Gunite and vinyl liner pools

Gunite: built to your yard

Steel rebar is tied in the hole, plumbing is roughed in, and concrete is shot over the cage. Because the shape is formed on site, it handles curved lots, tanning ledges, benches and a spa that spills over into the pool. The larger custom firms in the county reports all work this way.

The order of work

1. Design, contract, survey and permit
2. Excavation, with pumping if water shows up
3. Steel, plumbing, then the gunite shell
4. Tile, coping, electrical and equipment pad
5. Deck and, if wanted, the screen cage
6. Interior finish, fill and start-up

Vinyl liner: lowest first cost

Liner pools use panel walls and a vinyl membrane, so they cost less up front. Gilbertson Pools, a long-running Panama City firm, focuses on liner pools; its two 2025 county permits were valued near $48,000–51,000 (Jan, Aug). Budget a new liner every several years.

Finishes

On gunite, white plaster is the budget choice; quartz and pebble cost more and outlast it. Under strong Gulf sun, lighter finishes stay cooler underfoot on steps and ledges. Expect to resurface roughly every 10–15 years (estimate).

Groundwater still matters

A heavy concrete shell resists lifting better than fiberglass, but an empty one can still crack or move. Ask for a hydrostatic relief valve in the main drain; the trade calls it cheap insurance, though "not a cure-all" (Aqua Magazine).