Cost of Resurfacing a Pool in South Florida: What You'll Pay and Why

The cost of resurfacing a pool in South Florida usually falls between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on your pool's size, the finish you choose, and how much repair work the surface needs first. Maybe the plaster has started to feel like sandpaper, or you've scrubbed the same stains three weekends in a row, and they're still there. Either way, you're probably getting close to this decision. Once you know what drives the price, a quote becomes much easier to make sense of.

How much does it cost to resurface a pool in South Florida?

Most homeowners in Palm Beach and Martin County pay somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000 to resurface a residential pool. Pool resurfacing means removing or prepping the worn interior finish and putting a fresh layer of plaster, quartz, or pebble over the gunite shell underneath.

Yes, that's a big spread. Your neighbor's pool and yours could land at opposite ends of it, since the price comes down to square footage, the finish, and whatever the crew finds once the water's out.

You won't know your number until someone walks through your pool and writes up a quote. You can still get a pretty good feel for where you'll land before then.

What keeps a resurfacing job near the low end

• A small or mid-size pool with a simple shape
• Standard white plaster as the new finish
• A shell in good shape, with no cracks or hollow spots to repair
• Waterline tile and coping, you're happy to keep

What pushes a job toward the high end

• A large pool, a freeform shape, or an attached spa (more surface means more finish)
• A quartz or pebble finish
• Hollow spots or extra chipping in older plaster that need repair before the new surface goes on
• New tile or coping added to the job

Cost of resurfacing a pool by finish type

Other than pool size, nothing moves the price more than the finish you choose. White plaster is the most affordable option, and pebble is the most durable and the most expensive. Quartz sits in the middle.

If you haven't shopped for finishes before, quartz is plaster mixed with crushed quartz, so it's harder and holds up better when your water chemistry drifts. Pebble is made of small, smooth natural stones set in cement.

Your warranty depends on who makes the finish. Florida Stucco plaster comes with a 10-year warranty, and Pebble Tec carries a lifetime limited manufacturer's warranty. Plaster isn't one-size-fits-all, either. If standard white plaster doesn't feel like enough, upgraded plaster options are available.

Planning to stay in the house for the long haul? Pebble or quartz usually earns its price. If you're likely to sell in a few years, plaster will probably do the job.

How often should you resurface a pool in Florida?

Most Florida pools need resurfacing every 8 to 10 years. Where your pool lands depends on the plaster you choose, how much the pool gets used, and how well the water chemistry has been kept up over the years. Florida pools don't get a winter break. People swim in January, the sun beats down year-round, and one August storm can knock your water balance out of whack overnight.

Keeping your water balanced helps a lot. The CDC recommends keeping home pool pH between 7.0 and 7.8, and water that runs low on calcium can slowly eat away at the finish and tile grout. Stay on top of your chemistry through the rainy season, and you'll get more years out of your finish.

Should you patch or resurface?

If the damage is small and in one spot, a patch will usually do. Once the wear is spread across the pool, or the cracks keep coming back after repairs, you're looking at a resurfacing.

Any of these usually means it's time:

• The surface is rough enough to scrape feet or snag swimsuits
• Stains keep coming back after cleaning and chemical treatments
• Cracks run across the floor or walls
• Some spots sound hollow when tapped, a sign of delamination, where the finish has pulled away from the shell
• You can see dark patches where the gunite is showing through

One chip on a step? That's usually a patch job, though the repair rarely matches the surrounding color perfectly. Worn surfaces also tend to show up alongside leaks or tired equipment, so it's worth having a pool and spa repair team look over the whole pool while they're there.

What else should you fix while the pool is drained?

Anything below the waterline, since the pool is already empty. Nobody wants to pay to drain it twice. If you've had other upgrades on your wish list, now's a good time to roll them into a bigger pool renovation.

Check these three things while you have the chance:

1. Waterline tile. Cracked, faded, or loose tile is much easier to replace with the water out.
2. Coping. Loose or chipped coping stones along the edge can be reset or replaced.
3. Drain covers. Anti-entrapment drain covers don't last forever. If yours are past their date, swap them now while the pool is dry.

What happens during a pool resurfacing?

Most residential resurfacing jobs go in five steps:

1. Drain the pool. The water is released so the crew can reach every surface.
2. Prep the surface. Loose or delaminated finish comes off, and cracks get repaired, so the new finish has something solid to bond to.
3. Apply the new finish. The crew spreads the plaster, quartz, or pebble over the floor, walls, steps, and benches.
4. Refill. Filling usually starts soon after the finish.
5. Start up the water. How you handle chemistry in the first few weeks affects how long the finish lasts.

How long all this takes depends on the size of your pool, the finish, and how much repair work turns up. Tile work and summer storms can stretch things out, so ask your contractor for a timeline based on what they actually see in your pool.

Why start-up water chemistry protects your new finish

A new finish is at its most delicate right after the pool fills back up. Soft water pulls calcium out of the cement and shortens the finish's life. Your contractor should test the fill water and handle start-up, so ask how they do it before you sign anything.

Do you need a licensed contractor and a permit to resurface a pool?

Yes, Florida requires that a pool be resurfaced by a licensed contractor. Under Florida Statute 489.105, installing interior finishes is part of a residential pool and spa contractor's licensed work, and interior refinishing is part of a servicing contractor's. The Florida Swimming Pool Association sums it up: you need a license to build or repair pools in this state.

There's a contract angle, too. Under Florida Statute 489.128, an unlicensed contractor can't enforce the contract they signed with you. Checking a license on MyFloridaLicense.com takes about a minute. Fountain Blue Pools is licensed and insured under CPC 1458668.

Permit rules depend on where you live and what the job includes. Pool resurfacing isn't on Palm Beach County's list of work that doesn't need a permit, and the county asks owners to check with its Permit Center about anything that's not listed. Your licensed contractor should take care of that for you.