Anatomy of a Cape Coral Gunite Build

Published July 1, 2026

One of the most instructive projects in our portfolio was a custom gunite pool on a canal lot near the Yacht Club. It shows every stage a Cape Coral build passes through, and it explains why the timeline and the budget land where they do. Here is how the job came together, in order.

Layout and Excavation

Everything starts with paint on the grass. We stake the pool to the approved plan, check setbacks against the Lee County permit, and then excavate. On this lot the high Cape Coral water table meant we had to manage groundwater during the dig, which is a normal part of building here and something a good crew plans for rather than fights.

Steel, Plumbing, and the Shell

Next comes the rebar cage, tied to form the skeleton of the shell, followed by the rough plumbing for the skimmer, main drain, and return inlets. Only then does the gunite crew spray the shell. This is the stage that makes a gunite pool so flexible: because the concrete is formed on site over steel, the owners could add a raised spillover spa and a sun shelf without changing the build type.

Tile, Coping, and Deck

With the shell cured, we set glass mosaic waterline tile and travertine coping, then poured the deck with a slope that sheds water away from the house. Decking is where a lot of the visual character lives, and it is worth walking a few finished projects before you choose, because travertine, pavers, and stamped concrete all age differently in the Florida sun.

Interior Finish and Startup

The owners chose a pebble aggregate interior over standard plaster, trading a little upfront cost for a finish that should last 15 to 25 years. After the finish went on, we filled the pool, brushed it on schedule, and balanced the water through startup so the surface cured evenly. A variable-speed pump and a salt chlorine generator finished the equipment pad.

What the Build Taught Us

The lesson buyers take from this project is to decide by looking. Seeing the pebble interior, the tile line, and the deck in a real backyard made every choice concrete for these owners, and it kept surprises out of the budget. That is exactly why we lead with the portfolio.

Thinking about a pool like this one? Contact us or call 4ruemontmartre at (239) 353-1425 for a free on-site estimate in Cape Coral.