Beach entry pools: design, cost and upkeep
A beach entry pool slopes into the water like the edge of the sea: no steps, a gentle ramp and a floor that feels like sand underfoot. Here is how one is designed, what drives the cost and how to look after it, with photos of projects finished in our material.
What are pools that look like beaches called?
They go by several names: beach entry pools, zero-entry pools, sand pools or, when they are free-form with planting around them, lagoon pools. They all share two things: a ramp into the water with no steps, and a finish with the feel and colour of sand.
What makes it look like a beach is not loose sand, which would end up in the filter, but the finish: a blend of cement, polymers and quartz aggregate around one centimetre thick, applied and trowelled over the concrete so it bonds with the shell. That is where the sandy feel underfoot comes from, and the colour of the water, which is not a dye but the aggregate itself.
How a beach entry is designed
The beach entry is a gently sloping ramp that starts almost at ground level and runs down to the swimming area, where the pool reaches the depth of any other. It is the part that shapes the whole project, because it takes up length and decides how the water is used:
- Where it goes. Shallow water warms up sooner than the rest, so it usually faces the sunniest side and sits closest to the house or the loungers.
- How wide it is. A wide beach is a place to sit in the water; a narrow one is just a way in. Both work, but they do not take up the same space.
- What shape. Lagoon, organic, round, or a rectangular pool with the beach along one side. The finish adapts to the shape, not the other way round.
- What goes with it. Submerged benches, islands, waterfalls or a children's area in the shallowest part.
Can it be added to an existing pool? It depends on the shape of the shell and the building work involved. It is the first thing we look at when you send us photos. What is almost always possible is replacing the old finish with quartz aggregate and giving a tiled or lined pool the look and feel of a sand pool, without demolishing the shell.
And in a small pool? The ramp needs length, so small pools usually get a shorter beach along one side or a submerged bench. Send us the dimensions and we will tell you what fits.
Why the finish is what makes the beach possible
A curved ramp running into the water is exactly where traditional finishes struggle. Mosaic tile has to be cut piece by piece to follow the curve, and every cut is another joint that can come loose and another edge that can cut a foot. Liners tend to wrinkle on free-form shapes. Quartz aggregate is applied in one continuous layer, so the ramp comes out in one piece:
- No joints. Nothing to regrout and no tiles to fall off, however curved the shape.
- Class 3 slip resistance, the highest rating. The quartz texture grips a wet foot on the ramp and the steps, without special pieces.
- A sandy feel and the water colour the aggregate gives, from the deep turquoise of the Marquis series to the natural stone tones of Freestone.
- Resistant to chlorine, salt and sun, without fading over the years.
| Quartz aggregate | Mosaic tile | Reinforced liner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curved ramp | Continuous, in one piece | Cut pieces and many joints | Wrinkles on free-form shapes |
| Underfoot | Sandy feel, Class 3 slip resistance | Slippery when wet | Smooth |
| Over the years | No regrouting, no replacement | Regrouting every few years, loose tiles | Fades; full replacement after 10–12 years |
| Risk of cuts | No | Edges of broken tiles | Prone to cuts and punctures |
How much does a beach entry pool cost?
Mostly it depends on the building work —excavation, structure and the ramp itself— and on how many square metres need finishing. What we can tell you is where the long-term saving is: in the finish. Quartz aggregate costs less than mosaic tile of comparable quality and has none of the costs that come later: no regrouting every few years and no liner to replace in full.
What drives the price of a beach entry pool:
- The building work. A beach takes up more area than a set of steps, and that shows in excavation and structure. This is handled by the pool builder.
- The area to be finished. Floor, walls and beach count, not the water surface. As a guide, an 8 × 4 m pool with an average depth of 1.5 m is about 70 m², and a beach adds shallow square metres.
- The series and colour. Marquis or Freestone, from 35 catalogue colours.
- The state of the shell, for a renovation: bare concrete is not the same as tile that has to be prepared.
And what costs less than you might think: application takes three days on average and the pool is filled after 48 hours, not weeks. In high season that means weekends of swimming won back. After that, the finish does not call for building work again: no regrouting, no new liner, no repainting every few seasons.
That is why we do not quote a fixed price per square metre: it would change with all of the above. What we do is send you a material and lead time estimate from the dimensions and a few photos, with no obligation, within one working day.
Do you need a permit for a beach entry pool?
Yes. A built-in pool, with or without a beach, needs approval from the local council. The exact procedure depends on the country and the municipality. Above-ground pools with no building work are often exempt. Check with your local authority before you start.
Looking after a beach entry pool
The same as any pool: balanced water, brushing and a pool cleaner. The beach has two quirks. Being shallow, it collects more leaves and warms up sooner, so it is worth brushing more often than the rest of the shell. And it is the area that gets walked on most, which is where a finish with no joints to get dirty and no slippery surface pays off.
We explain it step by step in how to clean a quartz finish pool.
Beach entry projects
We have finished more than three hundred pools with our material: lagoons, organic shapes, round and rectangular pools with a beach. Every photo is from our own projects.
See all projects · About the quartz finish
Tell us about your pool
Send us the dimensions and a few photos and we will reply with a material and lead time estimate within one working day, no strings attached.