Custom inground pools in Dallas, TX
A custom inground pool is a gunite shell sprayed over a steel cage, shaped to your yard, then finished with tile, coping, decking and an interior surface. It’s the standard choice around Dallas.
Pool Builders Dallas Texas is a referral service: an independent local builder does the quote and the work.
Get a quote
Tell us about the project. A local, independent pool builder serving your area follows up.
When it makes sense
Signs this is your project.
- You want a shape, depth or feature a pre-made shell can’t give you: a tanning ledge, a beach entry, an attached spa, a raised wall with a water feature.
- Your lot is sloped, oddly shaped or tight, and the pool has to be designed around it.
- You plan to stay in the house long enough for a long-lived concrete pool to pay off.
What the work involves
How the project runs.
Design and site visit
The builder measures the yard, checks access for equipment, notes easements and setbacks, and draws the pool, deck and equipment pad.
Permit and HOA
Most Dallas-area cities require a building permit for a pool, plus a compliant barrier (fence and self-closing gates). Many HOAs want plans approved first.
Dig, steel and plumbing
Excavation, a steel rebar cage sized for the soil, and the plumbing runs. On expansive clay the steel schedule and soil handling matter more than usual.
Gunite, tile and coping
The shell is sprayed and cured, then waterline tile and coping go on.
Decking, equipment and electrical
Deck, drainage, pump, filter and lighting. Bonding and electrical work is done by a licensed electrician.
Interior finish and startup
Plaster, quartz or pebble finish, then fill and a careful chemical startup, which matters in Texas summer heat.
Cost
What it costs.
| Scope | Published planning range |
|---|---|
| Standard Texas gunite pool, before decking and features | about $71,000 average (PriceAPool Texas 2026 estimates) |
| Typical DFW gunite project | $75,000 to $120,000+ (a DFW builder’s published 2026 cost guide) |
| Higher-end DFW builds | $150,000 to $200,000+ (same DFW guide) |
Planning figures from the linked 2026 sources, not quotes. Size, shape, features, decking area, access, soil and rock, and drainage move the price most.
The Dallas angle
What’s different here.
North Texas clay is the local factor that changes a pool build. It swells after heavy rain and shrinks in drought, which can move decks, crack coping and stress plumbing if the design ignores it. Ask each builder how they size the steel, whether they want a soil report for your lot, where deck expansion joints go, and how they will grade the yard so water drains away from the pool.
FAQ
Custom Inground Pools questions.
Gunite or fiberglass in Dallas?
Both are built here. Gunite is fully custom and is what most DFW builders sell. Fiberglass installs faster from a factory shell but limits shape and size. Published 2026 Texas averages put gunite around $71,000 and fiberglass around $54,000 before decking (PriceAPool Texas 2026 estimates).
Do I need a permit for a pool in Dallas?
Yes. The City of Dallas and the surrounding cities each require a permit and inspections for an inground pool, including the barrier around it. Your builder should pull it. See City of Dallas Development Services for Dallas itself.
Should I call 811 before digging?
Yes. Texas law requires a locate request through Texas811 before excavation. The builder normally places it, but confirm.
What raises the price most?
Pool size and shape, an attached spa, water features, the amount and type of decking, tight access for equipment, rock or difficult soil, and retaining walls on sloped lots.