Every cost page you will find gives you one enormous range and leaves you to guess. That is not much help when you are standing next to a pool wondering whether this is a ten thousand dollar afternoon or a fifty thousand dollar summer. So here are our actual numbers, and more usefully, how to work out which one is yours before anyone comes out.
Drag the handle. A real ACE project — StoneScapes Tropics Blue mini pebble, new pavers and tile. A finish this tired is the easy diagnosis; what the tile, coping and deck are doing is what decides the number.
Nearly every resurfacing job lands in one of three scopes. We publish these, which is not universal in this trade.
| Scope | Our price | You are here if… |
|---|---|---|
| Resurfacing only White plaster, no upgrades | From $9,850 | The finish is worn, stained or rough underfoot, and the tile, coping and deck are all still sound. |
| Partial remodel Resurfacing plus decking or tile | $15,000–$25,000 | The finish is due and so is one other major element. Failing waterline tile or a cracked, lifting deck are the two usual reasons. |
| Full remodel Finish, decking, tile and equipment | $30,000–$70,000+ | Most of it is original. Tile, coping, deck and equipment are all at or past the end of their lives, or you are changing the shape. |
Pool size and finish choice move you within a tier. What moves you between tiers is how many elements need doing at once.
This matters more than the number itself, because it is where quotes stop being comparable. Our starting price is the whole job, not the finish on its own:
When you are holding two quotes, that list is what to compare before the totals. A number that looks lower because demo and start-up are coming later is not a lower number.
Age is a decent first guess and a bad final answer. A well-kept fifteen-year-old pool can need nothing but a finish; a neglected ten-year-old can need three things. Use the age band to get in the right neighborhood, then check the five things below it.
| Pool age | What is usually due | Likely tier |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10 years | Finish only, if anything. Original tile and deck are normally fine at this point. | Resurfacing |
| 10 to 20 years | Finish, plus grout and tile starting to go. Coping worth a look. | Resurfacing or partial |
| 20 to 30 years | Finish, tile, and usually the deck. Equipment is often on borrowed time too. | Partial or full |
| 30 years and up | Assume everything is original unless someone tells you otherwise, including plumbing. | Full remodel |
Then look at these five, which are what we actually assess on site:
If you want the longer version of the first item, we wrote seven signs your pool needs resurfacing.
These are the additions people most often ask about while the pool is already empty. Our published starting points:
| Addition | From |
|---|---|
| Baja step or tanning shelf | $6,000+ |
| Bubblers or deck jets | $3,000+ |
| Custom rock waterfall or rock slide | $25,000+ |
| Saltwater conversion | $2,000+ |
| Skimmer repair, minor | $250–$500 |
| Skimmer replacement | $3,000+ |
Size and shape move all of these, so treat them as starting points rather than quotes.
There is more on what is possible while the shell is open in our guide to pool upgrades.
The starting price is based on white plaster, because it is the baseline. It is also the shortest-lived option, which is worth knowing before you choose on the number alone.
| Finish | What to expect |
|---|---|
| White plaster | The baseline, and what the starting price reflects. Shortest service life of the options. |
| Mini pebble | What we recommend most. 15 to 20 years or more, the most cost-efficient of the pebble family, and a smaller, finer pebble that is noticeably smoother underfoot than standard pebble. |
| Larger and premium pebble | Bigger aggregate and richer color, above mini pebble in price. A real option, not just an upsell. |
We use StoneScapes mini pebble, which comes from NPT, the same supplier as our tile. If you have been searching PebbleTec, Pebble Tec or Pebble Tech, that is a brand name that became the generic term for any pebble finish, the way Kleenex did for tissue. It is a good product; StoneScapes is the same natural-pebble-in-cement idea and it is what we prefer to work with. The long version is in plaster vs. pebble.
If your deck is borderline, we will raise doing it now, and the reason is sequencing rather than any sort of deal. The pool is already drained. The area is already staged for machinery and materials. And if plumbing lines are being replaced, those runs go under the deck.
Doing the deck afterwards means cutting back into work you have just paid to finish. That is the argument, and it is about disruption and durability rather than the invoice.
On permits: requirements differ from city to city here. We establish what your job needs, pull them where they are required, and manage the inspections. Options for the deck itself are on the pool deck and pavers page, and tile and coping on tile and coping replacement.
Including us. These four questions make two quotes comparable, and they are the questions a vague quote cannot survive.
Full scope detail is on our resurfacing and replaster page, the wider picture is on the resurfacing and remodel hub, and if your job is heading toward a full remodel there is what a pool remodel really costs.
Send photos of the pool, the waterline tile and the deck, and tell us roughly how old it is. We will tell you which tier you are looking at and what we would want to check on site.
Get a Free EstimateACE Pool Repair & Remodel is a licensed California pool contractor, CSLB #1075061, based at 251 E Imperial Hwy, Fullerton, CA 92835, serving Orange County since 2014. Estimates are free and there are no travel fees within our service area. Related reading: resurfacing & remodel hub, signs you need resurfacing, pool upgrades, pool decks & pavers.
