One question comes up when planning a pool project more than any other. How much does an inground pool cost When searching for the answer the most common response from pool builders is “it depends” – which is the worst answer you can get as a homeowner.
You might think that the pool builder is dodging your question. However, the real reason the answer is so hard to come up with Pools in general, are custom. If you’re looking for a national range, a gunite would cost $50,000 – 150,000. The $50,000 end of the range pools are common in the southeast (Florida, Georgia) part of the country. The $150,000 end of the range occurs in the northeast (Massachusetts, New York) and midwest (Chicago) regions.
Factors That Affect Pool Price
- Access method to property
- Distance between equipment pad and pool
- Travel expenses from builder to jobsite
- Different choices for tile, coping, plaster and pool size/features
Even if the pool is identical from one neighbor to the next there will be differences in the yard, or in the access to the property. The utilities will be different distances from the planned equipment pad. Add to that the variance in cost due to travel for construction crews and materials delivery, and before you know it the answer seems impossible to access. Yes it depends heavily on the region you live in and yes the features you want to include in your project will impact the final price.
Regional Differences That Affect Price
If you live in New England, as I do now, for example, your pool builder may not include the patio space around the pool, expecting you to hire a mason or patio company to finish the job. If you live in Phoenix AZ, where I first started my career, that would be unheard of! Construction methods also vary from region to region. If you live in the northern USA you need to consider how frost will impact the pool in winter months. This can lead to increases in backfill costs and foundation walls.
If you are looking for a general budget price for your area so you can plan your project, let’s look at this problem a different way. If we look at prices using data from Pool and Spa News, an industry magazine who publishes a list of the top 50 builders in the USA we can Identify the average pool price from each builder and their location. This should give us a good idea of price averages. Some builders on this list would be considered bespoke or luxury builders so we only included those who build 50 or more pools per year. Assuming they are competitive within their market this should give us a good starting point for budgeting.
How Much Does An Inground Pool Cost by Region
If you are looking for a general price for your region, let’s look at this problem a different way. We can see prices from Pool and Spa News, an industry magazine who publishes a list of the top 50 builders in the USA. There, we can Identify the average pool price from each builder and their location. This gives us a better idea of price ranges. Some builders on this list would be considered bespoke or luxury builders so the “average” homeowner should only consider builders who build 50 or more pools per year. Assuming they are competitive within their market, this should give us a good starting point for budgeting.
Pool Spa News does a great job of summarizing the top 50 pool builders. One of the things they analyze is average price of a residential pool. Luckily, they pull each pool builder into 1 of the 5 regions of the country. Here are the 5 region’s average pool price.
PSN Average Residential Pool Price
- NORTHEAST/MID-ATLANTIC: $107,267
- SOUTHEAST: $74,608
- MIDWEST: $151,690
- SOUTHWEST: $99,196
- WEST: $72,586
As you’ll see, the region you’re in makes a big difference. Out of the top 50, Coast to Coast Pools in Sarasota, FL had the lowest average price of $53,648. This varies greatly from New England pool builder, SSG Pools, which reported an average of $147,000.
Summary of How Much Does An Inground Pool Cost and Why
To summarize, the region you’re located in makes a huge difference in how much an inground pool costs. The type of pool design, your backyard and other unforeseen circumstances can also affect a pool’s price. Regardless of where you are located and what type of pool you want, a range of $50,000 – 150,000 is fair to assume. If you want something luxurious or are re-thinking an inground pool altogether, prices may vary even wider.
Our parting piece of advice is that it never hurts to get a quote or two from your local pool builder. With everything changing so rapidly with inflation and supply chain shortages, this is the most accurate way to get a regional price.
