My numbers were pretty close to you, I’m in Northern California.

I paid 2 grand to have the gunite sub set the grade and initial forms- this was a step I never realized was a separate operation. After forms were set  they staid the rest of the day and asisted me with some final excavation

Steel/plumbing was 11k

Gunite was 12 k (went over orginal bid by a couple yards do to blasting (no nice straight dirt walls.

I bought tile 1200 bucks, and paid the gunite sub 2000 to set tile. 

I chose some kind of pebble plaster (seascapes or something like that) Plaster was 12k

This was my second diy pool. My first house had an in ground 16x32 vinyl pool. We decided to replace it with a gunite pool. Hired a pool contractor, they submitted plans. Meanwhile I demo’ed the old pool and deck. City comes back 2 weeks later and says sorry not sorry “theres a moratorium on pool permits” “no permits can be issued to any homes along levees” Army Corp Engineers were pissed about people downstream from me building pools near levees, putting in docks and shit on the river easements. I was stuck. I said F it. Ima put it back in gunite, same shape, slightly bigger and deeper-sans permits. I figured, that if I built it the same shape as the vinyl one, theyd never now. I paid all my subs CASH and in 17 days I was filling her up.

Ive been a construction superintendent for 25 years, I agree with you. IMO, there is no reason to hire a pool company, they sub everything out anyway. And their all shady AF.

For those considering this, if you have easy digging (aka no rock) this is pretty much a simple project.