Pool Cost Estimator

What will a pool cost to build, and what will it cost every year after? Pick a type and size, add the extras, and compare gunite, fiberglass, vinyl liner and above-ground over ten years.

1. Pool type & size

ft
ft
ft

Fiberglass pools come in factory shells, so match the nearest model. Depth adjusts gunite and vinyl cost only. For a round above-ground pool, enter the diameter as both length and width and choose Freeform.

2. Add-ons (tick what you want, edit the price)

$
$
$
sq ft
$/sq ft
ft
$/ft
$
$

3. Site factors

$

Access adds 0%, 5% or 15% to the shell, and soil adds 0%, 5% or 20%. These are our planning assumptions, not published factors.

4. Yearly running costs

kW
hrs/day
$/kWh
$/1,000 gal
$/yr

The default electricity rate is about the 2025 average Texas residential price reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (roughly 15 to 16 cents per kWh). Your bill, and your retail electricity plan, will differ.

Your estimate

— typical upfront cost

Low—
Typical—
High—
  • Yearly ownership cost—
  • Per month—

Upfront breakdown (typical)

ItemCost

Yearly ownership cost

ItemPer year

10-year comparison by pool type

Pool typeUpfront (typical)Per year10-year totalvs lowest

10-year total = typical upfront cost plus ten years of ownership cost, with replaster, liner and equipment costs spread evenly. Every type uses your size and add-ons, so the comparison isolates the pool itself. It excludes land value, financing and resale.

How this pool cost estimator works

  1. Shell. Surface area (length x width, or 85% for freeform) times a per-sq-ft rate for the pool type. Our rates (low / typical / high): gunite $100 / $140 / $200, fiberglass $90 / $115 / $160, vinyl liner $60 / $85 / $125, above-ground $8 / $14 / $22. Depth adjusts gunite and vinyl by 5% per foot away from 5.5 ft, then access and soil factors multiply the result. The rates include excavation, basic equipment and a standard finish, and were chosen to land inside published ranges at typical sizes.
  2. Add-ons and permit. Added at your prices. Low and high totals apply x0.85 and x1.25 to add-ons.
  3. Pump electricity. kW x hours per day x 365 x price per kWh. Above-ground pools use a smaller pump (half the energy).
  4. Chemicals, water, insurance, equipment. Typical annual allowances by pool type, scaled by pool size. Water assumes about 60 inches a year of evaporation and splash-out plus 3,000 gallons for backwashing. Fiberglass needs the fewest chemicals because its smooth surface resists algae. A salt system trims chemical cost a little and adds a small cell-replacement allowance.
  5. Resurfacing, amortized. Cost divided by life: gunite replaster about $10,000 for a 16 x 32 pool every 12 years, vinyl liner about $4,500 every 9 years, fiberglass gelcoat refinish $4,000 every 25 years (our assumption), above-ground liner $600 every 8 years (our assumption). Ranges in published guides are wide, so treat these as rough.

Texas and Houston notes

Cost sources

Sources disagree and many are pool-industry marketing. We could not verify every figure at its original source, so these are typical ranges, not quotes. Get written bids from at least three licensed pool builders and ask each what is and is not included (deck, fence, electrical, grading and permit fees are the usual gaps).

Estimates only — not engineering, legal or code advice. Check requirements with your local building department and a licensed professional before you build.

Common questions

How much does a 16 x 32 pool cost to build in Texas?

With this tool's defaults (a 16 x 32 ft rectangle, average access, Houston-type clay soil, a 600 sq ft deck, 120 ft of safety fence, lighting and a $2,500 permit and engineering allowance) the typical upfront total is about $109,800 for gunite, $95,700 for fiberglass, $78,800 for vinyl liner and $37,000 for above-ground. Likely ranges run from about $82,600 to $151,400 for gunite. Published guides such as HomeGuide put gunite pools at roughly $50,000 to $120,000, fiberglass at $45,000 to $100,000 and vinyl liner at $25,000 to $65,000 before big add-ons.

How much does it cost to run a pool each year?

On the defaults the yearly cost is about $2,780 for gunite, $2,300 for vinyl liner, $1,760 for fiberglass and $1,000 for above-ground. That includes pump electricity, chemicals, water, an insurance increase, and replaster, liner or refinish costs spread over their life. Gunite costs the most mainly because of replastering, roughly every 10 to 15 years.

How much electricity does a pool pump use?

The tool uses pump kW times hours per day times 365 times your rate. A variable-speed pump averaging 0.6 kW for 10 hours a day uses 6 kWh a day, or about 2,190 kWh a year, which is about $339 at $0.155 per kWh. A single-speed pump at 1.5 kW for 8 hours uses about 4,380 kWh, or about $679. Heaters are separate and can cost far more.

Which pool type is cheapest over 10 years?

On the defaults, vinyl liner has the lowest 10-year total among in-ground pools at about $101,800 (upfront plus ten years of ownership cost), then fiberglass at about $113,300 and gunite at about $137,700. Above-ground is far lower at about $47,000, but it is a different product with a shorter life. The tool uses the same add-ons for every type, so differences come from the pool itself and upkeep.

What fence or barrier does a Texas pool need?

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 757 sets state-level pool yard enclosure rules; summaries of it report a barrier at least 4 ft high with self-closing, self-latching gates. The City of Houston has its own pool and spa safety ordinance, and counties, other cities and HOAs may add rules. Barrier rules can change, so confirm the current requirements with your city or county and your pool builder before you price a fence. The tool includes 120 ft of fence at $40 per ft by default; you can edit both.

Does Houston clay soil raise the cost?

It can. Expansive clay moves as it wets and dries, so builders may use engineered steel, extra drainage or a deeper shell, and some do not recommend certain pool types on poor soil. The tool adds 5% to the shell cost for clay and 20% for rock as planning assumptions only. A soil test and your builder's engineer will give the real number.

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