When you are ready to build a pool that fits your property and your life, rather than a prefabricated shape someone else decided on, gunite is where that conversation starts. It is the construction method that gives designers and homeowners genuine freedom: far fewer constraints than prefabricated options, with the ability to accommodate virtually any shape, depth, or configuration your yard requires.
Watershed Pools has been designing and building custom gunite pools for Marietta and Cobb County homeowners for over 30 years. Our work starts with your specific property and what you want the finished space to feel like, then builds outward from there. The result is a pool that looks like it belongs, because it was designed to.
Custom Gunite Pools Designed for Marietta Homes
Marietta backyards are not uniform, and neither are our designs. Homes in East Cobb often sit on wooded lots with significant grade changes and mature trees that need to be incorporated rather than removed. Neighborhoods closer to downtown tend toward tighter setbacks and more formal architecture. Further out, larger parcels open up the design brief considerably.
A gunite pool designed for a Marietta home needs to account for the specific character of that property: the slope, the sightlines from inside the house, how afternoon light moves through the yard, and how the pool connects to the outdoor living spaces you already have or plan to build. We bring that site-specific thinking to every project. We do not start with a shape and ask you to pick one. We start with your yard and your vision, and the design follows. You can see how that thinking translates into finished work in our portfolio.
Our Gunite Pool Design & Construction Process
Building a custom gunite pool involves a sequence of decisions, approvals, and construction phases that must be carefully coordinated. Here is how Watershed structures that process.
Step 1: Personal Consultation
Every project begins with a conversation at your property. We walk the space with you and listen before we talk about design. We want to understand how you use your backyard now, what is not working, what you are imagining, and what your timeline and budget look like. A real exchange of information, not a sales presentation. Schedule your consultation here.
Step 2: Permits and Scheduling
Once you decide to move forward, we handle all structural, electrical, and gas coordination, as well as the permitting required for your Cobb County project. Pool construction in Georgia involves multiple inspection phases, and getting those sequenced correctly keeps the project moving. We manage that entire process on your behalf.
Step 3: Design Concepts
With your site information in hand, we develop pool design concepts tailored to your property. You will see how the pool shape relates to the house, where a spa or sun shelf might sit, how water features could integrate, and how the surrounding hardscape ties it together. We refine until the design feels right before anything goes in the ground.
Features We Can Incorporate into Your Gunite Pool
Integrated Spas & Water Features
A flush overflow spa that spills into the main pool. A sheer descent waterfall along a natural stone wall. Deck jets that arc across the surface in the evening. Water features add sound and movement in ways that change how the entire space feels. When a spa is integrated into the pool structure rather than added separately, it reads as part of a composed design rather than an afterthought.
Tanning Ledges & Baja Shelves
A tanning ledge is a shallow in-pool platform where a lounger sits in a few inches of water. For families with young children, it doubles as a visible wading area. For adults, it is the feature that gives a backyard a genuinely resort-caliber feel. We position these relative to the pool’s orientation and the direction of sunlight, because a sun shelf in permanent shade is a missed opportunity.
Custom Lighting & Finishes
The finish is what you see and touch every time you use the pool. Watershed works with PebbleTec and other premium interior finishes selected for both durability and their appearance underwater. LED lighting systems offer color and programming options that transform the space after dark, extending usable hours well into the evening.
Experienced Gunite Pool Builders in Marietta, GA
Watershed Pools was founded by Robert Davis, who has been designing and building pools in the Atlanta area for over 30 years. Robert holds a Certified Pool and Spa Building Professional designation, one of only five builders in Georgia to earn it in 2007. Watershed is also a member of the United Aqua Group, an invitation-only association for independent pool builders that holds its members to a high standard of quality and craft.
The company has received multiple PHTA Awards of Excellence, including Best in Show recognition from the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance. These are peer-reviewed awards rather than self-assigned designations, and they reflect a consistent record of completed projects that withstand external evaluation. You can learn more about Robert and the Watershed team on our about page.
Why Choose Watershed Pools for Your Gunite Pool Project
We take on a limited number of projects each year. That is a reflection of how we believe custom pool construction should work: each project gets real attention from an experienced team that knows this market, knows Cobb County’s permitting process, and has built pools on properties very similar to yours.
We also think about outdoor living as a whole environment. If your vision includes an outdoor kitchen, a cabana, fire features, or a full backyard transformation, we design and build it all as a cohesive space rather than leaving you to coordinate separate contractors working independently.
Start Your Custom Gunite Pool Project in Marietta
If you are seriously considering a gunite pool in Marietta, the next right step is a conversation. No obligation, no template proposal with your name dropped in. Just a direct discussion about your property, your vision, and whether Watershed is the right fit for your project.
Find your Watershed moment. Reach out to schedule your personal consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does a Gunite Pool Cost in Marietta?
Custom gunite pool projects in Marietta typically start in the $80,000 to $100,000 range and increase based on size, features, site conditions, and any outdoor living additions. During your consultation, Watershed provides a detailed scope and budget framework specific to your project so you have a clear picture before any commitments are made.
How Long Does It Take to Build a Custom Gunite Pool?
From the start of construction to completion, most custom gunite pool projects take between 10 and 20 weeks. Design, permitting, and pre-construction coordination happen before that timeline begins. Watershed manages the full schedule and keeps you informed at each phase.
What Factors Affect the Cost and Timeline of a Gunite Pool in Marietta, GA?
Pool size, shape complexity, water features, finish materials, and site conditions like slope or limited access all affect both cost and timeline. Outdoor living additions are scoped alongside the pool, so the full project budget is transparent from the start.
Can a Gunite Pool Be Built in a Sloped or Complex Backyard?
Yes. Gunite is formed on-site, allowing structural solutions that accommodate grade changes and irregular lots where prefabricated options would not work. Many Marietta properties, particularly in East Cobb, feature significant slopes, and Watershed has extensive experience designing pools that work with such topography.
Why Choose a Gunite Pool Over Other Pool Types?
Gunite offers design freedom, structural durability, and long-term value that other pool types do not match at the same level. Unlike fiberglass shells, which come in set shapes and sizes, gunite pools are built to any specification and, with proper care, last for several decades. For homeowners making a permanent investment in their property, gunite is typically the right choice.