South Carolina · Gunite & Concrete Pool Builders · Updated 2026
Any shape, any depth, any feature: 8 gunite pool builders serving North Charleston, ranked by rating and review count, with what a gunite pool costs to build in North Charleston this year.
Ordered by customer rating and review count across the North Charleston area. Listings include the available rating, contact details and location; confirm current credentials and scope directly.
Planning a new pool as well? The North Charleston pool builders directory ranks all 36 builders in the area.
A mid-size gunite pool (about 16×32) with a standard plaster finish in North Charleston typically runs $71,500–$114,000. Spas, premium finishes, features and decking are where custom pools climb from there:
| Job | Typical North Charleston 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 |
South Carolina 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.
North Charleston market
4.8 average customer rating · 1688 reviews · 8 companies
See All on the Map →8 gunite pool builders serving North Charleston. The ranked companies average 4.8 stars across 1,688 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.
Coastal builds sit in sandy soil with high water tables — dewatering, hydrostatic relief, and never fully draining are standard practice, and salt air pushes equipment choices toward corrosion-resistant hardware. Upstate clay behaves like Georgia's: drainage design matters. Charleston and the islands lean elegant — gunite with travertine, spillover spas, and screened outdoor living; Myrtle Beach and the Upstate carry strong vinyl and fiberglass value builds. Saltwater systems are hugely popular statewide.
For statewide rankings, city counts and South Carolina prices, see the South Carolina 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. South Carolina licenses residential builders and specialty contractors at the state level — verify the license and insurance before signing. Pools permit through county or municipal offices with barrier/fence rules from the residential code, and beach-community HOAs and flood zones add review steps your builder should sequence early.
A mid-size gunite pool with a plaster finish in North Charleston, SC 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. South Carolina 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 North Charleston runs late April through early October — about 6 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. The Lowcountry swims from late April into October with subtropical humidity that raises sanitizer demand. The Upstate runs a little shorter and has colder winter nights. Coastal owners also need a hurricane-season equipment and water-care plan.
Premier Pools and Spas of Charleston has the highest customer rating on this North Charleston list at 5 stars across 56 reviews. Blue Haven Pools & Spas has the largest review count (909 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.
South Carolina licenses residential builders and specialty contractors at the state level — verify the license and insurance before signing. Pools permit through county or municipal offices with barrier/fence rules from the residential code, and beach-community HOAs and flood zones add review steps your builder should sequence early.
Check gunite pool builders in cities near North Charleston, or open the South Carolina directory for every listed market in the state.
Claim your free PoolPad listing, check gunite among the pool types you build, and show North Charleston homeowners planning a custom pool what you construct.
