When you consider putting a pool in, the majority of the time the conversation is spent determining whether you want a gunite pool, a vinyl pool, or a fiberglass pool. Once you’ve selected a type, then it’s on to the features and budget, the patio layout, water features, etc. But there is a special type of pool that commonly comes up. In fact, it rarely gets built due to budget. This pool is the indoor pool. So, how much is an indoor pool? In this article we will discuss the most common features of an indoor pool. We will also outline some rough budget ranges.
How Much Is An Indoor Pool?
All in an indoor pool has many components an outdoor pool doesn’t. An indoor pool does not cost much more than a standard inground pool. Although, the additional pieces of the project are what start to double, triple and possibly even quadruple the price of the project.
When breaking down the costs of an indoor pool you must first make some assumptions as to size of the building and size of the pool. If we start with a 16 x 32 inground pool, then factor in a minimum of 4’ walking space around the pool, we are already at a 24’ x 40’ building. Now assuming you want some patio area on one of the short ends of the pool where you can put some chaise lounge chairs or a table, we’ll extend that to a 24’ x 48’ building, or 1152 square feet.
How Much Is An Indoor Pool Project In Total?
A rough budget for an indoor pool project would be $400 – 500,000.
Pool cost: $100,000
Automatic Cover: $20,000
1152 square foot building: $288,000 ($250/sf)
Dehumidification system: $75,000
Total: $483,000
Indoor Pool Building Considerations
Rectangular Shape
An indoor pool will usually be a rectangle. This is due to a couple of factors. One, buildings are usually rectangular in shape due to the standard wood that’s available. The other factor however, is the use of automatic covers, which in most cases, require a rectangular pool.
Automatic Cover
It may seem strange to install an automatic cover on an indoor pool, after all what do you have to keep out of the pool? There’s no leaves or debris finding its way into an indoor pool. However, the big enemy of an indoor pool is the evaporation of the water itself. There is a silent battle taking place at all times with an indoor pool between the HVAC dehumidification system and the evaporating pool water. The automatic cover reduces the evaporation which is why they are commonly used on indoor pools. They also add a layer of safety to the pool which is invaluable when the pool is installed in your home.
HVAC System
The HVAC system is an all important piece of the indoor pool design. These system costs are impactful to how much is an indoor pool. They work overtime to prevent damage to the building from having too high a level of moisture in the air. Additionally they are designed to create ‘negative pressure’ which means the doors from the house to the pool area are drawing air into the pool area, not pushing air from the pool area into the house. This prevents unwanted damage to the building from the moist air from the pool.
The building itself is built with a vapor barrier on the inside of the insulated structure. This prevents moisture from penetrating the wall system and causing damage to the building itself. At each window and glass door in the pool area, you will need an HVAC register blowing dehumidified air, which will prevent condensation and dripping at the windows.
How Much Is An Indoor Pool Summary
As you can see, the numbers add up quickly. And as time and construction costs have gone up, and given the specialty nature of an indoor pool building, $250/sf is no longer a reasonable number in many parts of the country. This is why many times when a client begins the process of looking into how much is an indoor pool, the outdoor pool eventually becomes the logical answer. However, indoor pools are wonderful in winter. They can be designed for pleasant summer use, too. Therefore, they are sometimes the right answer for the discerning homeowner.