How much does it cost to replaster a pool?
Replastering a pool costs $6,000 to $8,000 with standard plaster, or $7,000 to $10,000 with quartz plaster, per HomeGuide.
That is for a 1,000-square-foot interior at HomeGuide's $6 to $8 per square foot. HomeAdvisor prices plaster at $5,500 per 1,000 square feet and Angi at $5 to $6 per square foot, so the three readings overlap almost entirely — a standard white plaster job lands in the mid-to-high four figures before draining, prep and refilling. What moves it from there is the plaster you choose and the square footage you own.
Sources: HomeGuide, HomeAdvisor, Angi
This page is general information, not professional advice. Prices move with your pool's size, shape, condition and region, and the only number that counts is a written quote from a pool contractor who has drained and inspected yours.
What is the average cost to plaster a pool, by plaster type?
| Finish | Per square foot | Published lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| Standard plaster (marcite) | $6 – $8 | 7 – 12 years |
| Quartz plaster | $7 – $10 | 10 – 15 years |
| Pebble aggregate | $7 – $15 | 15 – 20+ years |
Source: HomeGuide
Read the lifespan column next to the price column and the quartz line explains itself: on HomeGuide's figures it costs about a dollar or two more per square foot and lasts several years longer. Angi's numbers tell the same story from a different angle — plaster at $4 per square foot lasting about 10 years against pebble at $10 per square foot lasting 20 or more. Whether that trade is worth it depends on how long you plan to own the pool.
Is it better to replaster or resurface a pool?
This is a vocabulary question wearing a decision costume. Replastering IS resurfacing — it is the version that uses plaster. Resurfacing is the whole menu: plaster, quartz, aggregate, pebble, tile, polymer or paint. So the real question is not replaster-or-resurface, it is which finish, and the table above is the honest way to answer it.
HomeGuide describes the job the same way for every finish: the old surface is chipped, sandblasted, hydro-blasted or chemically stripped, and the new finish goes on the prepared shell. The prep is the same; only the material on top changes. That is why a contractor can quote plaster, quartz and pebble on one visit.
Source: HomeGuide
What the replaster quote should also include
HomeGuide prices draining and cleaning the pool at $600 to $650 and the refill at $40 to $400 by hose or $400 to $2,000 by truck. HomeAdvisor reads the drain lower, at $175 to $225 plus about $250 for cleaning, and the refill at about $55 per 5,000 gallons. Crack and surface repairs run $200 to $1,200 or more on HomeAdvisor's figures and must happen before the plaster, not after.
Sources: HomeGuide, HomeAdvisor
Plaster is priced by the square foot of interior, not by the gallon. A bidder who quotes off your gallon count has not measured your pool.
To turn your pool's dimensions into a square-footage estimate on these published rates: the pool resurfacing cost calculator.
These are the pool replastering companies AI assistants actually name when homeowners ask. Nobody can pay to be on these lists.
- Most recommended pool resurfacing companies in Tampa, FL
- Most recommended pool resurfacing companies in Orlando, FL
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Questions people ask next
- How much does it cost to replaster a 20x40 pool?
- HomeAdvisor and Angi both publish a by-size table that reads $5,200 for a 20-by-40-foot pool and $3,328 to $3,400 for a 16-by-32. Those are finish figures for a simple shape; HomeGuide's per-square-foot bands, applied to the actual interior surface of a 20x40 pool with walls, land higher. The calculator on this site shows both readings side by side.
- How long does a pool replaster last?
- HomeGuide publishes 7 to 12 years for standard plaster and 10 to 15 for quartz plaster. Angi says properly applied plaster lasts about 10 years. Water chemistry is the variable every source names — HomeGuide says keeping the pH balanced extends the life of any finish.
- Do I need a permit to replaster a pool?
- It depends on your city and county, and the contractor should know the local answer. HomeGuide's remodel guide does not list a permit line for resurfacing the way it does for structural changes, but building departments set their own rules — ask before work starts, and ask who is pulling it.
- Can a pool be replastered more than once?
- Yes — HomeGuide's guidance is to resurface every 7 to 15 years depending on the finish, which over the life of a concrete pool means several rounds. Each round strips the old surface back to the shell before the new finish goes on, so the pool is not accumulating layers.
Written for homeowners by Most Recommended Pool Resurfacing, which measures which pool resurfacing companies AI assistants actually recommend in 12 U.S. metros. Nobody can pay to be on those lists. How we measure.