Pebble Pool Finishes in Killeen, Texas
Killeen Pool Resurfacing installs pebble pool finishes in Killeen, Texas: an exposed-aggregate surface of small pebbles, glass and pigmented cement that the National Plasterers Council lists as an upgraded-cost, 12 to 18 year surface. Because river pebble is chemically inert, the Council counts pebble as the most durable pool surface there is, with a slightly more textured feel and a higher cost as the trade-offs.
Pebble Technology International has made pebble finishes since 1987, and NPT, SGM, CL Industries and Wet Edge Technologies sell their own pebble systems. We'll talk through textures, colors and the start-up a pebble finish needs at a free estimate.
No charge · answered 24/7
Get free estimates
Pebble finish types, textures and colors
PebbleTec, PebbleSheen and PebbleFina
Pebble Technology International's range runs coarse to smooth. The original PebbleTec uses the largest stones; PebbleSheen, its most popular, uses slightly smaller pebbles for a more refined texture; and PebbleFina uses the smallest natural pebbles for the smoothest aggregate finish. Its naturally tumbled stones come from as far apart as New Zealand and Chile, and each is screened for size to keep the texture uniform.
Other pebble systems
NPT makes StoneScapes from white Portland cement, quartz pebble, specialty aggregates and iron oxide pigments, in three sizes: Micro, the smoothest; Mini, the most popular for over 15 years; and Regular, the original and largest. SGM's River Rok comes in 80 lb bags that each cover about 18 to 22 square feet at half an inch, CL Industries applies its CrystalStones 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, and Wet Edge Technologies' Signature Matrix mixes small and medium pebbles for tighter compaction, showing less cement and more stone.
Glass beads and shell for sparkle
Some pebble blends add abalone and mother-of-pearl shell or glass beads for sparkle, Pebble Technology International says, alongside fade-resistant pigments and strengthening agents. Finishes built mostly or wholly on glass are a separate choice, covered under glass bead pool finishes.
How the color reads in the water
On CL Industries' account, the background pigment sets the water color: a white, blue, black or gray finish turns the water blue, and a green, brown or tan one turns it green. Depth and shade shift it again; NPT says the shallow end looks lighter than deeper water, and tall trees or buildings make it look darker.
Call or request a free estimate any time, 24/7.
Get free estimates
Pebble durability, strength and slip resistance
Inert stone, textured surface
The Council's case for pebble is chemistry: river pebble is unlikely to react with pool water, though the most extreme chemical conditions can still damage the surface. Because the cement is taken away to leave the stone raised, exposed-aggregate finishes are measured by their texture, not their smoothness, and the trade has set no texture tolerance yet. SGM, comparing its own quartz finish with PebbleTec, says pebble texture hides minor staining better than a smoother, lighter surface.
Strength and slip figures
Pebble Technology International's lab results give PebbleTec a compressive strength of 8,226 psi at 7 days, 9,913 psi at 28 days and 10,134 psi at 90 days, with a wet dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.63. NPT gives StoneScapes 9,000 to 10,000 psi at 28 days with its modifier, and Tile Council of North America tests measured its White Regular at 0.73 wet and a blend with 25% glass bead at 0.67.
What the makers' warranties cover
Warranties on pebble finishes are the makers', and each has conditions. Pebble Technology International warrants its pebble, glass bead and pigment to the original residential owner for 5 years, covering repair or replacement of the failed material without labor, and says improper water chemistry voids it; it asks for testing at least weekly and printed records. NPT gives StoneScapes owners a 10-year limited warranty, or a lifetime limited warranty when an approved applicator installs it, covering material issues only. CL Industries' 10-year warranty on CrystalStones and its other pre-blended finishes needs a factory-approved applicator and registration within 30 days.
Killeen Pool Resurfacing will go through texture, durability and each maker's warranty conditions at the free estimate.
Call or request a free estimate any time, 24/7.
Get free estimatesHow a pebble finish is applied
Strip and cut back
In Pebble Technology International's remodel process the existing surface comes off first, and the new finish is cut back at least 1/2 inch where it meets tile or stone, with no beveled or ramped edges.
Scratch coat, then finish coat
A scratch coat is troweled hard for a mechanical bond, and the second coat goes on once the first is stiff enough to hold it. PebbleSheen needs at least 3/8 inch, and NPT puts StoneScapes on evenly at 3/8 to 1/2 inch.
Spray and hand-trowel
The stone blend is mixed with cement, water, pigment and additives, pumped through a hose and sprayed on, then hand-troweled by applicators in spiked shoes; NPT recommends troweling at least three times to compact the stone.
Expose the pebbles
The surface is sprayed or wiped with water to uncover the stone. The day after, PebbleSheen is lightly scraped to remove loose pebbles and acid-treated to clear cement residue; NPT warns that an acid wash alone usually leaves a finish underexposed.
Fill without a break
The pool is filled right away and without interruption until the finish is fully under water, with the hose in the deepest area. NPT warns that fill water running down from the shallow end marks a new finish.
Start up over 28 days
Pebble Technology International says its finishes gain most of their durability in the first 28 days. Its range for that period is pH 7.0 to 7.4, total alkalinity 80 to 90 ppm and calcium hardness 200 to 250 ppm, with the equipment running at least seven days.
Call or request a free estimate any time, 24/7.
Get free estimates
Pebble start-up in Killeen's water and weather
Fill water from WCID No. 1's plants
Pools on City of Killeen water are filled from Bell County WCID No. 1, and TCEQ's samples show the water differs by plant: total hardness ran 140 to 165 mg/L at the Belton entry points and 176 to 206 mg/L at the Salado entry point between January 2024 and January 2026. Through 2025 the City's water carried a chloramine residual averaging 2.01 ppm. Pebble Technology International says not to fill a new finish with soft water and not to chlorinate until pH and carbonate alkalinity are in range. Frequent acid additions are normal in the first weeks, it explains, because plaster dust raises pH and calcium hardness, and dust left on the new surface can stain or roughen it.
Brushing, salt and heaters
The maker's own documents give two brushing schedules: its care page asks for three brushings a day for three days and twice a day for the next ten, while its planning guide says three a day for the first 7 days and twice a day for the next 3 weeks. Its care instructions also say to wait at least 14 days before heating the water and at least 28 days before adding salt for a salt chlorinator.
Freezes and cold-weather installs
Pebble Technology International allows cold-weather installation only if the daily average tops 40°F and the shell is unfrozen, and NPT says a new finish needs its first 48 hours without freezing to reach at least 500 psi. Killeen's NOAA station averages 31.1 nights a year that fall to 32°F or colder; in a median year the first autumn freeze arrives by November 17 and the last spring freeze by March 14, and the station recorded lows of 13 to 15°F over January 14 to 17, 2024. PebbleTec isn't recommended for use out of the water and isn't warranted against freeze-thaw damage.
To plan a pebble finish around Killeen's seasons, call Killeen Pool Resurfacing or send the form for a free estimate.
Call or request a free estimate any time, 24/7.
Get free estimatesPebble pool finish questions
What is the average cost to pebble tec a pool?
A pebble aggregate finish runs roughly $8,000 to $13,000 in typical Austin-area pricing for 2026, or $12,000 to $18,000 or more with new waterline tile and coping in the same job. National 2025 figures give a Pebble Tec pool $8,000 to $20,000 for a large 800- to 1,000-square-foot pool, or $10 to $20 per square foot. None of these is our price; a quote comes only after someone has seen the pool.
Who installs Pebble Tech?
Pebble Technology International sells its finishes only to its trained Certified Builders, Elite Builders and Authorized Installers, who buy and apply them, so homeowners can't buy the material. The company says the authorized installer covers the workmanship for at least 5 years and handles those claims. Ask any contractor quoting a PebbleTec finish where they stand with the maker.
How long does a pebble pool finish last?
The National Plasterers Council's rating is 12 to 18 years, the longest it gives any cement-based finish. For exposed pebble, SGM cites 10 to 20 years as the industry average without naming a source, and Pebble Technology International says its finishes keep their color and texture well beyond the five-year lifespan it says most plaster finishes offer. All of it rests on water care: the maker's warranty is void if the chemistry is wrong.
Is a pebble pool finish rough on your feet?
That depends on the pebble size. NPT says the stones in its largest size, StoneScapes Regular, are smooth but can be felt underfoot, while its Micro size is the smoothest. Pebble Technology International's PebbleFina uses its smallest natural pebbles, and its buff-polished PebbleBreeze is its smoothest finish of all.
Should I choose a pebble or quartz finish?
On the Council's ratings, pebble lasts 12 to 18 years and quartz 10 to 15, and typical Austin-area pricing in 2026 runs $8,000 to $13,000 for pebble and $7,000 to $11,000 for quartz. Quartz is the smoother surface, and SGM concedes that a smoother, lighter quartz finish shows staining and mottling sooner. More on quartz pool finishes, and the main finishes side by side in plaster, quartz and pebble finishes compared.
Request a free pebble pool finish estimate
Killeen Pool Resurfacing answers calls and estimate requests about pebble finishes 24/7, in Killeen and nearby towns.