What does a pool really cost to own here?

Questions we get asked

How much does a pool cost to maintain in the DFW area?

Once you count everything, considerably more than the monthly service rate. Published DFW service rates run about $120 to $220 a month, but that figure covers labor and chemicals only. Electricity, water, and the annualized cost of replacing worn equipment are yours regardless of who cleans the pool, and together they’re usually about half the true annual cost. Enter your own dimensions above for a figure specific to your pool.

We’re moving to Texas and the house has a pool. What are we taking on?

Three things that surprise people who have owned a pool elsewhere. Water is a real line here, because a normal pool loses about half an inch a day to evaporation in a North Texas summer with nothing wrong. Chemical demand roughly doubles between February and August, because sun and warm water both consume chlorine. And a full drain isn’t a maintenance option here: expansive clay soil holds groundwater that can lift or crack an empty shell, so water is exchanged in stages instead.

Why does the replacement reserve matter if nothing is broken?

Because everything on a pool pad is a wear item with a known life, and ignoring that doesn’t make it free. It means the bill arrives all at once in a year you didn’t choose. Resurfacing is usually the largest of these and the one owners are least prepared for, because it’s quoted against the whole interior surface, floor and walls, which on most pools is close to twice the water surface.

Is it cheaper to look after the pool myself?

On the money alone, usually yes, but by less than people expect. The service rate looks like the whole saving, and it isn’t: buying chemicals by the jug at retail costs roughly twice what they cost by the drum at trade, which closes much of the gap on its own. The calculator above prices both paths so you can see the real difference for your pool rather than the headline one.

Do these figures include a heater?

Only if you tell it you have one. A heater is the single largest running cost a pool can have and it dwarfs everything else on the list, which is why it’s switched off by default and why the heating figure is labelled as an estimate. The real number moves a long way with your target temperature and whether the pool is covered.

Where do these numbers come from?

Service and filter figures are our own published prices, the same ones on the pricing cards. Equipment lives and replacement ranges are the ones in our equipment lifespan and cost of ownership guides, taken at the middle of each published range. Electricity and water rates are editable, because retail electricity here is deregulated and municipal water is tiered, so no single figure is right for everyone.