How Much Should a New Vinyl Liner Pool Cost?

Sometimes spring 2024 may seem very far away. But if you’re thinking about a relaxing summer in your new outdoor space, you need to start planning early–especially if a new pool is on your wish list! However, it can be overwhelming trying to determine how much your new pool should cost, especially if you’ve never built a new one before.

But, with the proper planning and the right budgeting, building a new vinyl liner swimming pool can easily become manageable. So, the sooner you can start comparing your options, the easier it will be to select the right materials, features, and surrounding landscape that will benefit your entire family.

We should mention that MasterPLAN focuses on 2 types of pool installations; vinyl liner and gunite. Vinyl liner is semi-customizable to include many fun and functional features to enhance your pool experience, while gunite is fully customizable and the options are endless. However, each installation comes with drastically different price tags.

So, before you start building a new vinyl liner pool in the Lehigh Valley, here are a few tips to understand how much your new vinyl liner pool should cost from our custom outdoor living designer, Joseph Coryell, and the Team at MasterPLAN:

• How much does an inground liner pool typically cost? 

“Depending on the features you select for your custom vinyl liner swimming pool, the average range is about $55,000-$75,000.”

• What do pool contracts typically neglect to include in their proposals? 

“Most pool contracts will include the 2-4’ concrete coping, or collar, that surrounds the pool edge, but that is where it stops. The main components not included in a swimming pool installation are the outdoor living space features that are required by townships to be code compliant, ie: fence to secure the area, door and window alarms if there is direct access to the pool from the inside of the home..etc. No matter what company a homeowner is working with, we would like to stress to read the contract thoroughly.  There are some companies out there that entice people with an amazing price, but that amazing price usually doesn’t include the electrical, plumbing, lawn restoration, and sometimes even the water. They are all added costs and a surprise to those who enter the contract. As an outdoor living design/build firm, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that having the pool installed THEN worrying about the rest of the backyard can be a setup for failure. Waiting to find a patio installer, fence installer, or landscaper after the fact will leave your space unfinished, muddy, and ugly. It is best to work with a comprehensive company to execute the space as a whole so there are no breaks between installations and all the paperwork, scheduling, and inspections are handled for you.”

• What factors do you help clients consider when building a new vinyl liner pool?

“We always start with how the family will intend to use the pool. A “fun in the sun”, splashing and jumping pool will be completely different from a pool intended for laps and exercise, and also different from a pool intended for leisurely swimming, tanning, and adult hang-out time. We also want to walk through the shape, size, and depth of the pool to be sure we are staying true to the architecture of the home and the family’s lifestyle, as well as additional features desired like sun shelves, jets, water features, slides..etc. As designers, we are always paying attention to the sight lines from inside the home to make sure the location is perfect for aesthetic purposes and more importantly to be able to watch the kids from inside, safety first!”

• How does the location of your new vinyl liner pool impact the cost?

“There are several factors that can impact the cost of a swimming pool, for instance, site access, grade of the lot, if retention will be required for proper installation, existing features to remove, the pool equipment location, access to the electrical or gas connections, how much room is available in the electrical panel…etc.”

• What is the best size for an inground vinyl liner pool?

“This really depends on the family’s specific needs for the feature, but we see an average of about 500-700 square feet. This would equate to about 15-18 ft wide x 32-40 ft long.”

• How do material/size/feature selections impact annual maintenance?  

“The more features of a pool, the more maintenance you may need, simply because there is more to pay attention to. Things like water feature shut-offs, spas connected to the pool, and incorporated water features will require more time and effort. However, we recommend talking with your pool installer to schedule the opening and closing of the pool to leave it up to the professionals! Most pool installers also offer periodic maintenance when the pool is open for the season, so it is also worth adding that to your conversation.”

• How can working with a design/build team help homeowners make the best decisions when building a new vinyl liner pool? 

“A design/build team will be able to offer their expertise on the proper size, shape, and depth of a pool to be a perfect fit for the family and the home. The pool location, in concert with the additional outdoor living items like patio, deck, kitchen, tv areas, shade structures, fences, and anything the family’s heart’s desires will be properly accounted for, designed, and installed to keep the project moving along without fail. We also want to make sure we are capitalizing on the sun’s exposure. The sun will heat your pool, saving money on the heat pumps needed to make the water temperate, and maximizing the rays for suntans and smiles. One thing we are sure to mention is the location of the pool equipment. All too often we see pool equipment visible or too close to the pool itself.  This equipment then becomes an eyesore and also a constant hum when trying to have fun or relax…no good!  We like to tuck the pool equipment away in an appropriate location so it is not seen or heard. It really is the fine details like that, that make or break an outdoor living space.”

Whether it’s a simple in-ground pool or an elaborate design with multiple water features & fireplaces, we know the right custom swimming pool will make your new outdoor living space the perfect place to create lifelong memories.  But, we get that you don’t want to work with a swimming pool contractor who will waste your money. And you don’t have time to waste managing multiple crews, contracts, permit applications, and other essential details.  You are not alone!

Let us eliminate the stress and hassle when transforming your backyard into an outdoor living space in the Lehigh Valley. We have partnered with hundreds of homeowners like you to make your unique transformation journey stress-free. Our award-winning design/build process will ensure you never need to communicate with your HOA and township or deal with the hassle of obtaining building permits, engineering, scheduling, or inspections. We will handle all the heavy lifting when it comes to designing & building your new outdoor living space so you can enjoy watching it come to life and feel completely confident you will be proud of your investment.

Here’s how to do it:

Call: Schedule your meeting!

Collaborate: Create your perfect plan!

Construction: With an approved design, construction starts!

Celebrate: Raise a toast to your transformed home and the new life that comes from it!

CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR DESIGN MEETING!

(610) 628-2480

In the meantime, download your exclusive copy of the Top 5 Design Secrets your Contractor Doesn’t Know. So you can stop fearing that you will make the wrong decisions about your new outdoor living space and instead be confident when selecting the right firm to help transform your backyard into the outdoor living space you always dreamed of!