Costs of adding a pool

Homeowner Shannon McCollom added a pool to her backyard last fall. McCollom said, “We decided to have a pool installed because our kids love to swim, and we felt like it was a good thing we could do as a family and we have a lot of land so we felt like it was a good use of our backyard.”

A pool can provide hours of entertainment, but it’s also a costly project that you should research thoroughly. In–ground pools can cost between $20,000 and $70,000 and above ground is usually between $1,000 and $5,000. Ask yourself ‘what will it cost versus what will I get out of it?’

“In the heat of the summer a pool might sound like a fantastic idea, but the reality is unless you are the only house in your neighborhood that doesn’t have a pool you should skip it.” According to Angie Hicks from Angie’s List, “Pools tend to scare off potential buyers of your house and you usually only get about 50 cents on the dollar return on investment.”

You should also factor in maintenance. Regular tasks include vacuuming the pool floor, balancing chemicals and checking the pump. Weekly care plus opening and closing a pool can run about $2,000. Building that perfect pool – and keeping it that way  depends a lot on who you hire Because installing a pool can be a lengthy project sometimes taking a month or more develop a good dialogue with your contractor;

Pool Builder Bill Lambert, “This is not a surgical maneuver. This is sort of like open heart surgery on your backyard. So it’s going to be messy. We can try to contain the mess as best as possible, but you are going to have dump trucks, there’s going to be a lot of dirt moved around.”

“Remember a pool is going to be with you for a long time so you want a find a reputable pool company who is going to stand behind their project. You want to know what kind of warranty is going to be on the pool,” Hicks explained, “And remember this is a project that can take a long time, especially given that you might hit some rainy days during installation. You want to have a well laid out plan to make sure you hit your deadlines.”

Before building a pool, Angie’s List says you should contact your local building department and homeowner’s association for a complete list of rules, regulations and required permits.