Maine · Gunite & Concrete Pool Builders · Updated 2026
Compare 2 gunite pool builders serving Portland 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 Portland area. Listings include the available rating, contact details and location; confirm current credentials and scope directly.
Planning a new pool as well? The Portland pool builders directory ranks all 14 builders in the area.
A mid-size gunite pool (about 16×32) with a standard plaster finish in Portland typically runs $86,500–$138,000. Spas, premium finishes, features and decking are where custom pools climb from there:
| Job | Typical Portland price |
|---|---|
| Small gunite pool (about 12×24), plaster finish | $63,000–$92,000 |
| Mid-size gunite pool (about 16×32) | $86,500–$138,000 |
| Large or elaborate custom pool | $138,000–$287,500+ |
| Attached gunite spa with spillover | $17,500–$40,500 |
| Pebble or quartz finish upgrade | $6,000–$14,000 |
| Tanning ledge or beach entry | $3,500–$9,000 |
| Water features, lighting, fire bowls | $2,500–$17,500 |
| Decking and coping | $9,000–$28,500 |
| Rock or hard-dig excavation allowance | $3,500–$17,500 |
| Permits, engineering, soils report | $900–$4,600 |
Maine pricing is above the national baseline used for these estimates, mainly on labor and permitting. 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.
Portland market
4.8 average customer rating · 66 reviews · 2 companies
See All on the Map →2 gunite pool builders serving Portland. The ranked companies average 4.8 stars across 66 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.
Rocky soils and ledge are routine — put excavation language in writing — and rural lots add access logistics. Frost-depth plumbing, freeze-tolerant decks, and covers rated for snow load are simply how pools are built this far north. Vinyl liner leads, fiberglass grows every year for install speed, and heat pumps are near-universal on new builds. Simple, durable designs with automatic covers fit the climate and the character.
For statewide rankings, city counts and Maine prices, see the Maine 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. Maine has no general statewide contractor license, so due diligence is yours: insurance certificates, references, and recent local builds. Pool permits and residential-code barrier requirements (fencing, self-latching gates) run through your town's code enforcement office; shoreland zoning can add review near water.
A mid-size gunite pool with a plaster finish in Portland, ME typically runs $86,500–$138,000; small pools run $63,000–$92,000 and large custom designs $138,000–$287,500+. An attached spa adds $17,500–$40,500, a pebble or quartz finish $6,000–$14,000, and decking $9,000–$28,500. Maine pricing is above the national baseline used for these estimates, mainly on labor and permitting.
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 Portland runs mid-June through early September — about 3 months unheated. A full professional winterization each fall protects plumbing and equipment through the freeze, and spring openings cluster into the same few weeks. The unheated season runs from mid-June to early September, and a heat pump can extend it. Winters are long and freezing statewide, so inground pools need a full close.
SSG Pools (Maine) has the highest customer rating on this Portland list at 5 stars across 8 reviews. Premier Pools & Spas | Lewiston has the largest review count (58 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.
Maine has no general statewide contractor license, so due diligence is yours: insurance certificates, references, and recent local builds. Pool permits and residential-code barrier requirements (fencing, self-latching gates) run through your town's code enforcement office; shoreland zoning can add review near water.
Check gunite pool builders in cities near Portland, or open the Maine directory for every listed market in the state.
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