A pool is something great to have for any family home or for anyone who plans to retire in style - as long as they have the means to maintain it. Your family and guests will enjoy the pool as it’s great for get-togethers and leisurely afternoons, but the annual costs of maintaining it is definitely something to consider.
As someone who’s lived in Vermont all their life and just retired to Florida, you can imagine just how uninformed I was about the costs for the upkeep of a pool.
I have learned that throughout the time of having a pool that the costs are more or less dependent on how much time you’re willing to spend on upkeep, if you’re willing to pay someone to do it for you, and whether or not you’d want to have it screened. These are the key factors in determining how much money you’ll be spending annually.
Maintaining your own Pool
If you plan on maintaining your own pool, you can save up for almost a thousand dollars a year.
PRODUCT | COST | TOTAL |
Pool Chemicals | $600 to $1,300 | $850 to $1,750 |
Equipment | $250 to $450 | |
And this is just the cost for your first year. Your equipment can last for years if taken care of properly. For pool chemicals, you might need to restock after every four months or more.
Most importantly, your cost will depend on what your pool needs. You might not need a certain pool chemical or tool, so your expenses will decrease. Similar to hiring a service, you also need to add around $100 to $500 for repairs.
Here is the cost of different pool chemicals, equipment, or parts that you may need to maintain your pool:
Pool Chemicals
Product | Use | Price |
For balancing the pH level and treating calcium and magnesium hardness | $8 to $30 | |
A tool used to determine if the pool water chemistry is balanced | $7 to $20 | |
A sanitizer used to kill bacteria and other contaminants | $15 to $65 | |
A chemical used to increase the chlorine levels | $20 to $80 | |
Prevents algae by eliminating phosphates | $15 to $33 | |
A chemical used to clear cloudy water | $12 to $30 | |
To eliminate stains and fix water discoloration | $15 to $30 | |
A chemical used to kill and prevent algae | $15 to $25 | |
To clean the pool surface, finish, and accessories | $10 to $39 | |
Used to clean a pool’s filter | $10 to $17 |
Note: Click the photo to view the product
If you want to learn more about these chemicals, check out our guide on how to keep your pool clean and safe with these pool chemicals.
Pool Equipment
Product | Use | Price |
Used to loosen dirt and debris and to avoid algae buildup | $15 to $20 | |
An attachment tool to help reach deeper parts of the pool | $10 to $21 | |
Used to clean the walls and floors of the pool | $15 to $32 | |
To remove debris on the surface of the pool before it falls to the bottom or clogs the pump | $8 to $20 | |
Used to prevent leaves and other debris from clogging the skimmer basket | $30 to $37 | |
To clean a pool floor filled with leaves | $21 to $63 | |
To protect the pool when it is not being used | $50 to $180 | |
Used to lubricate valves, fittings, and plugs | $10 to $20 |
Note: Click the photo to view the product
You can check out these pool equipment in our post on the 11 pool tools you will need to clean and maintain your pool.
Hardware Replacement
Product | Price | Note |
$200 to $350 | Before buying, check if the pump matches your voltage supply and your wiring is up to code. | |
$15 to $40 | Replace your filter if it has cracks in the end caps, ripped fabric, collapsed inner core, and high PSI reading. | |
$80 to $160 | Replace your water heater when there is mineral buildup or there are insects blocking the tubes. |
Note: Click the photo to view the product
Tips when going for this option:
Hiring a Professional Pool Maintenance Service Crew
If you don't have the time to take maintain your pool, you can hire a professional to do it for you. Getting a pool service company to do the job for you will cost you around $100 to $200 a month. There’s also a separate cost for opening and closing your pool.
SERVICE | COST | TOTAL |
Monthly Service | $1,200 to $2,400 | $1,800 to $3,550 |
Pool Opening | $300 to $500 | |
Pool Closing | $300 to $650 | |
If you get your pool service, your annual cost can add up to $1,800 a year - and that’s the lower range with just the basic upkeep. You have to add around $150 to $700 if you need any repairs.
Advantages of Hiring a Pro
They know what they're doing
You're not just paying them for their service but their experience as well. These experts are trained to take care of pools. Aside from cleaning and maintenance, they can also resolve any pool issue you may encounter.
Saves you time and effort
I know you can take care of your own pool, but why spend time and make an effort doing it when you have the budget to hire someone to do it for you. Get them to clean so you can swim.
They are faster and more efficient
Since they are used to cleaning and repairing pools, it will only take them a couple of hours to do it. You don't have to research what pool products to use, how to balance the pool water chemistry, what chemicals you will need to achieve the ideal levels, and more.
Your pool will surely be safe
If you have ever tried balancing your pool water, then you know how difficult it is. A person can easily make a mistake. But with professionals, they can handle this easily and do it properly.
Tips when going for this option:
Getting a Pool Screen Enclosure
If you do have your pool screened and would like to save some money from hiring a professional, then I personally don’t think that self-maintenance would be too much of a burden on your time or wallet. The screen enclosure will do a lot of the work for you as you won’t need to worry about critters contaminating or causing problems with your pool’s overall function.
Investing in a screen enclosure for your pool is also a great idea, not only because of the abundant wildlife in Florida but also because there are plenty of thunderstorms and hurricanes that come and go. These are going to dirty and contaminate your pool, making self-maintenance harder on yourself without the screen. Similar to the hiring and self-maintenance, there are also future problems that can arise due to filter problems that will cost you more money in repairs.
I’ve had my pool for a few years now and fluctuated between hiring a professional and self-maintaining but opted for the latter and got a screen enclosure. If this sounds like something you’d also want to opt for, then I strongly advise you to go for this option.
Tips when going for this option:
After trial and error, our pool has become an extremely nice asset to our home. I’d suggest going for self-maintenance along with getting a screen enclosure. The benefits outweigh the cons and we ended up saving the money we would spend on services that we can easily do ourselves.
With all these things considered, there’s one more thing I’d like to point out which could save you money.
If you live or plan on living in Florida, then be mindful that there’s plenty of beaches in this state. If you don’t want to invest time and money into a pool, you can go to the beach. Heck, there’s the beautiful sand, sounds of the ocean, and the overall relaxation you can expect upon retiring here as I have.
The sunshine state is a popular domain for people who love their water. Consider packing yourself up and bringing a book by the waves each day instead of dumping chlorine in your pool and making the necessary investments for it. The beach is a much less expensive way to enjoy your retirement. The only con there is the obvious factor of not having privacy but if that isn’t a problem for you, then by all means!
Whether you plan on buying a home with a pool, having one installed, going to the beach, or do both here in Florida, the water and sunshine is a greatly desired trait within retirement. I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else after retiring. I love having my nieces and nephews over for the summer and they love swimming in our pool, as well as the beach.
Also, the investment we put into the pool pays off since we can just walk straight out of our door and into the water, but going to the beach is also a convenient route since they are located everywhere around this state.
Think about all your options before deciding to live with a pool in your backyard, else you might find yourself in a rut of needlessly spending money and wasting time.