Tennessee · Gunite & Concrete Pool Builders · Updated 2026
4 gunite pool builders serving Knoxville — custom concrete, shotcrete and gunite construction — ordered by customer rating and review count, with 2026 prices for a standard pool, a spa and the finish upgrades.
Ordered by customer rating and review count across the Knoxville area. Listings include the available rating, contact details and location; confirm current credentials and scope directly.
Planning a new pool as well? The Knoxville pool builders directory ranks all 64 builders in the area.
A mid-size gunite pool (about 16×32) with a standard plaster finish in Knoxville typically runs $71,500–$114,000. Spas, premium finishes, features and decking are where custom pools climb from there:
| Job | Typical Knoxville price |
|---|---|
| Small gunite pool (about 12×24), plaster finish | $52,500–$76,000 |
| Mid-size gunite pool (about 16×32) | $71,500–$114,000 |
| Large or elaborate custom pool | $114,000–$237,500+ |
| Attached gunite spa with spillover | $14,500–$33,500 |
| Pebble or quartz finish upgrade | $5,000–$11,500 |
| Tanning ledge or beach entry | $3,000–$7,500 |
| Water features, lighting, fire bowls | $2,000–$14,500 |
| Decking and coping | $7,500–$24,000 |
| Rock or hard-dig excavation allowance | $3,000–$14,500 |
| Permits, engineering, soils report | $800–$3,800 |
Tennessee pricing is close to the national baseline used for these estimates. Gunite bids vary more than any other pool type because every element is custom — compare the shell thickness, steel schedule, finish, feature and equipment lines, not just the bottom number.
Spas, ledges, benches, lighting niches and water features are cheapest when they are shot into the shell — adding them later means cutting concrete.
Knoxville market
4.6 average customer rating · 381 reviews · 4 companies
See All on the Map →4 gunite pool builders serving Knoxville. The ranked companies average 4.6 stars across 381 customer reviews. PoolPad orders the list with a weighted score that combines customer rating and review count, so a long track record counts for more than a handful of scores.
Middle Tennessee sits on limestone karst — rock excavation surcharges are common around Nashville, so get the rock clause in writing per yard. West Tennessee digs easier river-bottom soils, while East Tennessee adds slope and rock both. Drainage on clay-heavy lots separates clean builds from soggy decks. Gunite with sun shelves and spas leads new Nashville-area builds; vinyl liner remains the value king statewide, and fiberglass is growing fast for its quick spring installs. Covered outdoor living — fireplaces, kitchens — pairs with pools more here than almost anywhere.
For statewide rankings, city counts and Tennessee prices, see the Tennessee gunite pool builders directory, or check the nearby cities below.
Ask for the shell engineering and the gunite crew's track record, read the structural, finish and equipment warranties separately, and compare at least three itemized bids for the same design. Tennessee requires a state contractor license for larger residential projects — most full pool builds qualify, so verify the license and its monetary limit along with insurance. Local codes govern pool permits and barrier fencing, and Nashville-area HOAs frequently add architectural review.
A mid-size gunite pool with a plaster finish in Knoxville, TN typically runs $71,500–$114,000; small pools run $52,500–$76,000 and large custom designs $114,000–$237,500+. An attached spa adds $14,500–$33,500, a pebble or quartz finish $5,000–$11,500, and decking $7,500–$24,000. Tennessee pricing is close to the national baseline used for these estimates.
Both are concrete sprayed over a steel cage. Gunite is a dry mix with water added at the nozzle; shotcrete is wet-mixed concrete pumped through the hose. Each produces a strong shell when applied by a good crew — the nozzleman's skill, the mix design and proper curing matter more than which method is used. Ask which your builder uses and what thickness is specified.
Plan on eight to sixteen weeks from excavation to swimming: dig and steel in the first week or two, the shell shot and cured for about four weeks, then tile, coping, plumbing, equipment, decking and finally the plaster and fill. Permits add two to eight weeks before the dig. Freezing weather pauses shell and plaster work, so most builds are scheduled for the warm months.
The concrete shell can last 50 years or more. The plaster finish lasts about 10 to 15 years (quartz and pebble 15 to 20 or more), waterline tile and coping 15 to 25 years, and equipment 8 to 15 years. Balanced water, especially calcium hardness and pH, is what protects the finish.
The outdoor season in Knoxville runs May through September — about 5 months unheated, with a heater adding several weeks on each end. Winters are mild enough that many owners idle equipment with a partial close instead of a full winterization. Tennessee swims May through September, with humid 90° summers and high algae pressure. Colder weather sends most pools into a full or partial close by early November, and spring storms add debris cleanup to the opening schedule.
Able Gunite Pools & Spas has the highest customer rating on this Knoxville list at 5 stars across 30 reviews. Earthadelic has the largest review count (208 reviews at 4.6 stars). PoolPad orders the list with a weighted score that combines customer rating and review count, so a long track record counts for more than a handful of scores.
Usually, for the same size: the shell is built on site, the finish is a separate trade, and custom features add up. The gap narrows for large pools and designs with spas and ledges, where fiberglass models are limited. Over 20 years a gunite pool also needs at least one resurfacing, which is part of its true cost.
Tennessee requires a state contractor license for larger residential projects — most full pool builds qualify, so verify the license and its monetary limit along with insurance. Local codes govern pool permits and barrier fencing, and Nashville-area HOAs frequently add architectural review.
Check gunite pool builders in cities near Knoxville, or open the Tennessee directory for every listed market in the state.
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