Dreams of peace and serenity usually involve a body of water, be it a white-sand beach, a trickling stream through a forest, or a gushing waterfall in a tropical paradise.
Water brings a sense of harmony and peace to a place of chaos or just ugliness. You can make your own peaceful retreat with a custom pool in your backyard. A custom pool allows you to take your yard, regardless of its shape or size, and turn it into paradise.
Your dream of a custom-made inground pool can come true. You just need to understand the basics of custom pool cost and what your options are. Then you can turn your plain backyard into one of envy, where friends and family will gather and make memories that last a lifetime.
Keep reading to learn about the cost of a custom pool installation and maintenance.
General Custom Pool Cost
The following costs may look a little exorbitant. Do not let them discourage you from your dreams. Let them help you make a plan for how you can afford the luxury of an inground pool.
Inground pool cost varies from $30,000 to $50,000, depending on the materials you choose and the quantity of landscaping needed to install the pool. If you’re hoping for a more luxurious feel with cabanas, lighting, waterfalls, or slides, expect the price to push past $100,000.
The digging alone for a custom pool will cost at least $1,000. The cost of a hole for a basic 16×30-foot pool will range from $1,000 to $2,500.
If you have a hard-to-reach yard, the excavation will cost more. Also, if you have to have trees or large rocks removed, expect the excavation to cost as much as $10,000 or more.
Materials
The materials you choose for your inground pool play a large part in the cost of the pool. Generally speaking, you have three options for material: concrete, fiberglass, and vinyl liner.
Concrete
Concrete pools actually start as a form constructed from wire and steel reinforcement bars. A pool company will spray the form with gunite or shotcrete, a type of wet concrete.
Concrete pools work well as custom pools because the designer can incorporate custom shapes with curves. They also work especially well if you want to use ceramic tile in your pool.
Furthermore, concrete pools have serious longevity. You can find concrete pools that last anywhere from 50 to 100 years.
Concrete has a downside, though. Its porous surface makes an ideal home for algae. Thus, you will spend more time maintaining your concrete pool.
The alkaline-based material that helps make up concrete will affect the pH of your pool water as well. Thus when you have a concrete pool, you need to regularly monitor the pH values.
You should also expect to replaster your concrete pool every ten to fifteen years, and this will cost you an additional $10,000.
On average, a basic 14×28-foot concrete pool will cost you around $50,000 with installation fees.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass pools cost less than concrete pools of the same size and shape. They also require less maintenance than concrete pools.
Fiberglass is non-porous. This means bacteria and algae won’t infiltrate it like they do concrete pools. This little fact means you’ll spend less time and money on the daily maintenance of a fiberglass pool.
Furthermore, you can purchase fiberglass pools in a variety of depths and shapes. They have features like tile surfaces, wide edges, and built-in spas.
On the downside, fiberglass pools do not last as long as concrete pools. Also, fiberglass pools come premade. It’s much more difficult to find the custom shape you want.
Installation may cost more if you live in an area not accessible by heavy equipment. A crane will lower the fiberglass pool into place, so you need a place that a crane can access.
Expect a 14×28 fiberglass pool to cost around $46,000 installed.
Vinyl Lined
Of all three types of pools, vinyl-lined pools cost the least. They consist of panels made of rigid steel, plastic, or composite. Pool contractors fit the panels into the excavated hole and form walls with them.
The contractors finish off the pool by lining the panels with thick vinyl. Some vinyl pools even come as kits that pool companies can install on site.
A basic 14×28-foot vinyl-lined pool will cost you around $35,000 with installation. Vinyl does not have the same durability as concrete or fiberglass. So you should expect to replace the liner every ten years with a cost of $3,000 to $4,000.
General Maintenance Costs
The cost of a custom pool does not stop after you’re done building a swimming pool. There is an ongoing inground pool cost to maintain the quality of your pool and increase its longevity. Here are some of the basic costs you can expect when you own a pool.
Professional Pool Services
Professional pool service will offer you a monthly service that keeps your pool and filters clean. You can certainly try to clean your pool on your own to save money, but you should still have a pro come in at the beginning and end of the swim season to start and winterize your pool.
Plan on paying $150 to $300 for the season beginning and ending fees. If you want a monthly cleaning and chemical adjustment, budget for $80 to $150 a month.
Electricity Costs
Expect your utility bills to rise a bit after you install a pool. All total, plan on spending an extra $500 to $800 every year for the power and water needed to have a pool.
Insurance
As you prepare to have a pool installed, check with your homeowner’s insurance company. Ask about increasing liability coverage and what you can do to mitigate the insurance costs. Often you will have a lower premium if you have pool contractors install locked gates and childproof fencing around your pool.
Cool Down Costs
When you plan for a custom pool cost, you can plan on the pool of your dreams. Many pool companies have finance plans that allow your dreams to come true sooner rather than later.
Are you interested in custom pools designed specifically for your personal taste and budget? Contact us. We specialize in transforming your backyard into the outdoor living area of your dreams.
