Natural Pool Conversion - What it costs to build
6.7m × 3.3m swim zone 17.8m² regeneration zone 48,000 litres Existing concrete or gunite shell
Swipe the table sideways to compare all three routes →
| Pure DIY Materials only. You build it. | DIY managed You buy materials and hire the labour. | Full contractor Turnkey. Someone else builds it. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | |||
| Per m² of water | |||
| You save |
* Bricklaying is one of the few trades a homeowner can realistically buy direct, which is why the managed column saves real money on this line.
‡ Assumes an existing concrete, gunite or cement pool that is structurally sound and holding water, with a shell solid enough to anchor a dividing wall into, on an accessible suburban site within reach of a major centre. A pool with structural cracks, active leaks or a failing shell needs repair before any of this applies, and that is priced separately. Costs outside South Africa are modelled from published construction cost and labour data and cross-checked against real natural pool quotes. They are a planning guide, not a quotation. Every figure includes local VAT, GST or sales tax, since a homeowner cannot reclaim it.
What can push these figures up
| Shell repair, crack stitching or re-anchoring | +5% to +30% |
| Old plaster needing full removal before relining | +5% to +15% |
| Restricted access, everything barrowed in by hand | +5% to +25% |
| Re-plumbing beyond the components allowed for | +5% to +20% |
| Deeper pool than 1.6m, or an irregular shape | +5% to +20% |
| Remote region, away from a major centre | +5% to +20% |
These stack. A tired shell in a hard-to-reach garden can land 50% or more above the figures shown.
What is not included
Permits and planning applications · structural engineering and design fees · safety fencing and certification, which is a legal requirement in Australia, New Zealand and much of the USA · heating · covers · lighting · decking and coping · surrounding landscaping · electrical or water supply upgrades to the property · the plan set itself.
