Pool deck estimator

Your project

mft

1Size and shape441.8 ft² · 128 ft · 224.4 ft

Area

= 41.04 m²

ft²

Edge to restrain (free sides)

= 39.01 m

Sides along the house, steps or existing paving

= 68.4 m

More options

Outside corners

2Region and siteQuebec (province) · I don't know · Nothing (bare soil) · Rear yard

Region

Soil type

Existing surface

Front yardSide yardRear yard

More options

Surface slope

Access width for a machine

Hauled awayKept on the lot

3The productProma slab 60 mm · Random modules · Plastic

Customize the assumptions

Replace our values with yours (a supplier quote, the rental time you plan). The estimate is recomputed and the link keeps your choices.

Turn on JavaScript to change these values.

Base thickness

Default: 11.8 in · allowed 11.8 to 23.6

Never thinner than the table for your soil and use.

Waste (cuts and breakage)

Default: 24.7 % · allowed 2 to 25

Share of pavers added for cuts and breakage.

Price: Proma slab 60 mm

$ / ft²

Default: 10 $ / ft² · allowed 2.5 to 40

The unit price before tax your supplier quoted you.

Rental days

days

Default: 4 days · allowed 1 to 14

Mini excavator 3.5 t, Skid steer, Plate compactor, 14 in cut-off saw

Amounts before taxes. GST (5%) and QST (9.975%) are added and shown separately.

Do it yourself, beginner: $24,000*; * Includes your time: 286.8 h × $35.05/h (beginner). Money spent only: $13,938
Money spent only: $14,000; doing it yourself, before taxes
Contractor, typical: $26,000; $20,000 to $33,000
Break-even, beginner: $42/h; At $35/h: doing it yourself still costs less.

OverviewOverview MaterialsMaterials and rentals HoursHours by step ContractorHire a contractor SourcesAssumptions and sources

Before you digAny digging needs an Info-Excavation locate request at least 4 business days before starting, and hand digging within 1 m of the marks.

Any digging needs an Info-Excavation locate request at least 4 business days before starting, and hand digging within 1 m of the marks.

Source: Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Travaux d'excavation · APSAM (Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail, secteur affaires municipales), Fiche technique 34, Protéger les services publics souterrains

MunicipalityA surround that touches the enclosure, its gates or access to the pool needs a municipal permit, and the holder must control access during the work.

A surround that touches the enclosure, its gates or access to the pool needs a municipal permit, and the holder must control access during the work.

Source: Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec), Règlement sur la sécurité des piscines résidentielles, RLRQ c. S-3.1.02, r. 1

ElectricianMoving or changing lighting, a receptacle, the bonding or the pump's power supply is electrical work: hire a master electrician who is a CMEQ member. An owner may not do it themselves.

Moving or changing lighting, a receptacle, the bonding or the pump's power supply is electrical work: hire a master electrician who is a CMEQ member. An owner may not do it themselves.

Source: Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec), Loi sur les maîtres électriciens, RLRQ c. M-3 · Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Travaux que vous pouvez faire vous-même

Call a proBefore touching the coping or the backfill against the wall, get the pool maker's deck detail or hire a pool installer.

Before touching the coping or the backfill against the wall, get the pool maker's deck detail or hire a pool installer.

Source: River Pools, Installing a fiberglass pool on sand vs. gravel

Other notes from the calculation (3)

No machine within 1 m of the locate marks: expose utilities by hand.
Isolation joint of 68.4 m along the building or steps: paving must not butt against a fixed element (frost).
Pool surround: no heavy plate against the pool wall; follow the pool maker's detail for base and slope.

Where the money goes

Before taxes, one scale for both bars.

Do it yourself, money spent

$13,938

Materials$8,766
Equipment rental$2,484
Delivery$188
Disposal$2,500

Contractor, typical price

$26,106

Materials$7,563
Labour$3,470
Equipment and rentals$2,726
Delivery and disposal$2,688
Overhead$7,049
Margin$2,611

True cost: money and time

Before tax, one scale for every bar.

People

Value of one hour$35.05/h

By default, the average hourly wage in Quebec:

Money spentYour time ($35/h)Contractor's rangeTypical price ($26,000)

Do-it-yourself true cost and a contractor's price, before tax
Money, do it yourself	$13,938
True cost, beginner	$23,989
True cost, intermediate	$20,862
Contractor	$20,000 to $33,000 ($26,000)

Your time

Money, hours, days, value of the time and true cost, beginner and intermediate
Measure	Beginner	Intermediate
Money spent	$13,938	$13,938
Person-hours	287 h	198 h
Days of 8 h, 2 people	18 days	12.5 days
Your time at $35/h	$10,052	$6,924
True cost	$23,989	$20,862

Working days only: add rain days and waiting times (curing, deliveries).

Hiring costs less if your time is worth more than:

$42/h

Based on beginner hours.

At $35/h: doing it yourself still costs less.

Break-even = (the contractor's typical price minus the money spent doing it yourself) divided by your person-hours. Before tax on both sides: GST and QST apply to both.

Actions

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Step-by-step guide

Phases, "done when" checks, safety, common mistakes and sources, with your project's quantities.

Read the guide

Do it yourself

What you buy, rent and pay for

Quantities in orderable units, retail prices before taxes, with the source, date and region of every price.

Do-it-yourself cost detail
Item	Quantity	Unit price	Amount
Materials
MG-20 crushed stone (0-3/4 in)	37.5 t	$39.50/t	$1,481.25$39.50/t
Plastic paver edge restraint (8 ft)	17 8 ft pieces136 ft · 41.45 m	$18.77/piece	$319.01$18.77/piece
10 in edging spike	138 units	$2.31/unit	$318.78$2.31/unit
Non-woven geotextile	3 rolls1,690 ft² · 157.05 m²	$139.99/roll	$419.97$139.99/roll
Isolation joint strip (foam)	224.4 ft68.4 m	$0.70/ft	$157.09$0.70/ft
Premium polymeric sand (22.7 kg)	6 bags	$65.48/bag	$392.88$65.48/bag
Proma slab 60 mm	5 pallets + 2 rows554 ft² · 51.5 m²	$10.00/ft²	$5,543.20$10.00/ft²
Concrete sand (bedding)	2 t	$71.00/yd³	$133.62$71.00/yd³
Delivery
Boom truck pallet delivery	1 trip	$187.50/trip	$187.50$187.50/trip
Equipment rental
Mini excavator 3.5 t	weekendUse: 15 machine h	-	$1,473.79
Skid steer	1 dayUse: 3.6 machine h	-	$527.43
Plate compactor	1 dayUse: 6.2 machine h	-	$145.03
14 in cut-off saw	2 weekendsUse: 35.9 machine h	-	$338.06
Disposal
Mixed soil and rubble (container)	38.84 t	$625.00/container	$2,500.00$625.00/container

Total before taxes: $13,937.61
GST (5%): $696.88
QST (9.975%): $1,390.28
Total with taxes: $16,024.77

GST and QST are computed on purchases and rentals; your own work is not taxed.

Notes on prices(5)

Price for "MG-20 crushed stone (0-3/4 in)" out of date since 2025-04-01: confirm with the supplier.
Price for "Concrete sand (bedding)" out of date since 2025-04-01: confirm with the supplier.
Price for "delivery.boom_truck" is an estimate (no published price list).
Price for "Isolation joint strip (foam)" is an estimate (no published price list).
Price for "Proma slab 60 mm" is an estimate (no published price list).

Your time

How many hours, at what pace

Person-hours (p-h): a professional's hours times a documented factor for your experience, rework and machine learning included, plus the guide's planning and checks (planning, locate request, permits). The factors are in the assumptions.

Beginner

287 h

about 18 days of 8 h with 2 people

Work: 247.5 h
Rework: 24.8 h
Learning the machines: 3 h
Planning and checks: 11.5 h

Beginner: has never compacted a base or cut pavers.

Intermediate

198 h

about 12.5 days of 8 h with 2 people

Work: 179.3 h
Rework: 9 h
Learning the machines: 1 h
Planning and checks: 8.3 h

Intermediate: has done at least one similar project.

For comparison, a professional: 93.4 h of work, about 4.5 crew days.

Step by step, from the guide

Each guide step, timed by the same calculation as the total: each task's hours at your level's pace, rework included. Hover a value to see the range.

Hours per guide step, beginner and intermediate
Step	Beginner	Intermediate
1Measure, sketch and choose the productguide rate	2	1
Inspect the pool, coping and enclosureguide rate	2	1.5
Assess the soil and where water goesguide rate	1	0.8
2Request a utility locate from Info-Excavationguide rate	0.5	0.5
Get the permit and plan the enclosureguide rate	2	1.5
Control access to the pool during the workguide rate	2	1.5
Plan deliveries, rentals and disposalguide rate	1	0.7
3Lay out the area and set the grades	9.1	6.3
Dig to the right depthweather	33.1	22.9
4Prepare the subgrade and lay the geotextileweather	6.1	4.3
Build the MG-20 base in compacted liftsweather	79.2	54.8
Install the edge restraint	15.8	10.9
5Spread and screed the beddingweather	18.2	12.6
Lay the paversweather	62.2	43
Cut the edge pavers	39.5	27.3
Compact the pavers and fill the jointsweather	4.6	3.2
Check the enclosure before anyone swimsguide rate	1	0.7
Finish the edges, clean up and inspectweather	4.5	3.1
Learning the machines	3	1
Total (p-h)	286.8	197.6

The rows add up to the total: 275.3 h of work calculated by the engine, plus 11.5 h of planning and checks at the guide's rate (beginner). 7 steps depend on the weather. Read the full guide

Detail by calculation task(11)

Detail by calculation task
Task	Pro	Beginner	Intermediate
Machine excavation	11.4	33.1	22.9
Edge restraint installation	5.4	15.8	10.9
Isolation joint	3.4	10	6.9
Layout and grades	3.1	9.1	6.3
Subgrade preparation	1.1	3.1	2.1
Geotextile placement	1.1	3.1	2.1
MG-20 base compacted in lifts	27.2	79.2	54.8
Bedding screed	6.2	18.2	12.6
Paver laying	17.9	52.2	36.1
Cutting	13.6	39.5	27.3
Compaction and joints	3.1	9.1	6.3
Learning the machines	-	3	1
Total	93.4	286.8	197.6

Person-hours per task. Beginner and intermediate hours include rework.

Hire a contractor

What a contractor would charge

Range before taxes for the same project built by a crew: labour, equipment, materials, overhead and margin.

Low

$20,000

Typical

$26,000

High

$33,000

Before taxes · $46 to $75 per ft²

Where the money goes (typical price before taxes, $26,106)

Breakdown of the typical price before taxes
Materials	29%	$7,563
Labour	13.3%	$3,470
Equipment and rentals	10.4%	$2,726
Delivery and disposal	10.3%	$2,688
Overhead(estimate)	27%	$7,049
Margin(estimate)	10%	$2,611
Typical price before taxes		$26,106
GST (5%)		$1,305.31
QST (9.975%)		$2,604.09
Typical price with taxes		$30,016

What moves the total

1Labour productivity (pavers)
Typical price from $22,783 to $30,191 with this factor
2Contractor overhead
Typical price from $23,496 to $29,903 with this factor
3Price: Proma slab 60 mm
Typical price from $23,665 to $28,548 with this factor

Each factor is pushed alone to its low, then high value; the others stay at their typical value.

The range shows the effect of documented price and productivity spreads. It is not a probability.

Every price, production rate and parameter has a documented low, typical and high value. The range shown starts from the typical cost and combines the swing of each factor taken one at a time, by the root of the sum of squares (independent spreads rarely all land at their extreme together). The stacked extremes stay in the detail. It is not a probability.

Range with taxes: $23,000 to $38,000.

Contractor crew: 93.4 h of work, about 4.5 days.

Rules in Quebec

Permits, licences and neighbours

What applies to this kind of work, with the source of every rule.

Safety
The residential pool safety regulation requires an enclosure around every pool whose water is 60 cm deep or more. The enclosure is at least 1.2 m high, stops a 10 cm sphere, offers no hold for climbing (chain-link mesh openings of at most 30 mm), and a hedge does not count. Every gate closes and latches automatically, with the latch on the inside at the top of the gate or on the outside at least 1.5 m above ground. Municipalities may be stricter.
Source: Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec), Règlement sur la sécurité des piscines résidentielles, RLRQ c. S-3.1.02, r. 1 · Gouvernement du Québec, Sécurisez votre piscine
Permit
A municipal permit is required to build, install or replace a pool or to build anything that gives or blocks access to a pool. During the work, the permit holder must take temporary measures to control access.
Source: Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec), Règlement sur la sécurité des piscines résidentielles, RLRQ c. S-3.1.02, r. 1
Safety
Pool equipment (pump, filter, heater) is installed more than 1 m from the pool wall or enclosure, except as the regulation provides, and any fixed structure or equipment that could be used to climb is kept at least 1 m away.
Source: Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec), Règlement sur la sécurité des piscines résidentielles, RLRQ c. S-3.1.02, r. 1
Safety
Installations existing before 1 November 2010 must comply by 30 September 2027; replacing the pool triggers full compliance. An owner in breach faces a fine of $500 to $700, $700 to $1,000 for a repeat offence. Montreal and Quebec City both remind owners of this deadline.
Source: Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec), Règlement sur la sécurité des piscines résidentielles, RLRQ c. S-3.1.02, r. 1 · Ville de Montréal, Piscines résidentielles : jusqu'au 30 septembre 2027 pour se conformer · Ville de Québec, Mise aux normes des piscines existantes
RBQ licence
Pool electrical work (pump, lighting, receptacles, bonding) is reserved to master electricians who are CMEQ members when done for others, and an owner may not do it themselves. The paving itself needs no licence on private land.
Source: Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec), Loi sur les maîtres électriciens, RLRQ c. M-3 · Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Travaux que vous pouvez faire vous-même
Utility locate
Before digging, file a free request with Info-Excavation. The RBQ asks contractors to file it at least 4 business days before the work; it is valid until the stated end date, for at most 180 days. The construction safety code requires the employer to locate lines before digging. For an owner doing their own work, the request is strongly recommended even though that duty targets employers, and some municipalities, such as Magog, require it on their land.
Source: Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Travaux d'excavation · Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec), Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction, RLRQ c. S-2.1, r. 4 · Ville de Magog, Demande de localisation Info-Excavation
RBQ licence
Per the RBQ licence guide, landscaping on private land, such as private driveways, low walls and paver landings resting on gravel that are not attached to the building, needs no licence. Owners may do this work at their own home, except electrical and gas work, which always goes to a qualified contractor. If you hire, check in the RBQ register that the contractor's subcategories cover the other parts of the contract, such as excavation or concrete.
Source: Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Guide pour déterminer le besoin d'une licence et la sous-catégorie pertinente : sous-catégorie 2.7, Entrepreneur en travaux d'emplacement · Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Travaux que vous pouvez faire vous-même · Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Vérifier la licence d'un entrepreneur
Neighbours
The Civil Code (art. 979) requires lower land to receive the natural flow from higher land, but forbids the owner of the higher land from making the neighbour's situation worse. A new paved surface that concentrates water toward the lot line can therefore make you liable.
Source: Gouvernement du Québec, Écoulement des eaux (rapports de voisinage)

Assumptions

Calculation parameters

Typical value (low to high), source, date, region and confidence grade of every parameter in the calculation.

See the assumptions(22)

Calculation parameters
Assumption	Value	Source, date, region	Grade
Contractor overhead (share of price)	27% (20% to 35%)
Net profit (share of price)	10% (3% to 15%)
Contractor discount on retail prices	7.5% (15% to 0%)
Crew round trip to the site	1 h	fixed rule	-
Non-productive time per person per day	0.5 p-h (0.25 p-h to 1 p-h)
Job Bank median wages, no CCQ rates	Job Bank medians, no CCQ rates	fixed rule	-
GST	5%	fixed rule	-
QST	9.975%	fixed rule	-
Base hourly wage: foreman	$28.00/h ($22.00/h to $40.03/h)
Base hourly wage: heavy equipment operator	$36.00/h ($24.00/h to $43.40/h)
Base hourly wage: labourer	$21.89/h ($17.36/h to $28.50/h)
Base hourly wage: operator	$36.00/h ($24.00/h to $43.40/h)
Base hourly wage: paver installer	$27.00/h ($20.00/h to $38.00/h)
Time multiplier, beginner	2.65 x (1.88 x to 3.81 x)
Time multiplier, intermediate	1.92 x (1.52 x to 2.44 x)
Rework, beginner	0.1 x
Rework, intermediate	0.05 x
Learning time per machine, beginner	1.5 h (1 h to 2 h)
Learning time per machine, intermediate	0.5 h
People working (do it yourself)	2
Productive hours per day (do it yourself)	6 h
Fuel price	$1.51/L

Region: Quebec · prices as of October 13, 2026 · engine 1.2.0. These three values are enough to reproduce this calculation.

Sources

Where the numbers come from

Every price and parameter on this page points to one of these sources.

1.paysagement (research), Costs: equipment rentals, labour, production rates and contractor sell prices (Quebec, 2025 to 2026)October 10, 2026 · Amérique du Nord · 10 values
2.paysagement (engine plan), Engine parameter registry seed list (estimates with no external source)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 3 values
3.paysagement (research), Quebec landscaping materials, delivery and disposal: sourced reference prices (2025 to 2026)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 3 values
4.Job Bank (Guichet-Emplois), wage report, EI survey data 2023-2024, updated 2025-11-19November 19, 2025 · Québec · 2 values
5.Patrick Morin, Gant de travail WATSON GLOVES STEALTH, grandOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 2 values
6.Canadian Tire product page (price read from the search engine's copy of the page)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
7.Job Bank (Guichet-Emplois), wage report, EI survey data 2023-2024, updated 2025-11-19November 19, 2025 · Québec · 1 value
8.Job Bank (Guichet-Emplois), wage report, EI survey data 2023-2024, updated 2025-11-19November 19, 2025 · Québec · 1 value
9.Job Bank (Guichet-Emplois), wage report, EI survey data 2023-2024, updated 2025-11-19November 19, 2025 · Québec · 1 value
10.Lee Vrac Transport, Pierre concassee 0-3/4 DB en vracOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
11.Lou-Tec (web catalogue, CAD before tax)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
12.Patrick Morin, Bois d'epinette sec no. 2 et meilleur, 2 po x 4 po x 10 piOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
13.Patrick Morin, Bordure a pave-unis EMS Extrusion (0902367)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
14.Patrick Morin, Coquilles anti-bruit (Workhorse)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
15.Patrick Morin, Genouilleres de travailleur en mousse avec doublure TASKOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
16.Patrick Morin, Geotextile gris 5 3/4 pi x 98 pi (1402824)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
17.Patrick Morin, Lunette de securite legere (Workhorse)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
18.Patrick Morin, Maillet en caoutchouc BEAUFORT, manche en bois, 32 ozOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
19.Patrick Morin, Masque de protection respiratoire anti-poussieres N95, 2/pqt (3M)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
20.Paves Concept, CLOU VRILLEOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
21.Paves Concept, Sable a betonOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
22.Paves Concept, Sable Polymere Nextgel HPOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
23.Paysagement research estimate (Patrick Morin conduit price)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
24.Paysagement research estimate (Patrick Morin stake and chalk line prices)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
25.Simplex (product page, CAD before tax)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
26.Simplex (product page, CAD before tax)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
27.Simplex (product page, CAD before tax)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
28.Soumission Renovation, driveway paver expansion guideSeptember 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value

Yourself$24,000*Money spent$14,000Contractor$26,000Break-even$42/hbefore taxes, estimate

Good to know before you start

Where the money goes

Do it yourself, money spent

Contractor, typical price

True cost: money and time

Your time

Hiring costs less if your time is worth more than:

Actions

Tools to buy (11)

Step by step, from the guide

Where the money goes (typical price before taxes, $26,106)