The Cost of Building an In-Ground Pool

The Dig

• Before you shell out thousands of dollars to buy the pool materials and pay the labor needed to install it, you must have a place prepared where it will go in the ground, which will involve excavation -- the first task that will require you to spend money. You will likely spend in excess of $3,000, as of July 2011, on hired professional services outside of the actual pool kit unless you use a company that handles all aspects of the job. This amount is a conservative estimate that may cover excavation as well as the plumbing and electrical costs. Again, all depends on the size and location of the pool.

The Pool Itself

• According to the Landscaping Ideas Online website, an in-ground pool will cost somewhere between $5,000 and $20,000 for just the pool kit or materials and labor for a poured concrete pool. The lower end of the spectrum is more likely with very small pools or fiberglass kits while the larger pools, particularly poured pools, may run near the top of the range. In many cases the pool itself can cost thousands of dollars more than this estimate, depending on design.

Plumbing and Electrical

• Plumbing to connect the pumps and the drains and all of the inner workings of the pool's filtration and circulation system is an important job that must be performed right to keep your pool's water healthy and clean for swimmers. This job should be left to professionals and is sometimes included in installation costs, although not always. You may need to spend additional money to hire a plumber.

The Surroundings

• A pool is usually not just used as a vat of water for swimming. It is also commonly a home oasis and an escape from the rest of the world without having to leave home and drive to a beach. With this in mind, people tend to design landscaped and relaxing surroundings at their pool area. Depending on how elaborate the owner wishes to get, the decking, fountains, landscaping, pump house, changing room or other amenities poolside can add up to more than the cost of the pool.

Most Expensive Pool

• If you are curious about how much you could possibly spend on a swimming pool, consider the most expensive pool in the world. According to the Most Expensive Journal website, the world's most expensive pool is located in Chile at the San Alfonso Del Mar Resort. It is also the world's largest pool with a Guinness Book entry all its own. The pool holds 66 million gallons of crystal clear water, is as long as three football fields and has a deep end that is 115-feet deep. The price tag for this pool was just under $1 billion. It costs $4 million just for annual maintenance.