Pool Renovation FAQ — Central Coast

There is no set price, because the size of the pool, the finish you pick and the condition of the shell all change the job. Pebblecrete, small pebbles set in cement, is generally the more affordable finish and gives a textured, natural look. Quartzon uses a finer quartz aggregate for a smoother surface that resists staining and holds its colour longer, but costs more upfront. Glass bead sits at the top of the price range and is usually described as the smoothest underfoot. Retiling, new coping and equipment add to the total, so ask for a written quote for your own pool.

A resurface on its own usually takes one to two weeks, counting draining, preparation and curing before the pool is refilled. A full job with retiling, coping and fencing can run three to six weeks, depending on how much is replaced and whether wet weather holds up the concrete work. At the Bureau of Meteorology's Gosford station, open only since 2013, March is the wettest month on average (214.9 mm) and September the driest (63.0 mm). An empty concrete shell can be cracked or pushed upwards by groundwater pressure in the surrounding soil, so ask your renovator how long yours can safely stay drained. Fibreglass pools should not sit fully empty for long.

Resurfacing and retiling generally don't need a development application, because the pool's structure doesn't change. Work around the pool is different. Central Coast Council's Development Control Plan 2022 says a pool or spa pump should be located to limit noise for neighbouring properties, or housed in a soundproofed enclosure. It also says that on a lot connected to water and sewer, any masonry fencing needs an approval under section 305 of the Water Management Act, so services are not affected. If the job moves the pump, changes the pool's footprint or replaces a fence with brick or block, check with Council before work starts.

It can, once the work adds something over or near the main. On the Central Coast, Council itself owns the water and sewer mains. Central Coast Council's water and sewer development rules say you cannot build over or near an asbestos-cement or vitrified-clay sewer main without extra protection: the main must be replaced or relined, and protection such as piers and beams provided. Large sewer mains cannot be built over at all. Before anything is built over Council's assets, its Water Assessment team must approve the structural details. A resurface inside the existing shell adds nothing new, but a deck, a wider surround or a longer pool can.

It may be. Subsidence Advisory NSW district maps put parts of the Central Coast Council area inside declared Mine Subsidence Districts. The Wyong and Hue Hue maps label Jilliby, Dooralong, Wyong Creek, Kiar, Durren Durren and Alison, and the map covering the northern lakes labels Budgewoi, Lake Munmorah, Doyalson, Gorokan and Charmhaven. Building or extending a structure on a property inside a district needs Subsidence Advisory NSW approval first. Its Surface Development Guideline 6, for district properties likely to be undermined in future, allows concrete in-ground pools up to 12 m long and does not allow wet-edge designs. Check your own lot before planning a longer pool or a wet (infinity) edge.

Under the NSW Swimming Pools Act 1992, a property with a pool generally needs a valid certificate of compliance before it is leased under a residential tenancy. When selling, you can attach a certificate of compliance or a certificate of non-compliance to the contract. With a non-compliance certificate, the buyer has 90 days after settlement to fix the listed defects. Having the pool barrier inspected early leaves time for repairs before you list or sign a lease.