Ask the General: How Can I Save Money on Pool Installation Cost?

Four Money-Saving Tips to Lower your Pool Installation Cost and Help You Get in the Swim

Dear General,

We have decided to purchase a fiberglass inground pool.  As we’re narrowing our choices and sharpening our pencils on this project, do you have any suggestions for ways to save money on our pool installation cost? Do we need pool pro contractors? Every little bit helps!

Sincerely,

Saving in Sturgis

Dear Saving in Sturgis,

I hear you about saving money. Getting the perfect, new inground pool is a big decision, and it’s important to make an informed choice. Here is some advice to help with initial costs of construction:

1. Choosing pool pro contractors. I once had customers who moved about every four years into a bigger more expensive house. Each time they called, we designed a landscaping plan and a pool plan for the new house. By pool number four he simply said, “You know what I want. You handle it.” This trust shows that they knew that we were pros who had their best interests at heart. I tell you this story to illustrate the point that you’ll save money in the long run by choosing an established, experienced, recommended pool pro contractors. Trying to save a couple bucks upfront can end up costing you big pool maintenance costs in the end if you don’t get a high quality fiberglass pool that’s been properly installed.
2. Buy your pool in winter. While pools get installed year-round in the Sunbelt states, colder weather definitely slows down pool installation here in the Midwest. Winter is a great time to buy a pool. You might snag a deal or two if you commit to a spring installation before the snow flies. It’s always worth asking.
3. Build your perfect pool in phases. You don’t have to have every single bell and whistle upfront. If your pool budget is tight, ask your pool pro contractors to design your project in such a way that you can add on features later. Maybe the fire pit or some of the landscaping can wait until next season.  And while options like robotic pool cleaners, slides and automatic pool covers are great to have, you can always purchase them at a later date.
4. Can you DIY anything? I’ve had homeowners who were electricians who did their own electrical work, masonry contractors who have poured their own concrete decks, and green-thumbed homeowners who have done their own grading, seeding and landscaping. Some customers have been able to purchase building permits and variances as needed. Others have taken down trees, built fences, built retaining walls, moved sprinkler systems, moved electrical lines, rerouted water lines, moved septic systems, removed old wood decks and installed their own gas lines. If you have the skills you can save yourself a little money on the pool installation cost. However, if you’re not an experienced contractor yourself, you might end up costing yourself more in the long run. In the end, it’s probably best to have pool pro contractors.

The sooner you do it, the more money you’ll save 

Just like most other great things in life, the price of pools is not predicted to drop anytime in the near future. So the pool salesman in me says, “The sooner you do it, the more money you’ll save.”  So go ahead and take the plunge. You won’t regret it.

Until next time; The General

The Zero Entry fiberglass pools 

Thursday Pools is the creator of the beach entry (or zero entry) fiberglass pool. Grace Beach Entry and Sandal Beach Entry (Patent US 10,358,837 and 10,472,839) are currently available to order, so you can bring the shore to your door with your new fiberglass pool.