Why concrete wins in the desert
Tucson soil expands when the monsoon hits and shrinks through a dry spring. A steel-reinforced shotcrete shell, engineered for that movement, is the pool that is still square in twenty years. It is also the only shell that lets you have a real Baja shelf, a raised spa with a spillway, a beach entry or a swim-up bar.
How the shell goes in
- Layout and excavation. We stake the shape from the 3D design and dig. Caliche is common in the Foothills and on the east side, and we price rock excavation up front.
- Plumbing rough-in. Suction, return, skimmer and feature lines, pressure-tested before anything is covered.
- Steel. Rebar tied to the engineer's schedule, inspected before shooting.
- Shotcrete. Applied pneumatically to a dense shell, then water-cured through our dry air for a full week.
- Tile, coping and decking. Waterline tile, coping, then the deck poured or set around it.
- Interior finish and fill. Pebble or quartz finish, then the fill and start-up chemistry that sets the finish for good.
Finishes that survive Tucson water
Our municipal water is hard. Plain white plaster shows calcium scale in a couple of seasons. We steer most clients to a pebble finish (PebbleTec, PebbleSheen or a comparable aggregate) or a polished quartz. Both are in the quote as their own line so you can see the difference.
How it works
- Estimate. We walk the yard, check access, grade and setbacks, and talk through what you want. Free, and usually under an hour.
- 3D design. You see the pool, deck, spa and features together in 3D before anything is dug. Shape, finish, lighting, all of it.
- Fixed quote. A line-item quote. Excavation, shell, plumbing, equipment, finish, coping, deck and barrier each priced on their own line.
- Build. A licensed Arizona pool builder takes it from here, pulls the permit with the City or County, and builds to the approved design.
- Walkthrough. Once it passes final inspection you walk the finished pool with your builder, get the warranties, and learn how to run the equipment.
Also worth a look
- Pool Construction – New in-ground pools designed in 3D, permitted through Pima County or the City, and built to a fixed line-item price.
- Pool Remodeling & Resurfacing – Pebble resurfacing, new waterline tile and coping, equipment upgrades, and full makeovers of tired 1990s pools.
- Pool Decks, Travertine & Cool Deck – Travertine, pavers and cool-touch acrylic decks that drain right, stay walkable in July, and do not crack in the monsoon.