Written by

Tom Grupa

August 21, 2024

Pool Maintenance Cost

Pool maintenance costs $80 to $150 monthly or about $960 to $1,800 yearly. For a first-time pool cleaning service, expect to spend $150 to $350 on average. The annual cost to own a pool is $3,000 to $6,000, including maintenance, repairs, electricity, and water.

The cost to open or close a pool ranges is $300 to $500. Maintenance pricing depends on the size and type of pool you have, and if you maintain it regularly.

Average Pool Service Cost

Yearly Pool Upkeep Costs

The average yearly cost of pool maintenance is $960 to $1,800. Total pool upkeep costs run $3,000 to $6,000 per year, including maintenance, minor repairs, electricity, and water. Prices depend on the pool size and type (fiberglass, concrete, or vinyl).

From lowest to highest overall costs are fiberglass pools, vinyl liner pools, and then concrete pools. Also worth noting is the difference in chemical and electricity costs between the three types of pools. Between each type, the clear winner in terms of your cost of ownership is a fiberglass pool.

Annual Pool Maintenance Cost

Annual pool maintenance costs $960 to $1,800, with most homeowners spending around $1,400 along with the cost of any necessary repairs. A considerable variance in pricing depends on the pool type.

According to Nerdwallet, there are two more costs that many homeowners don’t think about in regard to yearly pool maintenance costs when researching the cost to build a pool.

• Liability insurance can bump your monthly pool cost by $17 to $25. A pool increases the chance of injury on your property and will raise the price of your homeowner’s insurance.

• An inground pool increases home value by 5% to 7% on average. When your home value goes up, property taxes tend to increase as well.

Monthly Pool Maintenance Cost

Monthly pool maintenance costs $30 to $95 for basic care or $80 to $150 for a weekly or bi-weekly cleaning service.

• Basic maintenance includes testing water chemistry and checking filters, settings, and equipment.

• While a fiberglass pool needs little maintenance, the chemicals required to keep water pH levels right in a concrete pool can be triple those costs.

Weekly Pool Service Cost

The average cost of weekly pool maintenance is $20 to $50, depending on the amount of work that needs to be done each week. The $300 to $650 cost to open and close the pool each year should be included in more expensive weekly service contracts.

• Weekly maintenance is recommended so you can keep a close eye on your water’s pH levels at all times and catch any malfunctioning equipment quickly.

• Recommended weekly pool maintenance chemicals are sanitizers, oxidizers, water pH balancers, and specialty chemicals that help avoid stains and algae buildup.

Pool Closing Cost

The cost of closing a pool for the winter can range from $365 to $650 for pools up to 20’ x 40’. The following also add to the cost:

• Vacuuming costs about $85 per hour.

• Winter filter cleaning costs $25 per filter.

• Cleaning a solid pool covers costs $125 more.

Here are the average prices for pool closing services based on pool cover types:

When closing a pool for a season, you’ll need to change the pH to 7.2 to 7.5, lower the water level by about 18”, clear out all dirt and debris, brush or vacuum out algae, and cover the pool properly.

You’ll also need to winterize your pool equipment and plumbing features by removing the water in them and unplugging them. Some pool companies will blow and vacuum nontoxic antifreeze through equipment as well if they expect temperatures to drop below freezing frequently.

If you’d rather close the pool for winter yourself, In the Swim offers pool-sized winterizing pool chemical kits for $21 to $61 that prevent algae buildup and remove phosphates and nitrates from the water. In the Swim also offers a winter pill for $20—a combination of chemicals that are released slowly to maintain water clarity throughout the winter months.

Pool Opening Cost

The average cost to open a pool ranges from $385 to $485 for pools up to 20’ x 40’, with vacuuming at about $85 per hour, draining and cleaning at $650, and cleaning solid pool covers at $125 adding to the cost.

• Cleaning an uncovered vinyl liner pool is $140 per hour. 

• The type of pool cover will also change the price.

If opening the pool yourself, bring the water level back up and reinstall plugs, lights, ladders, and handrails. Run the pump, brush out or vacuum the pool, and shock the pool.

In the Swim offers pool start-up kits costing $23 to $94 for different sized pools, with all the packages including chlorine-based shock, stain, rust, and scale preventer, algaecide, clarifier, and Sun Sorb. They also sell a spring pill for $23, which maintains clean water and has scale and stain inhibitors to prevent surface buildup.

How Much Do Pool Chemicals Cost?

The chemicals needed for pool maintenance cost about $175 for a fiberglass pool, $400 for a vinyl pool, and $750 for a concrete pool. A more fine-tuned cost depends on the amount of chemicals your type of pool needs.

Average Pool Cleaning Service Prices

Pool cleaning services typically cost $60 to $90 per hour. An average first-time pool cleaning will take 2 or 3 hours, and cost $120 to $270. Specific cleaning services or a one-time cleaning typically costs $200 to $400, depending on the pool size and the type of cleaning.

Saltwater Pool Maintenance Cost

Saltwater pool maintenance can be taken care of with a professional monthly cleaning maintenance package at $80 to $95 per month (one monthly visit), or perform DIY saltwater pool maintenance for about $45 per month.

The water still needs to be tested, chlorine levels adjusted, and additional chemicals added as needed. Salt cells also need to be cleaned regularly to wash off buildup, unless you have a self-cleaning salt system in place.

As long as your generator cell is sending the right readings, you only need your pool’s filter, pump, and surface kept clean. Saltwater pool maintenance is focused mainly on keeping the proper levels of salt in the water and preventing metal stains and corrosion. Generator cells will need a mild acid wash every 3-4 months to descale corrosion buildup.

• Pool Salt 40 lb. Bag – $50

• Saltwater Monthly Maintenance Pack – $45

• Saltwater Test Strips – $11 to $25

Saltwater chlorine generators can cost about $330. They use cells, costing $200 for a simple one up to $1,400 for a high-tech cell that sends you readouts of your water’s salt levels, cleanliness, temp, and flow, saving you testing time. Generator cells chemically change salt into chlorine with an electric charge.

Inground & Above Ground Pool Maintenance Cost

Inground and above-ground pool maintenance costs $60 to $90 per hour. An above-ground pool might cost more to maintain, though, if it doesn’t have a deck around it, as it makes access difficult for the pool guys.

Indoor Swimming Pool Cost to Maintain

Indoor swimming pool maintenance costs are lower than those of an outdoor pool because maintenance mainly involves keeping the pool’s chemicals balanced, and even those are cheaper per month because there is no sunlight to alter them. You don’t have outdoor debris in the filters, high water evaporation, or outdoor weathering problems like UV rays.

Additional items will make your indoor pool cheaper to maintain:

• Pool Cover – This ensures you have no water evaporation, and an automatic cover will cost about $4,800 to $6,000.

• Water Heater - A solar heater designed for this purpose would cost nearly $340. You can install it on your own.

• Dehumidifying System – This protects the building from moisture damage. The cost of a pool room humidifier is approximately $20,000.

Hiring Pool Guy vs. a Professional Swimming Pool Cleaner

Pool guys charge about 1.7 times more than it costs to clean your pool yourself. However, be careful who you hire—while a professional maintenance service might send out someone who barely knows how to clean a pool, you can pay more for someone with many years of experience and who can recognize small issues before they become expensive ones.

When comparing pool cleaning services near you, be sure to look for positive customer reviews on HomeGuide and Google.

Cost of Owning a Swimming Pool

The average cost of owning a pool is $4,000 to $12,000 per year, including electricity, water, and minor repairs. Having a swimming pool will add $20 to $25 per month to your insurance and may raise your property taxes by 5% to 10%.

How Much Does a Pool Cost Per Month in Electricity?

The average swimming pool costs $65 to $100 per month or about $800 to $1,200 per year just for electricity. Most homeowners see a 30% to 50% increase in their electric bills every season. To heat your pool, expect to spend even more.

Regarding the type of pool equipment you have, expect the following costs to run them:

How Much Does a Pool Increase Your Water Bill?

Having a pool can increase your water bill by $4 to $20 per month, $45 to $245 per year, or half this if you close it for the winter. Usually, pools see ¼ inch loss of water per day due to evaporation or roughly 2 inches per week.

The average price per gallon of water ranges from $0.002 per gallon (in Tennessee) to $0.011 per gallon (in San Francisco), so pool water bills can vary considerably. For a typical 14’ x 28’ pool that is never covered, and depending on how much wind, sun, and humidity your local climate has, your pool will lose about 1,858 gallons per month and approximately 22,298 gallons of water per year.

Swimming Pool Maintenance Factors

Swimming pool maintenance is vital if you want your pool to stay usable and last as long as possible before it requires resurfacing or replacement. Naturally, it’s easier to hire a pool maintenance company to handle these tasks for you.

Skimming

Skim the water in your pool with a skimmer net as often as possible to protect your pump and filter from being clogged with debris. Empty the pump’s skimmer basket once a week.

Vacuuming

Clean the walls and floor of the pool with a handheld or automatic pool vacuum. The ones that require the least manual labor are automatic vacuums that crawl every inch of the pool.

Brushing

Brush the floor and sides of your pool once a week with a pool brush. Brushing helps to avoid algae buildup and loosen up dirt clinging to the pool sides so it can end up caught and disposed of via the filter.

• Choose from wire, stainless steel, or nylon bristles and steel, alloy, or aluminum poles. Aluminum won’t rust.

• Don’t use stainless steel bristled brushes on vinyl liner or fiberglass pools—softer nylon bristles are best.

Cleaning Filters

Inspect and backwash all filters regularly. Inspect them manually to see if they are damaged in any way, and wash cartridge filters or backwash sand and DE filters whenever they seem clogged. DE filters need to have the DE replaced after each backwash.

Pool Heater Maintenance

Any number of things can cause a pool heater to malfunction. Sometimes tubes are clogged, so check for buildup and clean it out before calling a technician.

Water Level

Pools evaporate water at a rate of about ¼” per day. The simplest way to keep the water at the right level is to install a pool level reader with an auto open and shut valve that’s attached to your garden hose. You can also do a regular visual inspection, but a water level reader and an attached hose will make this less work for you, and it costs as little as $14.

Maintaining pH

Test pool water at least once a week for chlorine/bromine, alkalinity, and pH levels. Adjust as needed with chemicals to modify these levels to their default settings. How much chlorine you need depends on the condition of your pool.

Shocking the Pool

A pool shock helps shock a pool back in line with the way the water chemicals should be. The pill, liquid, or powder contains a mix of chemicals that help kill and control algae, kill bacteria, clear cloudy water, break down oils, and reduce the chlorine smell. It won’t affect the water’s pH level.

Most shock treatments will clear up the water, and people can swim in the pool after about 15 minutes. Some pool owners like to shock their pool weekly, while others wait to do it for a specific reason, such as:

• Pre- or post-winter

• After a pool party

• After extremes in temperature or rain

• An acutely strong smell of chlorine

Leak Detection

The easiest way to detect a pool leak is to monitor the water levels every day. If the amount of water starts creeping up, you might have a leak because scorching weather can lower water levels a lot, as can low humidity. An easy way to find out is to mark the water level at the side of the pool with a bathtub crayon and measure the water level each day. If it’s higher than ¼" to ½"drop, you likely have a leak.

Winterizing

Closing a pool for the winter can save a lot of money on maintenance costs over those months, and you can also prepare your pool equipment for winter freezes. When closing a pool for a season, you’ll need to:

• Change the pH to 7.2 to 7.5.

• Lower the water level by about 18”.

• Clear out all dirt and debris and brush or vacuum out algae.

• Cover the pool properly.

Winterize your pool equipment and plumbing features by removing the water in them and unplugging them. Some pool companies will blow and vacuum nontoxic antifreeze through them too if you expect temps to drop below freezing frequently.

Reopening

A spring cleaning gets your pool ready for the warmer seasons of the year. If opening the pool yourself, you’ll bring the water level back up, reinstall plugs, lights, ladders, handrails, etc.; run the pump, brush out or vacuum the pool, and shock the pool.

Common Pool Repair Costs

Pool repair costs average $250, but the more regular the pool maintenance, the less you should end up paying for more severe issues because you can catch problems early.

Pump Motor

Replacing a pool pump motor costs $150 to $800 or $50 to $300 to repair it. Most repair parts for motors cost $10 to $15 each, but repair labor can cost $25 per hour for a handyman or up to $130 per hour for an electrician. Even if you don’t have big problems with your current pool pump, it might end up costing you less, in the long run, to replace it, as newer pumps run more efficiently.

• Energy-efficient motor – $180 to $340

• Dual-speed motor – $300 to $340

• Variable-speed motor – $190 to $650

Pool Filter

Pools usually use one of three types of filters: cartridge, sand, or diatomaceous earth (DE). One issue causing filter problems can be that pool owners replace their pool pump with a larger model that doesn’t match the current filter in place. This can push water through the filter too quickly for it to filter the water properly. On the opposite end, pool owners can buy a replacement filter that’s too small for the pump. A new inground pool filter costs $385 to $1,600.

Cartridge Filter – Costing $30 to $90 per replacement, a cartridge filter catches small particles of dirt as the pump circulates the water. It’s usually made of polyester. Change when you have a high PSI reading, cracked end caps, ripped fabric, or an inner core collapse.

Sand Filter – A new inground sand filter costs $475 to $720. Swimming pool water is filtered through sand in the filter. The sand needs to be changed when it’s too full of debris to function correctly—usually every 3–5 years. Repairs might include fixing gaskets or o-rings in the push-pull valve.

• Sand costs $25/50 lb. bag.

• ZeoSand (better at trapping fine debris) costs $42/50 lb. bag.

• Filter glass ($32/40 lbs.) and polyballs ($60/lb.) are other, possibly more efficient options.

The amount of sand needed to replace the old sand depends on the size of the filter system and can range from 325 to 925 lbs. of sand. You can also keep your sand cleaner with a liquid sand filter cleaner for $22 per quart or a granular cleaner for $16 per 2 lb. container—this helps remove oil and clumps of dirt in the filter during each backwash.

Diatomaceous Earth Filter – A new inground D.E. filter costs $700 to $1,020. Repairs can address torn DE grids or cracked manifolds. DE earth powder costs about $25 to 30 per 24 lb. box. It catches small debris and metals in the filter and can also be used in saltwater pools. You’ll need to replace the DE powder each time you backwash your filter. Use 1 lb. for every 10 feet of the filter’s surface area after the backwash. Backwash when the gauge reads 8 to 10 pounds higher than when the D.E. was first added.

Leaks

Vinyl pool liners can cost at least $2,500 to repair, but small tears less than 6” long can be patched with a $20 to $200 pool liner repair kit. A new pool liner can cost $3,000 to $4,000, or $500 for an above-ground pool. Draining a pool can cost about $175 to carry out some leak repairs. The price to fix a crack in a concrete or gunite pools depends entirely on the size of the crack. Fiberglass pool leaks are practically nonexistent. They are more likely to bulge because of an inadequate drainage system around the pool shell.

Heater and Heating Tubes

Repairing small issues in your heater or heating tubes can cost $100 to $300. Possible repairs to your water heater or heating tubes include:

• Clogged heater pilot tubing

• Thermocouple/pilot generator replacement

• Poor thermocouple or coil connections

• Faulty overheating switch

• Faulty exhaust or inadequate venting

• Leaking heat exchanger

• Loose drain plug or missing o-ring

• Rust

• Low gas pressure

Pool heater replacement costs $1,600 to 5,200 with installation.

Pool Liner Replacement Cost

Installing a new pool liner costs $3,000 to $7,500 on average for an inground pool or $2,000 to $5,000 for an above-ground pool. Replacing a vinyl liner depends on the size of the pool, the thickness of the liner, and local labor costs.

Pool Maintenance FAQs

How Much Does Green Pool Upkeep Cost?

To bring a green pool back to life, expect to spend $300 to $500 on the initial cleaning and $100 to $150 per month for upkeep costs. Prices depend on the size and type of the pool, and if it's saltwater.

A "natural green pool" costs $15 to $80 per month to upkeep depending on whether your eco-friendly pool is a saltwater pool or a natural pool. Plants in the water act as water cleansers and the pump is not pressurized. You can pay a local kid $15 to empty your leaf skimmer each time and pay a gardener $40 per hour to prune your plants.

No testing, chemical adding, or adjustment is required. The leaf skimmer should be emptied as needed, depending on how much natural debris drops into your pool each week, and plants should be pruned and cut back in season.

How Much Does It Cost to Drain a Pool?

The cost to drain a pool is around $175. Doing this yourself with a garden hose is free, or buy a small pump for $40 to $60 at Lowe’s or Home Depot. If you’re closing up your pool for the winter and live in a freeze area, it is only necessary to drain between 4” and 6” from your pool. You can use the drained water for your lawn to help promote grass growth.

How Much Does It Cost to Clean a Pool Filter?

Inspection, diagnosis, and cleaning a filter costs about $110. Depending on the type of pool you have, replacement pool filters can cost anywhere from $30 to $90.

DIY Pool Maintenance Costs

DIY maintenance can save the pool owner about $1,200 per year. The initial costs can be small: $50 for a year-round pool vacuum and hose and $60 for fall maintenance kits; and then you can buy monthly chemical maintenance kits for $20 to $100 per month. A deluxe Intex pool maintenance kit will cost about $35 and includes a telescopic pole, vacuum, skimmer net, and wall brush.

Pool Test Kits

A pool test kit costs $7 to $16 for 50 strips or $13 to $52 for a digital test kit. A pack of ten saltwater test strips costs $15, and a digital saltwater tester runs $117 to $130. You can also buy a digital test strip reader for a chlorine pool for about $55, the benefit of which is that you can save the previous readings to get an estimate of your water’s chemical levels over time.

Pool test kits test the water for the amount of free chlorine or bromine, alkalinity, and pH levels. Once you are aware of the current chemical levels in your water, you can add more acidic or alkaline chemicals to bring levels back to their preferred levels.

Hiring a Pool Cleaning Service

When looking to hire a pool service company, be sure to:

• Get at least three detailed bids to compare.

• Compare online reviews on HomeGuide and Google.

• Select a licensed, bonded, insured company that has been in business for 5+ years.

• Look for a company with CMS (Certified Maintenance Specialist) certification.