Louisiana · Gunite & Concrete Pool Builders · Updated 2026
Compare 3 gunite pool builders serving Lake Charles for concrete pool construction. Ratings, review counts, contact details and 2026 planning prices for shells, spas and finishes are below.
Ordered by customer rating and review count across the Lake Charles area. Listings include the available rating, contact details and location; confirm current credentials and scope directly.
Planning a new pool as well? The Lake Charles pool builders directory ranks all 10 builders in the area.
A mid-size gunite pool (about 16×32) with a standard plaster finish in Lake Charles typically runs $71,500–$114,000. Spas, premium finishes, features and decking are where custom pools climb from there:
| Job | Typical Lake Charles 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 |
Louisiana 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.
Lake Charles market
4.3 average customer rating · 139 reviews · 3 companies
See All on the Map →3 gunite pool builders serving Lake Charles. The ranked companies average 4.3 stars across 139 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.
South Louisiana's high water table is the engineering headline — dewatered digs, hydrostatic relief valves, and a hard rule against fully draining the shell. Soft, wet soils can call for extra structural conservatism, and drainage design protects decks from standing water. North Louisiana digs friendlier red dirt. Gunite leads with New Orleans-style courtyard builds, spillover spas, and tanning shelves; screened enclosures and generous covered patios answer the rain. Saltwater systems are the local default more often than not.
For statewide rankings, city counts and Louisiana prices, see the Louisiana 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. Louisiana requires state-licensed contractors for larger residential projects — verify the license and insurance up front. Parishes and municipalities run pool permitting and barrier enforcement, flood zones shape equipment elevation on plenty of lots, and post-storm rules about draining and debris are worth asking about before you ever need them.
A mid-size gunite pool with a plaster finish in Lake Charles, LA 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. Louisiana 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. Builders here work year-round; weather delays are mostly rain.
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 prime outdoor season in Lake Charles runs April through October — roughly 7 months of comfortable unheated swimming — and pools stay open and running year-round rather than being winterized. April through October is prime season and many pools never truly close — winter is a light-cadence idle. The price of that season: intense rain (60+ inches a year), constant summer algae pressure, and a hurricane season every pool plan has to respect.
Pro Pools LLC has the highest customer rating on this Lake Charles list at 4.7 stars across 56 reviews. Sabine Pools, Spas & Furniture has the largest review count (65 reviews at 4.5 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.
Louisiana requires state-licensed contractors for larger residential projects — verify the license and insurance up front. Parishes and municipalities run pool permitting and barrier enforcement, flood zones shape equipment elevation on plenty of lots, and post-storm rules about draining and debris are worth asking about before you ever need them.
Check gunite pool builders in cities near Lake Charles, or open the Louisiana directory for every listed market in the state.
Claim your free PoolPad listing, check gunite among the pool types you build, and show Lake Charles homeowners planning a custom pool what you construct.
