Vinyl Liner Inground Pools. How Much Do They Cost?
Posted by Nathan Edwards
This question is always loaded. Vinyl Pools are an animal of a different color. Unlike fiberglass pools that are manufactured with steps, benches, and swimouts already in place, vinyl pools are not. You can decide on a vinyl pool that does not include steps or benches, or you can have them built into your pool a couple of different ways.
Steps and Swimouts
The most popular way is replacing wall panels with a fiberglass step that is normally white in color. You can also do a sunledge area the same way. It is a white fiberglass piece that is bolted in, in place of a wall panel. Manufactures do make these in a couple different colors other than white that you can choose from. When you choose this option the liner is cut out around these areas.
Liner over steps and benches
The other option is to have your pool built so that any steps or bench areas are incorporated into the pool so that they are covered by the liner. This makes for a very nice looking and uniform pool when it is done.
Coping
There are other things that can affect the price of a vinyl pool such as the coping around the top of the pool. The majority of vinyl pools are built with an aluminum bullnose coping piece. You can choose to do a cantilevered option using concrete, brick, or some type of a natural stone.
I think you get the picture that vinyl pool pricing can fluctuate greatly depending on your preferences. I will break down and give you a range of pricing that you can expect to pay. This by no means covers all situations and pricing can vary by area and dealer.
The Basic Pool Kit.
This one always makes me smile. I know you can go online and buy a vinyl pool kit for the ‘sale” price of $2499. When you look at those they are selling you the pool kit which is typically the wall panels, bracing, possibly a step and a few other misc. items. Usually some plumbing parts and white good fittings such as your skimmers and returns. What you are not getting for that price is the other materials you need to build your pool such as concrete, material for the bottom of your pool, and backfill. The big thing you are not getting if you buy a pool kit this way is installation costs. I get the calls every year wanting to know if we can install a kit somebody bought this way, and always end up hanging up with a person that is not happy because they can’t believe the pool they bought for $2499 is going to cost them $15,000 to $20,000. I said all this to let you know that unless you understand, or you have a friend that understands construction, and most importantly elevations and can do the install yourself this might not be the best route for you to go.
Basic Pool Kit plus installation.
So finally here we are. This will include the pool kit, excavation, installation, bottom material, liner drop, concrete collar around bottom of pool, backfill material, filter system. Depending on the size of the pool you want you can expect to be in the $12,000 to $24,000 range.
Basic Pool Kit and installation plus top decking.
This will include everything in number 2 plus decking around the top of your pool. You have many options to choose from such as broom finish concrete, stamped concrete, pavers, and natural stone finishes that will determine your cost. The average area for pool decking will fall in the 400 to 700 square foot range. You can add to this or reduce the size depending on your preference. Cost - $18,000 to $40,000.
Turnkey Installation.
Everything that is in number 3 plus fencing and electrical hookups. $25,000 to $60,000.
Hopefully this will help shed some light on what you can expect to pay for a vinyl liner in ground pool. Keep in mind that your unique situation and what optional things you want with your pool will determine your final costs. Good luck with your pool shopping and happy swimming.
Nathan Edwards