Can a vinyl liner pool be converted to a gunite pool and how expensive would it be compared with replacing the vinyl liner?

The answer is absolutely! Secondary market products are readily available for a conversion such as this. A plastic, resin, or fiberglass track is installed just under the top edge of the coping around the swimming pool. The track is usually attached with some sort of stainless steel screw. Rolled Wall foam can be cut into long sheets and attached to the existing plaster walls--usually with spray adhesive. The foam evens out the surface and also provides a nice "shock absorbant" pad in between the liner and the wall. Complete measurements of the existing structure need to be taken--and they need to be extremely accurate. Some of these measurements include the height of the wall, angle of slope, depth and step areas. For 99% of these conversions, a liner must be custom manufactured. I say this because you might hear an installer give you a quote for a "stock liner"--a mass-produced liner made based upon general measurements--carried in quantity at the local distributor.

Conversions are rarely exact, so don't be alarmed if you have a small wrinkle or two.

Expect to spend 25-50% over what a traditional liner replacement would cost. There's not too much of a difference in materials, so the cost will be mainly in the skilled labor.

Definately find someone that has performed these conversions before. Don't just take their Word for it. Go see the jobs--without the installer present!!!! Talk with the customers, and ask them how the installer performed.

Best wishes on your project!!