Most pools that look worn out only need a new surface. The finish is the part that wears: it gets rough, blotchy, and chalky, and eventually starts to flake. Resurfacing replaces that layer and makes the pool look and feel new again.
A rebuild or larger renovation makes sense when the problem is structural. Signs include cracks that run through the shell rather than just the surface, a pool that keeps losing water after leaks have been checked, tile and coping that are coming loose because the shell under them has moved, or a deck that has settled toward the pool.
There's also a middle ground. Many renovations combine a new finish with new waterline tile, new coping, and repairs to the deck. If the finish is due and the tile and coping are dated or damaged, doing them together saves you from draining the pool twice.
The only way to know for sure is to look at the pool, ideally with the water level down. We'll show you what we find and put the options in writing so you can decide what makes sense.