How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Pool? [2025]

Painting a pool can be a good way to update your pool's look, as long as you choose the right type of paint and know how to apply them. Painting a pool can be a DIY project, but professional painters may do a better job.

The average pool painting cost in Australia is $480 to $650, depending on the type of paint, size of your pool and other factors. Here's what you need to know about painting the interior of a swimming pool and how to calculate your pool painting costs, including:

• Types of swimming pool paints
• How much does pool painting cost?
• How to calculate pool painting costs
• Factors that affect pool painting costs
• Can I paint a swimming pool myself?
• Hiring a professional pool painter

Types of swimming pool paints

The best paint types for your pool will depend on what your pool is made of and the look you want to achieve. Pool painting costs vary depending on the type of paint you choose, which are available in a wide range of colours. The recommended paints for pools include:

• Epoxy pool paints
• Rubber pool paint
• Polyurethane pool paint

Epoxy pool paints

Epoxy paint is the most common type of pool paint, but it's important to choose the right one for your pool. All epoxy can paint over a concrete or fibreglass pool. You will need the right type of epoxy to paint over:

• textured plaster
• tile
• old epoxy (provided it's still intact)

Deluxe epoxy pool paint is designed for concrete and fibreglass pools only. This is a thicker paint that will give a new concrete pool a smooth surface.

Rubber pool paint

Rubber pool paint is highly resistant to chemicals, making it suitable for chlorinated pools as well as freshwater and saltwater pools. It can be applied to old or new concrete, tile and masonry pools, but not fibreglass pools. Once applied, it can last from 2 to 8 years.

Polyurethane pool paint

Polyurethane paints can be applied to most types of pools. They are mainly used on commercial pools, but they're suitable for residential pools too. A polyurethane coating applied after a primer will waterproof the pool for many years as well as protect against acid, alkaline and UV radiation.

How much does pool painting cost?

Pool painting cost varies from around $100 to $1000 or more, depending on how large your pool is, the quality of your pool paint and whether you hire professional painters.

Pool painting costs for a 20 to 25 square metre area may be:

• $270 for two-pack epoxy paint for a fibreglass pool or unpainted cement pool
• $105 for rubber paint for a concrete or tile pool

A primer and two coats of paint will be needed for epoxy paint, or three coats if you're using rubber paint.

How to calculate pool painting costs

Working out how much paint you need can be complicated, so you might want to ask your paint supplier for their help. For example:

A pool that's 6 metres long and 3 metres wide with a 1.8 metre deep end and 1 metre shallow end can have a surface area of 40 square metres. Double this figure, because at least 2 coats of paint will be required. On average, you will need to buy:

• 5 x 3.5 litre epoxy kits (for 2 coats)
• 7 x 4.0 litre buckets of rubber paint (for 3 coats)

Your pool paint supplier can calculate how much you need when you provide them with the width, length and depth of your swimming pool.

Factors that affect pool painting costs

Like any painting job, some pool painting projects cost more than others. These are some factors a professional will take into consideration when they inspect a swimming pool and calculate your pool painting quote:

• Moisture in the subsoil, which may require extra preparation work
• Potholes and difficult to access areas
• Repairs or pool maintenance costs, such as smoothing an area or applying a primer to concrete
• A single colour will cost less than using different colours
• Other areas you want to paint, which may include the pool coping, shower room, spa or sauna room

Not all pool painters will do all of these jobs, so you should check whether pool maintenance or other services are included when you request your quote.

Can I paint a swimming pool myself?

You may be able to paint your swimming pool yourself if you're confident in your ability to do a good job and not leave any gaps. First you need to figure out the square metres of your swimming pool and then you need to order the right type of pool paint. You will also need to:

• Drain the pool and let it dry out
• Clean the surface
• Prepare the surface, including filling cracks and smoothing any rough areas
• Concrete pools must be fully cured before you apply the paint

Preparing the pool surface may be the hardest part of the job and it must be done right to ensure you get a smooth finish. If you've recently had a concrete pool installed and you want to do a DIY painting job, surface preparation won't be too difficult, but make sure the concrete is fully cured before you paint.

The final step is painting the pool. This should be done in dry weather and one coat should be applied to the pool at a time. Plan carefully so you have an exit route, starting at the deep end and work towards the steps at the shallow end. If you also want to paint the pool coping, you may want to do that job first to avoid dripping paint on the pool interior.

Read more: Should you paint your deck?

Hiring a professional pool painter

There's more to painting a swimming pool than meets the eye, so there are lots of good reasons to have a swimming pool professionally painted. A professional will know what type of paint to use, how to apply it and what other tasks such as preparation are needed. The result will be a beautiful pool finish you will be proud of.

Painting a swimming pool can be time consuming and you may not have time to do the job properly yourself, especially if you only can work on weekends. Even just preparing the surface could take more than one weekend if it's your first time. By the time you start painting the pool itself, the pool may need further preparation work if dirt and debris has gathered in the meantime.

A professional pool painter will also get discounts on their paint, which they can pass on to you. Because they paint pools every day, including weekdays, they know how to work quickly and efficiently to complete the job on time and to a high standard.

While hiring a pool painter can be more expensive than doing a DIY job, the best painters use the best quality paint and guarantee their work. You'll pay a little more for quality service, but your pool paint job will look better and last longer than a DIY job or a job done by a discount pool painter who may not use the best quality paints.

When you're getting quotes from pool painters near you, ask them to provide you with references so you can be sure you're getting the best job possible.

*Costs and prices in this article are indicative and should only be used as a guide. They also vary locally and are subject to market forces.