Building gunite pools in Oklahoma clay
Shell thickness on every gunite build
Pool & Hot Tub Alliance member
Typical custom gunite build window
5 Star Rated on Google
Comparing bids
Three bids will say the same thing
A gunite pool is concrete sprayed over a steel grid and shaped on site. Silverado Rock builds gunite pools across Tulsa with an eight inch shell and a Jandy equipment package. A gunite plunge pool starts at $55,000. A full size custom gunite pool starts at $100,000. Jason designs the pool and runs the build.
Every gunite builder in Tulsa sprays concrete over steel. The material is not the variable. Who holds the nozzle is, and so is whether the owner is standing there when they do.
Here is what that looks like in the dirt. Gunite is sprayed straight onto shaped earth, so nothing gets packed in behind the walls and nothing beside your shell can settle. Liner and fiberglass shells need chip stone packed around them. Some builders skip the stone and shove the dug dirt back in the hole. Give that a few wet Oklahoma seasons and it drops, and your deck drops with it. You will never see which one you bought.
The shotcrete association publishes what a sound shell takes. Jason builds to it, with the same crew every time.
Eight inch shell
Eight inches of concrete over a steel rebar grid, shot in one pass with no cold joints.
Nobody vanishes
The most common complaint in this trade is the builder going quiet after the deposit. You get an update at the end of every phase.
One gunite crew
The same nozzle crew shoots every shell we build. Same hands, same result, every yard.
Jandy on every build
A minimum of $12,000 of Jandy equipment on every pool. No good, better, best tiers to upsell you.
A real cure week
The shell gets soaked three to five times a day for seven days, then daily until plaster.
Poured skimmer lids
Lids get filled with stamped concrete, so your deck reads as one surface and nothing blows away.
Gunite plunge pools from $55,000. Custom gunite from $100,000.
Price My YardThe only pool you don't put chip stone around is the concrete pool, because the concrete is sprayed right on the earth. You shape the dirt to make what you want, and then you've got eight inches of concrete on top of it.
Jason, owner, Silverado Rock
Gunite starting prices in Tulsa
Three starting points, one shell spec, one equipment standard. What changes is size, depth, and how much backyard you want around the water.
Gunite Plunge Pool
Custom gunite, compact footprint
- ✓Eight inch shell over steel
- ✓Jandy equipment package
- ✓Stamped concrete deck
- ✓Bench or tanning ledge
Best for small Tulsa lots and homeowners who want custom concrete without a full size pool.
Starting at$55,000About $460 a month
Custom Gunite Pool
Full size, designed for your yard
- ✓Any shape, depth, or entry
- ✓Hand stacked rock waterfall
- ✓Variable speed pump programming
- ✓Automation and LED lighting
Best for families who want one pool that lasts as long as the house.
Starting at$100,000About $836 a month
Gunite and Outdoor Living
Pool plus the backyard around it
- ✓Outdoor kitchen or bar
- ✓Fire feature and shade structure
- ✓Grotto, boulders, and stone steps
- ✓Full decking and retaining walls
Best for larger lots and sloped yards where the pool is one part of a whole outdoor room.
Starting atQuoted per yardScope drives the number
Your starting price moves with size, depth, features, and site conditions. Once Jason quotes your yard, that quoted price holds. Buried rock is the one exception, and you hear about it the day the excavator finds it.
Read this before you sign
Four reasons gunite might be the wrong call
Gunite is the best pool we build. It is not the best pool for every buyer. Here is where it loses, told straight, so you can rule it out on your own terms instead of finding out in month four.
Talk It Through With JasonComparing numbers? Start with inground pool cost.
- 1
It costs more up front
Vinyl liner and fiberglass both start lower. If the budget is the hard limit, gunite may not clear it.
- 2
It takes longer
Three to six months on a custom build. A fully inground vinyl liner pool can be done in about 26 days.
- 3
Plaster is a wear surface
A quality interior finish lasts fifteen to twenty years. After that it is a resurfacing job, not a repair.
- 4
It asks more of you
Plaster is porous and pushes pH up. A gunite pool wants more acid and more attention than a fiberglass shell. A variable speed pump helps, and ENERGY STAR pumps cut the running cost.
How your gunite pool gets built
Jason runs every phase. You get the same phone number from design through start up, and an update at the end of each stage instead of silence after the deposit.
Phase one
Design and permit
Jason walks the yard, measures, and builds the pool in 3D so you see it before it exists. Then we pull the permits and schedule the first inspection. Permits run one week to about four weeks by city.
Phase two
Dig, steel, and shell
Excavation, then the steel grid, then plumbing and electrical rough in. LBL Gunite of Tulsa shoots the shell in one pass. The cure week starts that afternoon and the shell stays wet until plaster.
Phase three
Deck, rock, and plaster
Burn All Concrete pours the deck. Hector stacks the rock by hand. Premier Pool Products finishes the plaster. Jandy equipment goes in last, and Jason programs the pump before you swim.
What Tulsa ground does to a pool
Clay, wind, and freeze cycles decide where the shell goes, where the skimmer goes, and what happens the first cold January after you fill it.
Clay soil and movement
Why the shell spec matters here
Tulsa clay swells when it is wet and shrinks when it is dry. That movement is what cracks thin shells and pulls decks away from coping. An eight inch shell over a full steel grid rides it out.
Water table and drainage
The Arkansas River basin problem
Lots near the river hold water. Groundwater can lift an empty concrete shell right out of the ground. Drainage gets designed before the dig, and you never drain the pool without calling first.
Wind, freeze, and permits
Small calls with long consequences
Skimmers go on the northwest side, because Oklahoma wind pushes debris that way. Tulsa sees hard freezes most winters, so pipes get buried below the frost line. Tulsa permits come before any dirt moves.
Serving
Real Tulsa Homeowners
What Tulsa Homeowners Who’ve Worked with Jason Had To Say
Most gunite buyers were told a custom concrete pool takes a year and cracks in five. They were wrong. Read all Google reviews →
“Jason with Silverado Rock Outdoor Living is absolutely the best! He makes sure everything is done right and is in control of the job from start to finish. He makes sure you as a home owner understand everything and every step. We are so happy and grateful that we found him to do our back yard oasis. Thank you Jason for everything!”
PHIL TRIPP · Tulsa
“Jason and his crew were a pleasure to work with! The design was beautiful and well thought out. Construction went smoothly. Any issues were resolved promptly and communication from start to finish was smooth. We are very pleased with the end result!”
KEITH MARTIN · Tulsa
“The overall knowledge and experience Jason has of pools far exceeds anyone else I have talked to in the pool business. He came out and went through the whole process with me. The crews paid a lot of attention to all small details. I'm extremely happy with my pool as well as my design and overall layout.”
DAN R. DUCKWALL · Tulsa
From the owner
I only build one grade of gunite pool
There's no good, better, best list here. I don't have a cheap shell and an expensive shell. I've got one shell, eight inches thick, shot by the best gunite crew in Tulsa, and I put at least twelve grand of Jandy on top of it before anybody swims.
The reason I can do that is the guys I use. It took me years to get LBL to take my work. Same with Premier on plaster and Burn All on concrete. When you've got the top subs in town, you're checking work that's already right.
And I'll tell you what I tell every customer at their kitchen table. If the number scares you, say so. I'd rather build you a plunge pool you love than a hundred thousand dollar pool you resent.
Jason, owner, Silverado Rock
The quote you sign
Once I walk your yard and put a number on paper, that number holds. The one thing that can move it is buried rock, and you'll hear about it the day we find it.
Gunite swimming pool questions, answered straight
The questions Tulsa homeowners ask before they sign anything.
How much does a gunite pool cost in Tulsa?
How long does a gunite pool take to build in Tulsa?
What is the difference between gunite and shotcrete?
How thick is a Silverado Rock gunite shell?
Who does the work?
Do I need a permit to build a pool in Tulsa?
How long does gunite cure before plaster goes on?
Can I drain my gunite pool in Tulsa?
Free Site Visit
What Will a Gunite Pool Cost in Your Yard?
Jason walks your yard, measures the space, and writes down a real number for your lot — before you commit to anything.
“If your yard is not right for gunite, I would rather tell you that on the site visit than take your deposit and figure it out later.”
What you get, at no cost
Jason walks every yard himself, so site visits book up fast this time of year. Get on the schedule now to break ground before the first freeze — wait, and you're in line behind the spring rush.
Jason reads every one himself.
What Happens Next
Simple. Honest. No Pressure.
No call centers. No sales scripts. You deal directly with Jason from the first conversation.
Jason Calls You
Jason gets to know your project, answers your questions upfront, and finds a convenient time to stop by.
Jason Prepares for the Visit
Before coming out, he looks up your property, reviews any details or photos you provided, and gets familiar with the area.
Jason Visits Your Yard
Jason measures the available space, evaluates the property, and gives you honest numbers based on what your project will actually require.
No commitment. No pressure. Just a straightforward conversation with the owner.