Free Pool Cost Calculator (+ Guide)

What is a pool cost calculator?

A pool cost calculator adds up every cost of building a pool, from the builder's quote to the fence, cover and landscaping around it.

It shows the total with a contingency, the cost per square foot and what's left of your budget.

How it works

The cheapest of your quotes goes in the total, next to the costs it doesn't cover.

The safety fence the CPSC recommends

The Consumer Product Safety Commission's barrier guidelines are written to keep young children out of the pool when no adult is watching.

• A fence completely around the pool is better than one that uses the house as the fourth side
• Fences should be at least 4 feet high, and 5 feet or more is preferable
• Gates should be self-closing and self-latching, and doors from the house to the pool need alarms
• A power safety cover adds another layer

The guidelines aren't mandatory, but some states and towns put them in their codes, so check what yours requires and price it from the start.

Call 811 before the excavation

The US Department of Transportation asks everyone to call 811 a few days before any digging, so local utility operators can mark buried gas, electric, telecommunications, water and sewer lines.

How to compare contractors' quotes

The Federal Trade Commission gives this advice before you hire anyone.

• Hire only licensed and insured contractors, and check the license with your state or county
• Get several written estimates, each with the work, the materials, the completion date and the price
• Don't automatically pick the lowest bid, and ask why if the estimates differ a lot
• Get a written contract with the contractor's license number and the start and finish dates
• Never pay the full amount up front, and make the final payment only when the work is done

It also warns that a contractor who asks you to get the permits, or who only takes cash, may be running a scam.

How much contingency to add

A contingency is money set aside for what you find once the walls or the ground are open.

HUD requires one on its 203(k) renovation loans: 10% to 20% of the repair costs on a home 30 years or older, and at least 15% when the utilities don't work.

On a newer home, it's up to the lender, to a maximum of 20%.

A worked example

Here's the example the calculator loads: a 450 sq ft pool with three quotes of $62,000, $58,000 and $70,000, plus a pool deck, a safety fence, a safety cover, landscaping and permits.

The cheapest of the three quotes is $58,000, $12,000 less than the dearest. Your other costs add $15,900, so the pool comes to $73,900 before the contingency.

A 15% contingency adds $11,085, for a total of $84,985. That's $188.86 per square foot, and $5,015 left of a $90,000 budget.

Mistakes to avoid

These are the slips that come up most.

• Budgeting the pool and forgetting the fence, deck and cover
• Leaving the safety fence for later, when your town may require it first
• Paying most of the price up front, which the FTC warns against

Who is the pool cost calculator for?

It's for anyone planning an in-ground or above-ground pool, and these tools help around it.

• Pool volume calculator – for gallons and chemicals
• Fence cost calculator – for the safety fence
• Home equity loan calculator – if you borrow for it

Price the fence and the deck with the pool, and the first swim isn't the last surprise.