Building A Pool In Texas

I live in the great state of Texas! Where it gets hot, I mean really hot. Last summer we had 100 days where the temp was over 100 degrees. You know the kind of heat that keeps everyone inside for most of the day. The kind of heat that makes even me stop wearing the jacket and tie and opt for a sports shirt. I mean serious heat.

Texans are known for their welcoming nature. We love welcoming new folks to our great state. You know the kind of saying: 'you may not have been born here, but you got here just as fast as you could'. We also like to tease folks from out of state, especially from up north. They always tell us how excited they are to move to a 'warmer' climate. Yea right... Well, welcome to Texas ya'll. You think its warm now in April at 85 degrees wait till 'hell on earth', I mean August gets here... Well you do have one option, a swimming pool. Thats right, they are worth every penny here in Texas. Well, they are worth every penny if you know what you're doing when you build one. So how much does it cost to build a pool In Texas? I can't tell you specifically since each pool is unique. I am going to help you save some coin when you build your pool. Oh, come on, it's gonna be great!

Go Big or Go Home

Great you have decided to build a money pit, I mean a swimming pool. So the first question is how big should it be and what shape? Come on its Texas, make it big! Well, the practical reality is that every square foot of pool costs money. The width and length of the pool is one price, but going deeper costs a different fee. It's simply more expensive to dig down, especially rock. It also takes more money to structurally build a deeper pool. The dimensions and depth of the pool determine the number of gallons the pool will hold. It's a very complex math formula to determine the gallon capacity of a pool, but your builder has a computer program to do it. There are also some types of locations for your pool that will limit its size or depth, typically: easements, right of ways, retaining walls or foundational issues.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

Ok, lets get to the hard part. Deciding what you want. Since your new to this I will ask you some questions that you need to answer. Once you have your answers you can present them to the pool company salesman and he can have their designer draw up a sketch and they can bid the job from the sketch. Ok, lets get started.

  • Where in the yard do you want the pool to be?
  • What are the rough dimensions of the pool in the selected location?
  • What style of pool do you want? (google it, there are tons)
  • Do you want a heated spa?
  • Do you want the pool heated?
  • Do you want the spa elevated?
  • Do you want any water features? (google these too)
  • Do you want a tanning ledge?
  • Do you want LED lighting?
  • Do you want a wifi control for the pool?
  • Do you want a salt water pool? (I no longer recommend them)
  • Do you want decking, if so how much? (Decking is the concrete or stone around the pool you walk on)
  • Do you want an outdoor kitchen?
  • What do you want in the kitchen? Grill, Smoker, Fridge, Sink, Lights?
  • Do you want an outdoor shower? (awesome for rinsing off after a swim)
  • Do you want them to do any landscaping?
  • Do you want an O3 generator? (oxygenated water is supposedly softer)

How to get the best price?

Ok, here is the real meat and potatoes to the question, how much does it cost to build a pool. When you build a pool during the spring or summer you are paying top dollar. Its when the demand is the highest and they are the busiest. What you need to do, is be very disciplined and build in the offseason. I know you want to swim now, but wait a little while and save a bundle. We approached our builder in the fall and negotiated a 60k pool for 40k. We drove a hard bargain and we had three companies bid for the job. The key is to treat everyone honestly and be upfront about what you want. Tell them who they are bidding against and be as specific about your new pool as possible when you go in. Give them some room to be creative and help, but keep the pools as close as possible so you can accurately compare bids. A quality builder will create drawings that show your backyard and the size and orientation of the pool with all the features. These will help you visualize your pool. Many times, seeing your pool for the first time causes you to either remove or add some features. One of the most important aspects to keeping your costs down is to add the fewest features you can and still get the pool you want. Features on a pool are like options on a car. The more you add, the larger the cost. Those computer controlled LED lights that change color and pulse to the music are cool, but are they really worth the cost a few months down the road? Our favorite features so far are the heated spa and the outdoor grill. We cook out all the time on it. We put an outdoor dinning table and chairs under the covered porch and grill all the time. The grownups sit in the heated spa with their favorite drink while the kids swim. We can spend the whole day doing this and well into the night.

Robertson Pools Texas

Resale value

Here is a hard truth for most of you, you will NOT recoup the cost of your pool on resale. I can base this statement on many facts. First, talk with any licensed appraiser and you will hear the same thing. Second, I have taken many of the same appraisal courses and use the same guidelines to appraise properties for resale. Third, I see it happen all the time in my local market. So here is the painful part. So I can hear you all yelling at me over the internet, 'Brent, what can we do?'. Well, don't' lose heart, if you have not purchased your home yet, then change what you're looking for and buy a home with a pool. You will capitalize on someone else's loss. The former owner built the pool and lost the money when selling it and you reap the benefits. The primary benefit to having a pool at resale is a slight increase in value. Many people fall in love with the serene nature of a backyard with the sound of falling water and a clear, blue pool sparkling in our 100 Texas sun. So its not a total loss, it can help sell the home faster, but you will not get all of your money back. Please leave a comment below and tell us How Much Does It Cost To Build A Pool?