Pool Cost Calculator

Whether you're weighing an in-ground build or an above-ground setup, the estimate here accounts for size, material, and the extras you want. Seeing those numbers before you commit is what keeps a backyard project from blowing past its budget.

An in-ground pool starts from a base price for a 16x32-foot pool of $35,000 in vinyl, $45,000 in fiberglass or $55,000 in concrete, scaled by size: × 0.7 for 12x24, × 1.4 for 20x40, or your custom area divided by 512 sq ft. An above-ground pool is $5,000, $8,000 or $12,000 by size, and a custom one is $10,000 scaled by area the same way. Extras are flat add-ons: $8,000 for a deck or patio, $5,000 for fencing, $5,000 for heating and $2,000 for lighting. Annual maintenance is $4,000 for vinyl, $3,500 for fiberglass or $5,000 for concrete ($2,000 above ground), scaled by the same size factor, and the monthly cost of ownership adds 5% a year of the build cost as a cost of capital.

Two line items catch homeowners off guard. Permits and excavation routinely add anywhere from $500 to $5,000 depending on your site and local rules, and they rarely show up in a quick mental tally. The other is the ongoing utility load for heating and pumping, which can run $100 to $300 a month on its own. Collecting several local contractor quotes is the surest way to ground these figures and catch the price swings particular to your area.