Louisiana · Gunite & Concrete Pool Builders · Updated 2026
29 gunite pool builders across Louisiana — 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. City lists cover 7 Louisiana markets.
The order uses a weighted mix of customer rating and review count; open a city below for the full local list. Confirm current credentials, availability and scope directly.
The Pool Guy is a full-service swimming pool company with 21 years of experience serving Lafayette, Carencro, Youngsville, Broussard, and the surrounding...
Choose a local list for customer ratings, review counts, 2026 prices and the questions to ask. Cities are sorted by listed company count.
A mid-size gunite pool (about 16×32) with a standard plaster finish in Louisiana typically runs $71,500–$114,000. Spas, premium finishes, features and decking are where custom pools climb from there:
| Job | Typical Louisiana 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.
PoolPad tracks 29 gunite pool builders across Louisiana, with city lists for 7 markets. 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.
The largest listed markets are Kenner (7 companies), Lafayette (7 companies), Metairie (7 companies).
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 Louisiana, 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 Louisiana 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.
North Shore Pool has the highest customer rating on this Louisiana list at 5 stars across 63 reviews. Pinnacle Exterior Construction, LLC. has the largest review count (164 reviews at 4.9 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.
If your property is near a state line, check the neighboring directories too.
Claim your free PoolPad listing, check gunite among the pool types you build, and show Louisiana homeowners planning a custom pool what you construct.
