Renovations
A second life for the pool you already own.
A great renovation isn't a re-plaster. It's a redesign. We treat every renovation like a new build - engineered, drawn, and detailed - so the pool you already own becomes the backyard you actually want to spend time in.
Why renovate
A new pool inside the one you already own.
A well-built concrete pool is meant to last fifty years. The interior finish, tile, coping, and equipment that surround it are not - they wear, they date, and they eventually fail. Renovating is how you reset that clock without losing the structure, the plumbing trenches, the established landscape, and the years of permits and engineering that already exist in your backyard.
Most of the pools we renovate were built between 1995 and 2015. The bones are good. The plaster is etched, the tile is dated, the equipment pad is loud and inefficient, and the deck is cracking at the seams. With a thoughtful re-design, the same pool can look - and feel - newer and more luxurious than the day it was first built.
Our team approaches every renovation the way we approach a new build: with a hand-drawn plan, an itemized scope, certified crews, and the same equipment partners we trust on $400,000 projects. The result is a pool that performs better, looks better, and is built to last another two decades.
Signs it's time
Eight signals your pool needs work.
- Plaster is rough, etched, or stained brown, gray, or rust
- Waterline tile is loose, cracked, or grout is crumbling
- Coping stones are lifted, chipped, or pulling away from the deck
- Pool is losing more than ¼ inch of water per day (rules out evaporation)
- Pump is loud, single-speed, or runs your power bill up every month
- Plaster has hollow spots when tapped - a sign of delamination
- Decking is cracked, sunken, or pitched toward the pool instead of away
- Lighting is dim, yellow, or burned out and the pool feels dated at night
What we renovate
From a fresh interior to a full re-imagining.
Every renovation is scoped to your pool's actual condition and your goals for the next decade. Mix and match - most projects combine three or four of these into one coordinated scope.
Resurfacing & re-plaster
We strip the old interior down to the gunite shell, repair any hollow spots, then trowel on a new finish - StoneScapes, PebbleSheen, polished quartz, or premium plaster. Each finish has its own water color, texture, and life expectancy, and we walk you through samples in your own backyard light before you commit.
Tile & coping replacement
Waterline tile and coping are the jewelry of the pool - they're also the first details to date a backyard. We hand-set glass, porcelain, or natural stone tile and rebuild coping in travertine, bluestone, brick, or large-format pavers. New bond beam, new mortar bed, new sealant - not a cosmetic patch.
Equipment upgrades
Variable-speed Jandy pumps, salt systems, smart AquaLink automation, high-efficiency heaters, and color-changing LED lighting. A modern equipment pad cuts energy bills 60–80% versus a single-speed pump and lets you control the pool from your phone - including from out of town.
Saltwater conversion
We add a salt cell and electrolytic chlorinator, dissolve pool-grade salt into the water, and the cell generates chlorine on demand. Softer on skin and eyes, no chemical smell, far less weekly maintenance. Most conversions are a single-visit upgrade and pay back the equipment cost within a few seasons.
Deck & hardscape refresh
Cracked concrete, dated stamped patterns, and faded pavers age a backyard faster than the pool itself. We remove and rebuild decks in travertine, porcelain pavers, or broom-finish concrete with custom borders. Add raised planter walls, fire features, outdoor lighting, and an updated drainage plan in one coordinated phase.
Structural repairs
Cracks, leaks, failing plumbing, rebar exposure, and shell delamination are all repairable when caught early. Our certified crews dye-test for leaks, replace original plumbing runs in schedule-40 PVC, and structurally bond new gunite where needed - so the cosmetic finish lasts the full 15–25 years.
Our process
Four phases, no surprises.
A renovation is a construction project - not a service call. Here's exactly how it runs from the first walk-through to the final water balance.
01
On-site assessment
A designer walks the property with you, dye-tests for leaks, inspects the equipment pad, measures coping and deck conditions, and photographs every angle. We leave with a written punch list of what's failing, what's tired, and what's still good.
02
Design & material selection
We bring tile, coping, and finish samples to your home so you see them in real light against your existing stone, brick, and landscape. You'll see a fixed scope and itemized investment before any deposit - no surprise change orders mid-project.
03
Drain, demo & repair
We drain the pool, chip out the old interior and tile, sandblast the shell, and address every structural issue uncovered. This is the single most important phase - skipping repairs here is why some renovations fail at the 5-year mark.
04
Install & finish
New tile is hand-set, coping is mortared and sealed, the new interior is troweled and brushed, and the pool is filled and started up under our care. We balance the water, dial in the equipment, and walk you through your new system before we leave.
Why Rock Water
The difference between a patch and a renovation.
We design renovations like new builds
Every renovation gets a hand-drawn plan, an engineer's eye on the structure, and a fixed-scope contract. You're not getting a one-line estimate written on a clipboard.
Repairs before cosmetics
We fix leaks, plumbing, and shell issues before any new finish goes in. A beautiful pool with rotting bones doesn't last - and it costs more to redo than to do once correctly.
Material samples in your hand
Tile chips, coping samples, and finish boards delivered to your home. Pool finishes shift dramatically with sky color, surrounding stone, and tree cover - the showroom can't show you that.
On-time, on-budget
Most renovations run 3–8 weeks depending on scope. We give a real schedule on day one and update you weekly with photos and progress notes from the foreman.
Investment & timeline
What renovations actually cost - and how long they take.
A straightforward interior resurface with new waterline tile and coping typically runs $28,000–$48,000 and takes 3–5 weeks from drain to fill. Add equipment upgrades, deck refresh, and saltwater conversion and most projects land between $45,000 and $85,000 over a 6–10 week schedule.
Full re-designs - new decking, raised walls, fire features, structural changes, an outdoor kitchen or pergola - run $85,000 to $180,000+ and span 10–16 weeks. We give you a real schedule on day one, with weather contingency built in, and update you weekly so you're never wondering what's happening in your backyard.
Every quote is itemized, fixed-scope, and signed before we order a single material. Change orders only happen if you choose to add scope mid-project - never as a surprise.
FAQ
Pool renovation questions, answered.
The four questions we get most often before signing a renovation scope.
How much does a pool renovation cost in NC or SC?
How long does a pool renovation take?
How often does a concrete pool need resurfacing?
Can you convert my chlorine pool to saltwater?
Ready when you are
Renovate with people who design, not just patch.
Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Rock Water designer.