Pool type
Concrete in-ground
Custom shape, custom finish, fifty-year shell.
Sprayed-concrete (often called gunite or shotcrete) over a steel-reinforced cage, lined with tile, pebble or render. The premium build — fully customisable in shape, depth, edge detail and finish, and a shell that's expected to outlast the house. Slowest to build, costliest, and the only practical option above 10 metres in length or for vanishing-edge designs.
- Cost range (2026 NZD)
- $80k–$180k
- Build time
- 12–22 weeks
- Lifespan
- 50+ years (resurface every 12–18 yrs)
- Length
- 8–15 m
- Depth
- 1.2–2.0 m
- Water volume
- 45–95 m³
Who it's for
Large family pools, lap pools, infinity edges, custom architectural integration.
What's in the quote
- Excavation, steel cage, sprayed shell
- Tile, pebble or rendered interior
- Plumbing, filtration, skimmer
- Coping stones around perimeter
- Council consent & PS3 documentation
- 1.2m fence (CCC-compliant)
Common add-ons (not in base)
- Heat pump or gas heater (add $4–14k)
- Automatic cover (add $9–18k)
- Glass fence upgrade (add $6–15k)
- Landscaping & paving beyond coping
Optional extras
Cost ranges are 2026 NZD, on top of the base build.
Heat pump
$4.5k–$14kYear-round 28–30°C. The single biggest swim-season multiplier.
Automatic cover
$7k–$22kHalves heating cost; quartet of safety + evaporation + leaves + heat retention.
Salt chlorinator
$1.2k–$2.8kSalt-water generation rather than dosing chlorine pucks. Softer feel.
Automation & lighting
$2.5k–$6.5kApp-controlled pump/heat schedules, RGB underwater lighting.
Glass fence upgrade
$6k–$15kFrameless toughened glass instead of black aluminium. Architectural look.
Builders who specialise in concrete in-ground
8 of our 12 listed builders include concrete in-ground in their core offering.
Mainland Concrete Pools
$$$Auckland · Premium
Premium custom concrete builder — vanishing edges, lap pools, architectural integration.
From $130k
Harbour Pools Wellington
$$$Wellington · Premium
Hill-site specialists — heated plunges, indoor pools, wind-shelter design.
From $48k
Canterbury Pool Builders
$$Christchurch · Mid-range
South Island's most-active concrete builder — flat-section value, fast turnaround.
From $72k
Waikato Pools
$$Hamilton · Mid-range
Lifestyle-block specialists — full-size concrete pools at flat-section pricing.
From $78k
Bay Pool Builders
$$$Tauranga · Premium
Coastal-condition specialists — salt-air-resistant fittings, glass-fence detail.
From $65k
Alpine Pool Works
$$$Queenstown · Premium
Alpine-grade builds — heated plunges, freeze-thaw plumbing, off-shore-owned chalets.
From $75k
Art Deco Pools
$$Napier · Mid-range
Heritage-sympathetic pool design — glass fencing, pebble-finish concrete.
From $68k
Southern Shell Pools
$$Dunedin · Mid-range
Heated plunges and indoor pools — the only pool that makes financial sense this far south.
From $45k