Swimming Pool Renovation vs Remodeling: What’s The Difference Anyway?

If you’re a local pool owner here in Wylie, Plano, Allen, McKinney or the surrounding areas in the Dallas Metroplex, you likely understand how important your inground pool is to the value of your property and to your family’s annual summertime memories.

So when your swimming pool starts wearing out, shows signs of aging or certain features or lighting quit working, understanding what kind of project or contractor you’ll need to get your pool back into working shape is crucial to maintaining (or even improving) that value.

Two of the larger projects most inground pool owners opt for are either a renovation project or a full swimming pool remodel. 

Because of how close those two terms look and even sound, it can be confusing for homeowners that may not have deep swimming pool knowledge or experience to understand the difference.

For those of you that don’t have that knowledge or experience, not knowing the difference between a renovation and a remodel could be a costly mistake – one filled with long-term regrets in your backyard.

While most local pool contractors will likely help you out and explain the differences, there could be some out there that may not explain it in full, like they should. 

There are also some online resources that can be hard to find or are incomplete, causing even more confusion.

To help you out and get you out ahead on your summer pool project plans, here are some of the key feature differences between a swimming pool project and renovation project. 

1. What Is A Swimming Pool Renovation Project? 

The word renovate means:

“to restore to a former, better state”

So with a swimming pool renovation, we’re going to restore your swimming pool to its former glory.

The goal is to have it look as good (or better) as when it was first built on your property.

Common areas that can be restored are your pool’s interior through a replastering or resurfacing project, your pool’s coping ( the smooth, rounded area around the edge of your pool ), your pool’s tile and even your pool deck – the area that surrounds your pool.

The goal with the renovation isn’t to drastically change the architecture or shape of your swimming pool – simply to bring it back to life from a worn down state. 

That said, there are many cosmetic items within a renovation that can change the look of your pool – at least on the surface.

Changing the color & style of the plaster and tile are great ways to update the pool color and overall aesthetic value of your pool.

Going from an aqua green interior to a darker blue interior, for example, can change how your pool water looks – something with an endless amount of options to match other areas of your pool or property. 

2. What Is A Swimming Pool Remodeling Project?

As we did with the word renovate, let’s take a look at the word remodel:

“to alter the structure of or to undergo structural reorganization or alteration”

So with a swimming pool remodeling project, the goal is that this project will drastically change the shape and architecture of your swimming pool.

This could mean going from a basic rectangular shaped pool to an oval or figure-eight shaped pool – or any shape you and your pool designer settle on. 

This could also mean adding in some extra architectural elements, hot tubs, water features, tanning ledge, lighting and even a diving board if your pool is deep enough. 

The remodels can be designed in such a way that it matches any work done to your home.

For example, let’s say your house was painted or remodeled itself — to the point where your home’s original swimming pool no longer matches the look and feel of your home.

A remodel could be even a great choice if you’re unsatisfied with how large your pool is or how close it is to your home — the possibilities are endless, really.

Going through a remodeling project with your pool contractor, you can design your dream pool from scratch, rather than the one you inherited when you bought your home.

3. Renovation vs Remodeling: Cost & Planning Differences

Renovation and remodeling projects can also affect cost and planning. 

Renovation projects are often the smaller of the two types of projects, meaning they generally can be less expensive and require less planning than a typical remodeling project.

This, of course, isn’t always the case, depending on the scope of the renovation project and how much work will need to be done to get the pool back into working order.

The scope of a remodel being much larger and often involving longer-term planning and coordination between different types of contractors to get the project done means that it’s likely to require a larger investment. 

With that larger investment, however, it means that you can get the exact luxury pool you’ve always dreamed of having in your backyard.

Remodeling and renovation projects should be thoroughly explained by any proper, honest local pool contractor before allowing the work to move forward.

However, if you’re unsure about the work your pool company has planned to perform on your property, I hope this guide will help you understand the differences between a renovation and remodel project.