Thinking about a pool for Summer of 2018 - what to do...

[Etfonhome]

Howdy folks,

I live in Salt Lake City, Utah and I was thinking about installing a inground Salt water/heated pool next summer (2018) standard 18x36 with nothing special. I'm totally lost as to what I should do - I've had 5 bids placed and each contractor talked up their pool type - Vinyl, Gunite and Fiberglass...on top of that I'm in a bit of sticker shock since every contractor quoted prices in the $70 thousand and up range - no matter the pool type - but varied on some of the basics like equipment and concrete coping - so basically addon another 10-20k once you've selected the final products. My wife thinks the quotes are not in line with inground pool costs and is thinking we should do an AGP at 1/4 of the price or maybe purchase a vinyl pool kit and contract the work ourselves...would be happy to hear your thoughts...

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I think it is a better start to go into it with a "wish list" of what you want, starting with the bare essentials. Then as you add features you can see what is most important to you and what might not be worth the money and see if your bids are more in line with your budget.

Do you want a pool for actual swimming or just lounging about? Shape? Do you want to be able to dive in it?-that requires a deeper pool for safety.

Is your yard fairly flat and accommodating to a pool or will it require retaining walls or other work to make it possible?

Adding a simple timer and Salt Water Chlorine Generator (SWG) aren't too pricey, but it can get more pricey if you want to have top of the line automation from your phone to control the pump, water features, heater, etc.

When we priced out pools, fiberglass was about the same as gunite but that's not the case everywhere. Vinyl was cheaper but the trade off is knowing that you'll spend money again down the road (7 yrs or so) getting a new liner.

Variable Speed pumps cost the most but save the most in electricity. So if your rates aren't too high, a two speed pump might be a better option cost wise.

THere are some things you can do later as finances allow. Cabanas, outdoor kitchens, etc. Some things are best done at the time of construction- laying out pipe for future cabanas or kitchens, gas line for heaters etc.

ASK the pool builders what you can get for "x" amount of money and see if they want to help you get a start.

Maddie

 

[Etfonhome]

After a long Christmas break my wife and I are thinking about installing an Saltwater 8000 above ground pool (15*30) with deck for about 10k, leaving lots of cash to landscape (artificial grass, etc). We've had Intex pools but I'd rather have something more permanent even though its really just for our young kids to play and I doubt this is our final home so the investment just couldn't be justified at the prices we're getting. Thanks for the suggestion on the pumps and costs.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

awrighty then! Will you keep us up to date with the build? We love ALL kinds of pools, y'know!

Maddie

 

[Purple]

Hi! I'm in Utah as well, and most places I've called over the past 2 years are unwilling to take a job for less than 100k. Have you found anything?

I'm now looking at AGP, but there aren't many dealers in the West. (Most are in NY/NJ don't know why...) Keep us posted if you find an installer!

 

[broschb]

I'm in salt lake as well. I had a builder give me a quote last year for vinyl. In the end I decided to do it myself, but there are installers willing to do the job without hitting 100k, at least for vinyl. The gunite installers I did call weren't as willing to talk or even come out and look at my yard. Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions.

 

[Dirk]

Would anyone know? Is that just Utah, or would my pool in California cost that much to build now? I've been thinking my pool, extensive landscaping and a lot of stone and concrete work were in the $70-100K range, but I thought I might be exaggerating. See my signature... anybody want to hazard a guess on just the pool (in Central CA)?

Here in my town, I saw for myself that my pool added virtually nothing to the price I paid for my new-to-me home (the house and pool were probably 5-years-old or so). A comp across the street, slightly smaller, no pool and no view, slightly smaller lot, was only $5K less! So basically, I got a free pool (well, not counting what I've put into it since, that is!).

Point is, if you know you're going to be moving sooner than later, I'd have a chat with a realtor or two and see what a pool installation, AG or IG, might add to the value of your home. That might be something to consider before you decide on how much to spend...

 

[needsajet]

Welcome to TFP! Good to have you here

My two cents is to think landscape first, meaning to consider everything you do in your yard (play, lounging, maintenance, storage, pets, etc,) and how the pool fits best. Once that's decided, then you can optimize shape, size, deck location, aesthetics, access to the pool, swimmers drying off, dash to the bathroom, and so on.

Have fun with all the plans and construction!