Pool size

[Avgjoenj]

Maintenance costs are minimal with saltwater pools. As long as you keep your levels correctly you can get away with a couple of hundred/season or less in chemicals. Also it costs me $300 to have the pool professionally closed in the winter. To go a little larger is a negligible amount of additional seasonal costs.

For your size pool I think you need a 3hp variable speed pump. Single speed and variable speed are frequently the same net price due to utility rebates on variable speed pumps ($400 for me). Any water features? Are you going to heat it? I would also price out gunite/plaster pools. Are you getting automation?

No water features, I did get quotes for gunite which was around 50K, same specs for a 42X20 concrete liner pool without heater, I was quoted 29K including permit fees + engineering drawing etc,

I didnt opt for any concrete work as I have my own paver mason who has worked on my patio and other masonry work around the house.

 

[ponygirl]

Definitely go larger. I thought my husband was nuts wanting a 40 foot long, 31 foot wide lagoon shape in our half acre yard, but I can't imagine it smaller now. One thing that helped a lot is to put a lawn chair cushion or a pool float in the "pool" when it is laid out with hoses or marked with paint. Our builder was able to get us to 43 feet long and we are so happy with it. Pool maintenance with SWG is super easy. Make sure you have the variable speed pump and 2 skimmers.

 

[ocmagnum]

Central NJ, Freehold / Manalapan to be precise.

BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Sorry, could not help myself, huge Springsteen fan here.

While I agree that bigger in your case is likely better, probably also worth considering how many people you think will be using the pool and how, as well as what other activities take place in your beautiful yard. To give you an extreme, if it's just you and your spouse and you love just hang in the pool with a drink in hand, but also love to play tennis, maybe the smaller size works great and allows construction of a court later on. As I said, probably an extreme scenario, but I think use of space/pool should always be considered. 36x18 is a decent size already if only few people use it and you don't need diving, swim lane etc

 

[bmoreswim]

Or if you want room for a partial basketball court between the house and pool. But still enough room to have a catch and play football at the bottom.

 

[ocmagnum]

Or if you want room for a partial basketball court between the house and pool. But still enough room to have a catch and play football at the bottom.

View attachment 72779

I'm definitely not jealous of that yard; no sir, not me

 

[PrehistoricPool]

I'm definitely not jealous of that yard; no sir, not me

You will be once he puts in the par-three golf course