Pool decks
Pool deck ideas: six materials compared by heat, grip, upkeep and price
The common pool deck materials are travertine, concrete pavers, stamped concrete, a cool-deck coating, porcelain tile and composite boards. In one Texas builder's figures travertine stays coolest and stamped concrete gets hottest. Our two price sources disagree on which deck costs least, so ask for each line in writing. Here is each one, with designs that use it.
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Compare the deck on four things: heat, wet grip, upkeep and installed price
A deck is where people stand barefoot and wet, so heat and grip decide more than the look. Upkeep and price decide what the deck costs over ten years.
The table puts the six materials the visualizer offers side by side. Where no guide we use prints a price per square foot, the cell says so and the deck is left unpriced, as in our cost model.
Travertine pavers
- Price, per sq ft
- HomeAdvisor $15 to $27 a sq ft installed. Texas builder $20 to $45 a sq ft installed.
- Surface in July sun
- Ivory stone about 105 to 115 F, much cooler than concrete
- Wet traction
- Naturally slip-resistant: a porous, textured surface
- Upkeep
- Seal every 2 to 3 years. Highly acidic pool water can etch it.
Concrete pavers
- Price, per sq ft
- HomeAdvisor $3 to $7 a sq ft, not labelled installed. Texas builder $15 to $30 a sq ft installed.
- Surface in July sun
- Medium color about 120 to 135 F
- Wet traction
- Good to excellent wet traction, by texture
- Upkeep
- No sealing. Sand in the joints can wash out and needs topping up. A broken paver is replaced on its own.
Stamped concrete
- Price, per sq ft
- HomeAdvisor $12 to $20 a sq ft installed. Texas builder $12 to $25 a sq ft installed.
- Surface in July sun
- Dark sealed concrete about 150 to 160 F or more, the hottest common deck
- Wet traction
- Sealed stamped concrete is notably more slippery when wet than brushed concrete
- Upkeep
- Reseal every 2 to 3 years. Color fading is common within 3 to 5 years.
Light cool-deck coating
- Price, per sq ft
- Texas builder $6 to $12 a sq ft, for the coating only, over existing concrete
- Surface in July sun
- About 110 to 120 F, up to 30 percent cooler than bare concrete
- Wet traction
- Varies by product
- Upkeep
- Recoat every 5 to 7 years. The coating lasts 5 to 10 years, and peeling and chipping are common.
Porcelain tile
- Price, per sq ft
- No installed price in the guides we use
- Surface in July sun
- No figure in the sources we use
- Wet traction
- No figure in the sources we use
- Upkeep
- No figure in the sources we use
Wood-look composite
- Price, per sq ft
- HomeAdvisor $40 to $80 a sq ft installed
- Surface in July sun
- No figure in the sources we use
- Wet traction
- No figure in the sources we use
- Upkeep
- No figure in the sources we use
| Deck | Price, per sq ft | Surface in July sun | Wet traction | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travertine pavers | HomeAdvisor $15 to $27 a sq ft installed. Texas builder $20 to $45 a sq ft installed. | Ivory stone about 105 to 115 F, much cooler than concrete | Naturally slip-resistant: a porous, textured surface | Seal every 2 to 3 years. Highly acidic pool water can etch it. |
| Concrete pavers | HomeAdvisor $3 to $7 a sq ft, not labelled installed. Texas builder $15 to $30 a sq ft installed. | Medium color about 120 to 135 F | Good to excellent wet traction, by texture | No sealing. Sand in the joints can wash out and needs topping up. A broken paver is replaced on its own. |
| Stamped concrete | HomeAdvisor $12 to $20 a sq ft installed. Texas builder $12 to $25 a sq ft installed. | Dark sealed concrete about 150 to 160 F or more, the hottest common deck | Sealed stamped concrete is notably more slippery when wet than brushed concrete | Reseal every 2 to 3 years. Color fading is common within 3 to 5 years. |
| Light cool-deck coating | Texas builder $6 to $12 a sq ft, for the coating only, over existing concrete | About 110 to 120 F, up to 30 percent cooler than bare concrete | Varies by product | Recoat every 5 to 7 years. The coating lasts 5 to 10 years, and peeling and chipping are common. |
| Porcelain tile | No installed price in the guides we use | No figure in the sources we use | No figure in the sources we use | No figure in the sources we use |
| Wood-look composite | HomeAdvisor $40 to $80 a sq ft installed | No figure in the sources we use | No figure in the sources we use | No figure in the sources we use |
Prices are planning ranges from HomeAdvisor (travertine from its travertine page) and from one Texas builder, not quotes. The two disagree, most of all on concrete pavers, so ask each builder for every line in writing. Heat, traction and upkeep for travertine, concrete pavers, stamped concrete and cool-deck are that Texas builder's figures for Dallas-Fort Worth sun, not measurements of ours: color and finish change them. Where a cell says no figure, none of the sources we use gives one.
Color and finish change the heat as much as the material
A Texas builder gives a light gray broom-finish concrete deck about 130 to 140 F in direct sun, against 105 to 115 F for ivory travertine. A landscape guide from the Associated Press advises avoiding dark paving around a pool because it bounces heat onto nearby plants.
So when you compare samples, put them in the sun and choose the lightest color you like, then ask your builder for a surface-temperature figure from a deck they have built in your climate.
Coping is its own line, so ask for the deck and the coping priced apart
Coping is the edge along the water. Pool Research prices it per linear foot, by material, from $6 to $55 a foot, separate from the deck. These are planning ranges, not quotes. A quote that says only "deck and coping" hides which one you are paying for.
The lines a quote should carry are on the inground pool cost page. A planning range from published sources, not a quote.
See each deck on a pool: designs from the library
Each pair below uses the deck named, in a real yard type. Open a design for its size, materials list and planning range.
Travertine pavers
Concrete pavers
Stamped concrete
Light cool-deck concrete
Porcelain tile
Wood-look composite
Every picture is an AI concept image of a design idea, not a built pool. Each is drawn from one angle, so open the design to turn its 3D model and see the whole outline.
Questions people ask
What is the cheapest pool deck material?
Sources disagree. HomeAdvisor prints concrete pavers at $3 to $7 a square foot without calling it installed, and stamped concrete at $12 to $20, travertine at $15 to $27 and composite at $40 to $80, all installed. One Texas builder prints concrete pavers at $15 to $30 installed, above stamped concrete at $12 to $25. Ask for each line in writing. A planning range from published sources, not a quote.
Which pool deck stays coolest?
In one Texas builder's figures, ivory travertine reaches about 105 to 115 F in direct sun, light flagstone about 105 to 120 F, and a cool-deck coating about 110 to 120 F. Dark sealed stamped concrete reaches 150 to 160 F or more. Light color helps on any material.
Is stamped concrete slippery around a pool?
The same builder says sealed stamped concrete is notably more slippery than brushed concrete when wet. Ask for a non-slip additive in the sealer and for a sample wet.
How much does a travertine pool deck cost?
HomeAdvisor's travertine page gives $15 to $27 a square foot installed. It is a planning range, not a quote, and your yard and builder move it.
What does porcelain or cool-deck cost?
No guide we use gives an installed per-square-foot price for porcelain, so we do not print one. For cool-deck, one Texas builder prints $6 to $12 a square foot for the coating alone, over concrete you already have. A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Ask your builder for a written line for each.
Sources and date checked
Links checked . If one has moved or no longer says this, tell us (see our editorial policy) and we will fix it.
Any cost range here is a planning range, not a quote. See how we write and check pages in our editorial policy.
Pool builder? Send a homeowner their own design as a film.
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