Inground pool cost
Inground pool cost, line by line
HomeAdvisor puts the pool itself at about $44,500 to $87,300, with an average near $66,000. This Old House prints $38,000 to $100,000 for a 12 by 24 foot pool. Check what each total leaves out. Treat every figure here as a planning range, not a quote, because the published numbers disagree.
Last updated
The table
Where the money goes, line by line
The pool is only part of the bill. Here is each piece with the range published guides give for it. Add the lines your yard needs and you have a first all-in number to test against quotes.
Most of these lines scale with the size of the pool. The pool size chart shows the water area and edge of every common size, and Will it fit checks a size against your yard. Two sizes are worked through line by line: a 12x24 and a 16x32.
The pool itself, by type
| Item | Planning range |
|---|---|
| Vinyl linerInstalled, as the guides print it. HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost. | $40,000 to $75,000 |
| FiberglassA factory shell set in the hole, installed. HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost. | $55,000 to $100,000 |
| Concrete (gunite or shotcrete)Built on site, with a plaster interior unless you pay for another finish. HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost. | $65,000 to $120,000 |
| Per square foot, all typesInstalled, on the water surface, as HomeAdvisor prints it. HomeGuide prints $80 to $250; This Old House prints $180 to $350. HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, Fixr, gunite and concrete pool, Pool Research, plunge pool cost, HomeGuide, inground pool cost, This Old House, inground pool cost. | $90 to $250 a square foot |
Digging and equipment
| Item | Planning range |
|---|---|
| ExcavationHomeGuide lists it separately, so ask whether your quote includes it. HomeGuide, inground pool cost. | $1,000 to $5,000 |
| PumpHomeGuide's figure for the pump alone. HomeGuide, inground pool cost. | $300 to $1,600 |
| FilterHomeGuide's figure for the filter alone. HomeGuide, inground pool cost. | $300 to $1,700 |
| HeaterThe guides print different bands: HomeGuide $1,600 to $5,200, HomeAdvisor $300 to $5,700, This Old House $3,450 to $5,450. Ask your builder to list the equipment on the quote. HomeGuide, inground pool cost, HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, This Old House, inground pool cost. | $300 to $5,700 |
Around the water
| Item | Planning range |
|---|---|
| Pavers deckHomeAdvisor's installed figure. Fixr's $6 to $8 is materials only. HomeAdvisor, pool deck cost. | $3 to $7 a square foot |
| Stamped concrete deckHomeAdvisor's installed figure, labor included. Fixr's $15 to $30 is materials only. HomeAdvisor, pool deck cost. | $12 to $20 a square foot |
| Cool-deck concreteNo guide we use prices cool-deck separately; Fixr prices the coating at about $200. Ask your builder. | No published range |
| Travertine deckHomeAdvisor's installed figure for travertine pavers. HomeAdvisor, travertine pavers. | $15 to $27 a square foot |
| Concrete copingThe cap along the pool's edge. Pool Research, pool coping cost. | $6 to $12 a foot |
| Travertine copingThe cap along the pool's edge. Pool Research, pool coping cost. | $45 to $55 a foot |
| Aluminum fenceInstalled. Fixr, pool fence. | $15 to $35 a foot |
| Glass fenceInstalled. Fixr, pool fence. | $95 to $210 a foot |
| Removable mesh fencePriced by the job. Fixr, pool fence. | $1,500 to $2,500 |
Features that raise the total
| Item | Planning range |
|---|---|
| Spa added to the poolA spa added to a new pool. HomeAdvisor, hot tub cost, Shasta Pools, Arizona costs. | $6,000 to $18,000 |
| Vanishing edgePool Research's premium over an average inground pool, and it can run higher. Pool Research, infinity pools. | $10,000 to $30,000 or more |
| Rock waterfallA medium rock waterfall. A grotto costs more. Simplified Pools, water features guide. | $4,000 to $10,000 |
| Pool lightingInstalled. HomeAdvisor prints $200, This Old House $450 to $1,200 and HomeGuide $700 to $1,800. HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, This Old House, inground pool cost, HomeGuide, inground pool cost. | $200 to $1,800 each |
| Outdoor kitchenA built-in outdoor kitchen. HomeAdvisor, outdoor kitchen. | $6,300 to $27,000 |
Paperwork and the yard
| Item | Planning range |
|---|---|
| Permits and inspectionsThis Old House's figure. HomeGuide prints $100 to $300 and says most contractors include permit fees in their price. Your town sets its own fees, and engineering can add to it. This Old House, inground pool cost, HomeGuide, inground pool cost. | $450 to $1,800 |
| Landscaping and plantingHomeGuide's range. Ask every builder to price it on the quote or say it is left out. HomeGuide, inground pool cost. | $3,000 to $5,000 |
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Unit rates were collected October 6, 2026 and the national guide figures on . Land clearing, grading beyond the lines above, a cover unless named, financing and overruns are not in any range.
Pool type
Vinyl costs least up front, concrete costs most and bends to any shape
The three types differ in price, in how much say you have over the shape, and in what you redo later. This is the short version.
| Type | Installed price | Shape | Build time | Surface life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl liner | Installed price$40,000 to $75,000 | ShapeAny shape a builder can frame, with a liner over it. | Build time4 to 8 weeks (HomeGuide prints 2 to 3 weeks). | Surface lifeThe liner is replaced about every 10 years (HomeGuide prints 6 to 12 years). |
| Fiberglass | Installed price$55,000 to $100,000 | ShapeA factory mold, so you pick from the shapes and sizes a maker offers. | Build time2 to 4 weeks. | Surface lifeLasts 25 years or more. The gel coat is the finish, so there is no plaster to redo (HomeGuide says it may need refinishing about every 10 years). |
| Concrete | Installed price$65,000 to $120,000 | ShapePoured to your drawing, so any shape and depth. | Build timeAbout three to six months (HomeGuide prints 6 to 8 weeks), before permits. | Surface lifePlaster is redone about every 5 to 15 years, depending on the guide. Pebble lasts 15 to 20 years or more. |
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Build time and surface life are mostly as HomeAdvisor prints them, with HomeGuide's figures beside them. HomeGuide prints shorter times for vinyl and concrete, so ask any builder for a schedule in writing, and add your town's permit time.
Sources: HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, HomeGuide, inground pool cost, Blue Haven Pools, how long a gunite pool takes, HomeAdvisor, pool resurfacing, Shasta Pools, plaster versus pebble.
By state
Where you live moves the price, so here is our adjusted range by state
We take the typical range from the HomeAdvisor guide and move it by half the gap in each state's cost of living. It is our judgment, not a published state price, so read it as a nudge up or down.
| State | Typical range, adjusted | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| California | Typical range, adjusted$47,000 to $92,000 | Factor1.05 |
| Florida | Typical range, adjusted$45,000 to $89,000 | Factor1.02 |
| Arizona | Typical range, adjusted$45,000 to $88,000 | Factor1.00 |
| Texas | Typical range, adjusted$44,000 to $86,000 | Factor0.99 |
| New York | Typical range, adjusted$46,000 to $91,000 | Factor1.04 |
| Georgia | Typical range, adjusted$44,000 to $86,000 | Factor0.98 |
| North Carolina | Typical range, adjusted$43,000 to $85,000 | Factor0.97 |
| Ohio | Typical range, adjusted$43,000 to $84,000 | Factor0.96 |
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Factors come from the 2024 US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state for the state, halved because that index includes housing costs. This Old House says the Northeast runs 15 to 25 percent higher and Florida and Texas lower. Our table moves less than that and puts Florida slightly above the middle, because it follows the cost of living, not pool prices.
After the build
Guides put yearly upkeep anywhere from about $960 to $5,000
HomeAdvisor's 2026 guide puts yearly upkeep at $3,000 to $5,000, including power, water, chemicals, service and repairs. HomeGuide prints $80 to $150 a month for maintenance, about $960 to $1,800 a year. The gap may be partly what each counts, and This Old House prints $90 to $270 a month, about $1,080 to $3,240 a year, in between. Ask what is in the number. Your bill moves with the size of the pool, your climate, how long you swim and whether you heat it.
What moves the yearly bill
- Power: the pump is the biggest steady draw, and a heater or a long swim season adds to it.
- Chemicals and water: a bigger pool holds more, and evaporation in a hot, dry place adds top-up water.
- Service: a weekly visit costs money, and doing it yourself costs time.
- Repairs: pumps, heaters and covers wear out, so a pool with more equipment has more to fix.
The bigger bill every few years
Every few years the surface needs redoing too: plaster about every 5 to 15 years depending on the guide, and pebble lasts 15 to 20 years or more. No guide we use prices resurfacing in a way we could stand behind, so ask a local builder for a quote.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote.
Sources: HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, HomeGuide, inground pool cost, This Old House, inground pool cost, HomeAdvisor, pool resurfacing, Shasta Pools, plaster versus pebble.
Honest numbers
Published guides give three different answers for the same job
Three guides print three different answers for the same job. Totals are only comparable when the size, the type and what is included match, and they rarely do.
- HomeAdvisor$44,499 to $87,349
- HomeGuide$25,000 to $100,000
- This Old House$38,000 to $100,000
A planning range from published sources, not a quote. Totals as each guide prints them. They are not the same size or scope.
HomeGuide's live page blocks automated visits, so we checked its figures on the Internet Archive copy of February 10, 2026 (the page is dated July 16, 2025). HomeAdvisor, This Old House and Thursday Pools were opened directly. HomeGuide live page, Internet Archive copy.
| Guide | Dated | Per sq ft | Vinyl | Fiberglass | Concrete |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HomeAdvisor | Datedupdated June 19, 2026 | Per sq ft$90 to $250 | Vinyl$40,000 to $75,000 | Fiberglass$55,000 to $100,000 | Concrete$65,000 to $120,000 |
| HomeGuide | Datedupdated July 16, 2025 | Per sq ft$80 to $250 | Vinyl$35,000 to $80,000 | Fiberglass$45,000 to $100,000 | Concrete$50,000 to $120,000 |
| This Old House | Datedupdated June 6, 2025 | Per sq ft$180 to $350 | Vinyl$38,000 to $70,000 | Fiberglass$50,000 to $95,000 | Concrete$58,000 to $100,000 |
N/A means the guide prints no figure for that cell. The total and the type prices are for a 12 by 24 foot pool.
Why they do not match
- Size. HomeAdvisor's typical pool is about 14 by 28 feet, HomeGuide prints a size table, and This Old House prices 12 by 24. Thursday Pools prices a 16 by 32.
- Type. Concrete, fiberglass and vinyl sit in different bands, and a guide that blends them lands in the middle.
- What is counted. This Old House says its prices cover pool installation only, not decking or fencing, so a full job costs more than a pool-only total.
- Date. The pages are dated from June 2025 to June 2026, and pool prices move.
One 16 by 32 foot pool, three estimates
Thursday Pools estimates three prices for a 16 by 32 foot pool: $61,500 for vinyl, from HomeGuide's 2024 rate of $123 a square foot; $89,600 for gunite, from another site's $175 a square foot; and $64,000 for fiberglass, from its own rule of $2,000 a linear foot. Thursday makes fiberglass pools. Its site says some content may be out of date.
- Vinyl
- $61,500
- Fiberglass
- $64,000
- Gunite
- $89,600
We do not average these. Use them as a fence: if a quote lands far outside every one of them, ask why.
The big swings
Features and site conditions can add tens of thousands to the total
Most link to a plain-words page that says who it suits and who should skip it. A range appears only where a published source gives one.
Size is the swing that comes first. A 20x40 has far more water and edge to build, heat and fence than a 14x28, and the size guide shows what each step up adds.
- A vanishing edge$10,000 to $30,000 or more
Pool Research's premium over an average inground pool. It needs a catch basin and a wall built to level.
Read about it - A spa$6,000 to $18,000
Added to a new pool, with its own equipment.
Read about it - Water features$4,000 to $10,000
A medium rock waterfall. Sheer descents, scuppers and jets are priced separately.
Read about it - A pebble or tile finish
Both cost more per square foot than plaster, and they last longer. Prices are on the features page.
Read about it - An outdoor kitchen$6,300 to $27,000
A built-in kitchen is usually its own project after the pool.
Read about it - A glass fence$95 to $210 a foot
Against an aluminum fence at $15 to $35 a foot.
Read about it - Lighting$200 to $1,800 each
Underwater lights, installed. The guides disagree, so ask for the model and the price. Plan them in before the pool is poured.
Read about it - A sloped yard$5,500 to $23,000
A retaining wall and a structural engineer.
- Hard accessUp to $20,000 extra
Bob Vila puts the average excavation at $3,400, which the pool price already includes, and says it can reach $20,000 when the site is hard to access.
A planning range from published sources, not a quote.
Estimate yours
Add a photo of your yard and see the pool in it. Pick the size and the features you are weighing to get the picture and, where the visualizer shows one, a planning range for what you chose. Take both to your builder. To check what fits your yard first, use Will it fit on the pool size chart. A range to plan with, never a quote.
The picture is an AI concept image, an idea and not a plan. Each design in pool ideas shows a planning range built from the same rates.
Questions people ask
How much does an inground pool cost?
HomeAdvisor puts the pool itself at about $44,500 to $87,300, with an average near $66,000; vinyl runs $40,000 to $75,000, fiberglass $55,000 to $100,000 and concrete $65,000 to $120,000. That is a planning range, not a quote, and other guides print wider bands.
Why do the published prices disagree so much?
They price different sizes, types and scopes, and some are older: This Old House quotes a 12 by 24 foot pool at $38,000 to $100,000 and HomeAdvisor puts the pool itself at about $44,500 to $87,300. See where the sources disagree.
How much does it cost to run a pool each year?
HomeAdvisor puts yearly upkeep at $3,000 to $5,000, including power, water, chemicals, service and repairs. HomeGuide prints $80 to $150 a month for maintenance, about $960 to $1,800 a year. Climate, size and heating move it. See the running cost.
Is the advertised pool price the final price?
Not always. This Old House says its prices cover pool installation only, not decking or fencing, so ask every builder to price the deck, fence, electrical and landscaping on their own lines.
What does an inground pool cost in my state?
It moves with local prices. Our damped regional factor takes the typical range up by about 5 percent in California and down by about 4 percent in Ohio. See the state table and treat it as a planning range.
How much does a 16x32 inground pool cost?
It depends on the build type and what the quote counts. Our 16x32 page prices the pool by water area at published rates and lists the deck, coping and fence beside it. The size chart does the same for every common size.
Is there a pool cost calculator?
Our free pool visualizer draws a pool in a photo of your yard, and each design in pool ideas prints a planning range built from the same published rates. Neither is a quote.
Sources and date checked
Links checked . If one has moved or no longer says this, tell us (see our editorial policy) and we will fix it.
- HomeAdvisor, in-ground pool cost, 2026
- HomeGuide, inground pool cost, 2025
- HomeGuide, inground pool cost, Internet Archive copy of February 10, 2026; the page is dated July 16, 2025
- This Old House, inground pool cost, 2025
- Thursday Pools, 16x32 inground pool cost, 2026
- Fixr, gunite and concrete pool, 2025
- Pool Research, plunge pool cost, undated
- HomeAdvisor, pool deck cost, 2026
- HomeAdvisor, travertine pavers, 2026
- Pool Research, pool coping cost, 2026
- Fixr, pool fence, 2025
- HomeAdvisor, hot tub cost, 2026
- Shasta Pools, Arizona costs, 2026
- Pool Research, infinity pools, undated
- Simplified Pools, water features guide, undated
- HomeAdvisor, outdoor kitchen, 2026
- Blue Haven Pools, how long a gunite pool takes, 2026
- HomeAdvisor, pool resurfacing, 2026
- Shasta Pools, plaster versus pebble, undated
- US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
- Pool Research, pool retaining wall, undated
- Bob Vila, in-ground pool cost, 2024
Every number here is a planning range from the sources above, not a quote, and none of it comes from our own plans. See how we write and check pages in our editorial policy.