Inground pool cost

An in-ground pool costs $35,000 to $100,000 installed, typically around $55,000. Vinyl liner pools start around $35,000, fiberglass around $45,000, and gunite concrete around $60,000 and goes up without limit.

The pool is not the whole number. Decking, fencing, a heater, a cover and the utility connections routinely add $15,000 to $40,000, and the running cost is $1,500 to $5,000 a year for as long as you own it.

What it costs

The three constructions

Vinyl liner is a steel or polymer wall structure with a vinyl liner over it. Cheapest to build, any shape, and the liner needs replacing every 7 to 12 years at $4,000 to $8,000. Smooth underfoot and puncturable.

Fiberglass is a single molded shell craned into an excavation. Fastest to install, three to six weeks against three to six months. The surface is non-porous, so it uses noticeably fewer chemicals and is easier to keep clean. Shapes and sizes are limited to what is manufactured, and it must fit down the road and through the yard.

Gunite is sprayed concrete over steel, finished with plaster, pebble or tile. Any shape, any depth, any feature. It is the longest to build and the most durable structure, and the plaster surface needs resurfacing every 10 to 15 years at $5,000 to $15,000.

The running cost is the part people underestimate

Realistic total: $1,500 to $3,000 a year doing the work yourself, $3,000 to $6,000 with a service. Over twenty years that is another pool.

The two things that reduce it most are a variable-speed pump, which is now required in many states and cuts pump electricity by 50 to 80%, and a cover, which cuts evaporation, heat loss and chemical use dramatically.

Does it add value

Less than it costs, in most of the country. Appraisers typically credit an in-ground pool at 5 to 8% of home value where pools are expected, and much less or nothing where they are not.

In Arizona, Florida and southern California a pool is close to standard and its absence is noticed. In Minnesota it is a short season, an annual cost and a fenced hazard for a buyer with small children.

It also narrows the buyer pool, which affects time on market.

Build one because you will swim in it. If the calculation is investment, it does not work.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to build?

Fiberglass three to six weeks, vinyl liner four to eight, gunite three to six months because the shell must cure and the finishes are sequential. Permits add two to eight weeks before any of it starts.

Do I need a fence?

Essentially everywhere, and the requirements are specific: height, self-closing self-latching gates, and no climbable elements. Some jurisdictions also require alarms or a power safety cover. This is life safety and it is inspected.

Saltwater or chlorine?

Saltwater pools are chlorine pools that generate their own chlorine from salt. They feel better, need less handling of chemicals, and cost $1,500 to $3,500 for the cell plus replacement cells every three to seven years. Salt is corrosive to some stone and metal fittings, which needs designing for.

What is the cheapest way to get a pool?

An above-ground pool at $3,000 to $15,000, which is a different product with a 10 to 20 year life. Below in-ground pricing there is nothing that is an in-ground pool.

What about heating?

A gas heater heats fast and costs a lot to run. A heat pump is cheaper to run and slow. Solar is cheapest to run and weather-dependent. A cover does more for water temperature per dollar than any of them.