubic yard estimate from the final plans and tie it back to the full scope, not just the shell.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a 20x40 gunite pool?
A 20x40 gunite pool is a large pool, so it usually costs more than an average residential build.
Many 20x40 gunite pools can range from $100,000 to $180,000+, depending on site conditions, depth, finish, decking, permits, equipment, and add-ons like spas, lighting, heaters, or water features.
The exact price depends on the full design, not just the pool’s length and width.
What is the most expensive part of a pool?
For a gunite pool, the most expensive parts are usually the shell construction, labor, excavation, and surrounding hardscape. The gunite shell requires steel rebar, concrete application, skilled crews, plumbing, and proper curing.
Decking, patios, retaining walls, premium tile, spas, and water features can also raise the total cost quickly.
Are most pools 25 yards?
No. Most backyard pools are not 25 yards long. A 25-yard pool is a lap or competition-style length, equal to 75 feet, which is much larger than most residential pools.
Most home pools are built for relaxing, swimming, entertaining, and family use, so they are usually shorter and customized to the yard, budget, and layout.