Fully in-ground
Standard install. Excavate, drop, backfill. Available with Maxi Rib for reactive soil sites where extra structural stiffness matters.
Standard Compass feature
Maxi Rib above-ground
Maxi Rib technology lets a full-size Compass fibreglass pool be installed fully or partially above ground — the answer for sloping sites, cliff blocks and split-level Mackay backyards where a traditional in-ground pool isn't possible. We've built the Bailey Sanctuary Maxi Rib on the Dolphin Heads cliff and the Hope X-Trainer deck-level at Eimeo using exactly this system.
Three ways to install an above-ground fibreglass pool
Most fibreglass pools have a single install mode: dig a hole, drop the shell in, backfill. Fine when the block cooperates. Not fine when the block is a headland cliff, a split-level in Andergrove, or a raised existing deck at Eimeo.
Maxi Rib is Compass's engineering answer. Structural ribs are laminated into the outside of the shell during factory manufacture, filled with concrete on-site during install. Those ribs give the pool structural independence — it carries its own water load without needing retaining walls, external bracing, or extensive earthworks. Full-size pools, on genuinely difficult sites, without compromising shape or feature.
- Three install modes. Fully in-ground, partially raised, or fully above ground — all from the same base shell.
- Every shape, every size. Sanctuary Maxi Rib, X-Trainer Maxi Rib, Vogue, Plunge — the entire range is available in the Maxi Rib construction.
- Infinity edges on hillsides. A vanishing-edge fibreglass pool on a sloping block used to be impossible. Maxi Rib made it standard.
- Full Compass warranty applies. Above-ground doesn't compromise the shell warranty. Same lifetime structural cover as any in-ground install.
The three Maxi Rib install modes
Every mode uses the same base shell — the choice is about how much of the pool sits above the finished ground line.
Semi-above-ground
Half the shell sits above finished ground level — perfect for split-level blocks or where you want the pool to sit at deck height (like our Hope install at Eimeo).
Fully above-ground
Freestanding pool with the shell entirely above ground level. The Bailey install at Dolphin Heads is a cliff-edge example — no excavation, no retaining walls, engineered stiffness handling the water load.
Where Maxi Rib really matters
The engineering pays off exactly where standard fibreglass pools can't go.
Coastal ridgelines
Eimeo, Dolphin Heads, Slade Point — anywhere the block runs down to the beach or ocean.
Split-level blocks
Andergrove, Beaconsfield, Mount Pleasant — retaining-wall sites where a hole in the ground isn't practical.
Rural / rocky ground
Marian, Walkerston, Collinsville — where excavation would run into rock or reactive soils.
Infinity-edge design
Any site where you want the vanishing-edge look. Maxi Rib enables it in fibreglass at a fraction of the concrete cost.
Maxi Rib above-ground — the pool questions we get asked most.
What actually is Maxi Rib technology?
Maxi Rib is a Compass innovation where structural ribs are laminated to the outside of the pool shell during factory manufacture. On site, those ribs are filled with concrete. The result is a pool that can stand independently above the ground — no retaining walls, no extensive earthworks — because the shell itself is structurally stiff enough to carry the water load.
What does a Maxi Rib above-ground install cost extra?
Typically an extra $12,000–$25,000 over a standard in-ground installation, depending on the specific site — how much of the shell sits above ground, what the decking or retaining works look like, whether we need to spec structural engineering (as we did with Rickard Engineering on the Bailey cliff install). In most cases it comes in well under the concrete alternative, and vastly under what the earthworks alone would cost to force an in-ground install on a difficult block.
Can any Compass shape be installed above ground?
Yes — the entire range. Plunge and Oasis shapes for tight courtyards, Sanctuary and X-Trainer for family blocks, Fastlane for lap-swimmers, Vogue and Contemporary for design-led homes. Every shape is available in the Maxi Rib construction. You don't have to compromise on shape or size just because your block is above the standard install envelope.
What is an Express Pool?
Express is Compass's fully freestanding fibreglass pool that sits on a reinforced concrete slab with no excavation at all. Built entirely from fibreglass — no steel or timber substructure — so nothing rusts or rots. They can arrive pre-plumbed and be swim-ready on delivery day. A dramatically smarter alternative to precast concrete pools, with the same Bi-Luminite colours and Vantage self-cleaning options available.
Can I get an infinity pool on a sloping Mackay block?
Yes — sloping sites are actually ideal for an infinity edge. The Maxi Rib system provides the freestanding structural support to raise one edge of the shell above ground, which is exactly what creates the vanishing-edge effect. Compass has been building fibreglass infinity pools on hillside sites for over 20 years. If your block has an outlook worth building for, this is the setup.
Do above-ground Compass pools have the same features as in-ground?
Yes — no compromises. Same Ceramic Core construction, same Bi-Luminite and Vivid colour ranges, same Vantage self-cleaning option, same triple warranty package. Every above-ground install we do is engineered to the identical quality standard as an in-ground one. The difference is site-related, not shell-related.
How do I know which install mode suits my site?
Free site visit. Luke will come out, walk the block, measure the fall, look at access and soil conditions, and give you an honest recommendation — including whether Maxi Rib is actually necessary or whether a standard in-ground would do the job for less. There's no cost, no obligation. Book below.
Ready when you are.
A free site visit, a straight quote, and no follow-up pressure. Luke will come to you anywhere from Mackay to the Isaac region.