Updated October 2026
Arana Hills is one of the original north-west suburbs, laid out in the 1970s across streets that were never flattened first. The housing stock is older, the blocks are steep, and the backyard pools behind those homes include some of the oldest inground pools anywhere in the north-west of the region. Plenty of them are 40 years old or more. The interiors are at the end of their working life, the equipment has usually been replaced once and is due again, and on most jobs out here the practical problem is not the pool at all. It is getting to it.
We connect you with experienced, insured local renovators who quote Arana Hills properties with the driveway in mind rather than as an afterthought.
Access is the first conversation, not the last
A classic Arana Hills property has a steep concrete driveway, a carport under the house, a set of steps down to a terraced backyard and a pool sitting on the lowest bench. Nothing about that is unusual here and none of it stops the work, but it does change the method. Material may go in by barrow or by pump line instead of straight off a truck, spoil comes out the same way, and a tight turning circle at the street can decide which machine is used. Any renovator quoting a steep block without walking it is guessing. Insist on a site visit before you accept a price.
A 40 year old pool, assessed honestly
Pools of this vintage deserve a proper look before anyone talks finishes. Original marbletype and early pebble interiors wear through to the render beneath. Skimmer boxes crack. Old steel-reinforced shells can show spalling where the cover has gone. None of that is necessarily bad news, because most of these pools are structurally sound and take a new interior happily, but it needs checking first. See resurfacing for what a new interior involves.
Find the leak before the finish
If the pool has also been dropping water, get that answered before any money goes into a surface. A slow leak behind a skimmer or in an old return line does not repair itself, and it will keep working away quietly behind a brand new finish. See leak detection.
Barriers that complied in 1979
A fence built to the standard of its day, decades ago, and never reassessed since is the most common compliance problem on older Arana Hills homes. Garden beds have raised the ground, retaining walls and air conditioning units now sit inside the non-climbable zone, and the gate latch has corroded. In Queensland the pool safety certificate is issued by a pool safety inspector licensed by the QBCC, valid two years for a non-shared pool and one year for a shared pool. Confirm the current rules with the QBCC. The trades we refer fix the defects, not issue the certificate. See fencing and compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Will a steep driveway make the job much more expensive?
It can add to labour and plant, though often less than owners fear. What it mostly does is change the method. A fixed quote after a site visit is the only honest number.
Is a 40 year old pool worth renovating?
Usually yes. A sound concrete shell outlives several interiors. The judgement is about the shell, so have it inspected before committing.
Should I fix a suspected leak before resurfacing?
Yes. Find the leak first. Putting a new surface over an unresolved leak wastes the surface and the money.
Ready for a real number on your pool. Get a fast quote
We also cover nearby Ferny Hills and Albany Creek.