Anyone researching a garden swimming pool in the UK will run into the same question quickly: concrete or fibreglass? Both have a place, and the honest answer is that the right one depends on what you want from the pool and the garden it sits in.
Fibreglass Pools: Pros and Cons
Fibreglass pools arrive as a pre-formed shell and are craned or lowered into an excavated hole. The main advantage is speed. Installation can be completed in days rather than weeks, and the smooth gel-coat surface resists algae well.
The trade-off is design flexibility. You are choosing from a manufacturer's range of shapes and sizes, not designing a pool around your specific garden. Access is also a real constraint. If a crane cannot reach the plot, a fibreglass shell may not be an option at all.
Concrete Pools: Pros and Cons
A concrete pool is built in place, which means the shape, depth and features are designed specifically for your garden rather than picked from a catalogue. Steps, benches, changes in depth, spa sections and unusual shapes to fit an awkward plot are all achievable.
Concrete pools take longer to build because they involve excavation, blockwork or shuttering, rendering, and full filtration installation done on site. They typically cost more than a fibreglass shell of the same size, but they also tend to last longer and can be resurfaced rather than replaced when the finish eventually needs attention.
Why We Build Concrete
We are landscape construction specialists first. Concrete pools let us integrate the pool properly into the rest of the garden, matching levels, paving and drainage around it rather than dropping a pre-formed shape into a hole and working round it afterwards. For gardens with access constraints, awkward shapes, or where the pool needs to sit alongside other groundworks like retaining walls or patios, concrete gives us the control to get it right.
Cost and Timeline: What to Expect
Fibreglass installations are typically faster, often weeks rather than months, and can be less expensive for a standard shape and size. Concrete builds take longer because of the groundworks, curing time and finishing stages, and the cost reflects the bespoke design and additional labour. Neither is the wrong choice; it depends on your garden, your budget, and how much you want the pool designed specifically around your space.
Getting the Right Advice
If you are weighing up a pool for a Surrey garden, come and talk to us before deciding on a type. Access, ground conditions and what else you want to do with the garden all affect which option actually makes sense for your plot.