What Is Gunite? Gunite vs. Concrete vs. Shotcrete Explained

You’ve done your research. You’ve spent time on pool websites, watched a few YouTube videos, maybe even scrolled through a forum or two. And somewhere along the way, you started seeing three words used almost interchangeably: gunite, concrete, and shotcrete.

So which one is it? Are they the same thing? Does it even matter?

It does, especially when you’re making a six-figure investment in a custom pool that’s going to anchor your backyard for the next 30 years. Here’s everything you need to know, broken down without the construction-speak.

What Is Gunite Exactly?

Gunite is a type of concrete. But here’s what sets it apart: instead of being poured into a mold or form, it’s pneumatically sprayed through a hose at high velocity. The process uses a dry mixture of cement and sand that travels through the hose and meets water at the nozzle the moment it’s applied. That combination,  speed, pressure, and immediate bonding, is what gives gunite its exceptional strength.

Before any gunite ever touches your pool, a steel rebar framework is installed. The gunite is then sprayed directly over that framework, wrapping around it and bonding tightly to create a single, unified shell. At Elevate Pools, we apply gunite to a minimum thickness of six inches, achieving a compressive strength of 4,000 PSI. 

The result? A pool shell that’s not just strong, but monolithic. No seams. No joints. No weak points.

Gunite is concrete. The difference is entirely in how it’s applied, and that application method is what makes it the ideal material for building a pool that can take any shape you can imagine.

What Is the Difference Between Gunite and Shotcrete?

Both gunite and shotcrete are forms of sprayed concrete. The process looks nearly identical from the outside. The difference is in the mix:

• Gunite uses a dry mix. The cement and sand travel through the hose as a dry material, and water is added at the nozzle at the moment of application.
• Shotcrete uses a wet mix. The concrete is fully mixed with water before it enters the hose, then sprayed onto the surface.

Both methods produce strong, durable results when applied by experienced technicians. The dry-mix gunite process has historically been the dominant method for custom residential pool construction, and it’s what the Elevate Pools team uses. The high-pressure application allows for precise control and excellent compaction against the rebar framework.

When you hear a pool builder say “gunite pool,” they’re telling you something specific about their process — and it’s a process that’s been delivering high-performance custom pools for decades.

Gunite vs. Concrete Pool: Is There Actually a Difference?

Short answer: a gunite pool is a concrete pool. But the comparison people are really making is gunite vs. traditional poured concrete — and in that matchup, the differences matter.

Poured concrete needs a form to hold its shape while it cures, which means you’re locked into whatever geometry that form can create. Gunite is sprayed over a custom-engineered rebar framework, so there’s no mold, no catalog shape, no constraints on depth or geometry. Want a zero-entry beach edge that gradually drops to eight feet? A step shelf that wraps the entire shallow end? An integrated spa tucked into the corner? That’s gunite.

The other advantage is structural. When gunite is sprayed at high velocity onto rebar, it mechanically bonds to the steel rather than just surrounding it. The result is a composite shell that holds up exceptionally well against ground movement and the freeze-thaw cycles St. Louis winters are known for.

The bottom line: if you want a pool built around your backyard and your vision gunite is the only material that gets you there.

Quick Comparison: Gunite vs. Shotcrete vs. Poured Concrete vs. Fiberglass

What Does the Gunite Pool Build Process Actually Look Like?

One of the most common questions we hear during initial consultations is about the timeline. And we get it — you want to know when you can actually be swimming. The honest answer is that a gunite pool takes longer than a fiberglass pool to build. Here’s what’s happening during that time.

1. Engineered Design Plan. Your pool doesn’t exist yet. Before a single shovel goes in the ground, an engineer creates a stamped design plan specific to your property — your soil conditions, your grade, your exact dimensions. This step alone can take up to a month. It’s also what makes the pool uniquely yours.
2. Permitting. Once the plans are stamped, we submit to the city for permit approval. In most St. Louis area municipalities, this takes two to three weeks. Every detail — equipment specs, engineering documentation, electrical plans — goes into that submittal package.
3. Excavation. The shape gets staked in your yard, and then heavy equipment comes in to dig it out. Your backyard officially becomes a construction site.
4. Steel Rebar Framework. Our team installs horizontal and vertical rebar throughout the pool shell. Up to five feet of depth, bars are placed eight inches on center. Beyond five feet, we tighten that to six inches on center. This is the skeleton your gunite will bond to.
5. Gunite Application. This is the step everything else has been building toward. Our technicians spray the gunite mixture at 4,000 PSI over the rebar framework to a minimum thickness of six inches. The walls and floor of your pool take shape in a single, seamless application.
6. Curing. The gunite needs time to reach full strength. This phase isn’t visible progress — but it’s not optional either.
7. Finishing. Now the pool starts to look like yours. Tile gets selected and installed at the waterline. Interior finishes, plaster, PebbleTec, quartz aggregate, go in. Coping and decking get poured. Equipment is set and plumbed. Electrical and lighting are connected.

From start to finish, plan for one to three months. That timeline is the cost of having a pool that was built from the ground up for you. It’s the difference between a custom-engineered structure and a product that came off a factory floor.

Why Gunite Remains the Gold Standard for Custom Pools

There’s a reason that virtually every high-end custom pool you’ve seen in a magazine or on Instagram was built with gunite.

No other pool material gives you this combination:

• Unlimited design freedom. Any shape. Any depth. Any feature. Built to the exact geometry your engineer specifies.
• Long-term durability. The gunite shell is built to last the life of the home. Interior finishes like PebbleTec or quartz aggregate typically hold up beautifully for 10–15 years before refinishing.
• Real home value. A custom gunite pool adds genuine, measurable value to your property in a way that fiberglass and vinyl simply don’t match.
• Feature integration at scale. Integrated spas, grottos, waterfalls, zero-entry beaches, and custom in-pool seating — all built into the structure itself, not added on as afterthoughts.

If you want a beautiful pool on a faster timeline and a tighter budget, fiberglass is a legitimate, quality option. If you want a pool that’s an exact reflection of how you want to live in your backyard, one that couldn’t exist in anyone else’s yard, gunite is the only answer.

Ready to See What Gunite Can Do for Your Pool?

Now you know the difference. Gunite is concrete, applied with precision and pressure over a custom-engineered rebar framework. Shotcrete is its wet-mix cousin. And poured concrete, while useful in plenty of places, can’t do what gunite does when it comes to building a truly custom pool.

The next step is simple. Let’s talk about your backyard.

At Elevate Pools, every project starts with a conversation — no pressure, no sales pitch. Just an honest discussion about what you’re envisioning and what it takes to build it. Start your quote today.