Cherry Hill Pool & Spa Buyer's Guide

The most often asked question is by far, “How much is my fiberglass pool going to cost? While no two jobs are alike there are common expenses.

1. Pool Shell: This is the biggest expense including the equipment and installation process.  This varies from company to company but a basic rule of thumb is:

• Small Pools (up to 12′ wide and 25′ long): $20, 000 and up
• Medium Pools (up to 14′ and 30′ long):  $30,000 and up
• Large Pools (up to 16′ wide and 44′ long) $35, 000 and up

2. Features and Options:

• HEATERS: For New Englanders, a heater doubles the swim season and we can all agree, that the warm weather doesn’t last nearly long enough! A quick Googling of “pool heaters”  results showed from $119 to $7,700. That is a big gap!  The price for a pool heater is based on the number of BTUs. Hayward Pool Products has a great calculator for determining the appropriate size heater: http://www.haywardnet.com/pdfs/Heater_Selection_Guide.pdf
• CLEANING SYSTEM: Paramount Pool Products has revolutionized they way we keep pools clean with their patented in-floor cleaning system Pools that have this feature result in a MAINTENANCE-FREE swimming pool. This is an incredible, time-saving invention, but it is not inexpensive. Based on the type of pool you choose, the cost of the system can run upwards of $6,000. However, families who have the system swear by it.  It is one of the major options to consider in your purchase.
• There are other ways to customized your pool aesthetically: The color of the shell, tile, water-features – but from an expense perspective, these are minimal (i.e. waterline tile=$3,000 an up; water-features = $900 and up).

3. Finish Patio / Hardscape: The sky is the limit when considering your patio. A basic swept or brushed concrete patio without a cantilevered edge can be as little as $3,500 for a small pool.

At the other end of the extreme, a custom patio installed with imported materials costs and custom coping can cost, well the sky’s the limit here.

Techo-Bloc offers an incredible array of pavers which has become incredibly popular in recent years.  Budget: $20 and up per square foot.

In the middle of the pack is stamped concrete and exposed aggregate. These will run around $15 per square foot and provide longevity, minimal maintenance and both are very durable choices for New Englanders.

On the additional costs to consider with your patio is the coping stone. With stamped and aggregate, a form is affixed to the pool and the concrete is poured so that there is a slight lip that extends into the pool. This provides a very clean look. Whether you choose a coping stone, like bull nose or cantilevered edge, there will be an additional cost.

4. Utility Connections: A licensed electrician will also be required to make the connections for your pool. Depending on the age of your house and whether your electrical panel has been updated, this could cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000. Yes, that is a big gap, but factors to consider include location (rural, suburb, city), length of run, condition of panel. A licensed gas plumber will also be required to make the connection if you choose natural gas or propane fuel. Cost varies again based on location, length of run, accessibility to gas main or whether a propane tank will need to be installed.

5. Landscape: Many homeowners are unprepared as to what their backyard is going to require after the swimming pool is installed. Where there was once a grassy lawn, there is now a beautiful swimming pool, BUT there is also tracks from the heavy equipment, a lot of muddy mess and while the pool is beautiful and the patio is gorgeous, it doesn’t quite look like it did in the magazine. RELAX. Now comes the fun part of landscaping.