Having your own swimming pool is great fun. But what’s not so fun? Needing to close your pool after a mere few months of warm weather.
If you’re one of those pool owners who bemoans how brief a season you have to swim in your pool, here’s a novel idea: Why not build an indoor pool instead?
Not too long ago, having an indoor pool might have been a luxury limited to the wealthy, but that’s no longer the case. Here’s what it takes to build an indoor pool, just in case you want to dip a toe into the idea.
Advantages of indoor pools
Indoor pools come with an array of benefits, such as the following:
- Year-round use. If you’re going to spend the money on a pool, and you don’t live in a warmer climate, you’ll get more from your investment if you can use the pool 12 months of the year. In fact, if you calculate your cost per month the pool is available for use, the indoor pool may start to look like a good deal.
- Less maintenance. If you have an indoor pool, it’s a whole lot easier to keep leaves and insects out of it, eliminating the need to skim this stuff from its surface. But that’s not all—an indoor pool also prevents algae growth, which enters your pool clinging to other plant material. Swimmers also won’t track grass and sand into the water. You won’t even have that suntan lotion slick that tends to build up on the surface of outdoor pools.
- Protection from sunburn. When your pool is indoors, you can forget worrying about sunscreen, shade, and whether the kiddos (or you) will be scorched by the sun or wind.
- Safety. An outdoor pool is just so tempting, and a determined trespasser can get over almost any fence or enclosure you build outside. There’s no doubt about this: It’s easier to control who is in your pool when it’s indoors.
- Privacy. Maybe you’re not that social when you’re doing your water aerobics, or floating on your back, taking a nap. Or maybe you just don’t want to be social with everyone who can see you from over the backyard fence. With an indoor pool, you have as much privacy as you want.
Disadvantages of indoor pools
That said, indoor pools do have some distinct drawbacks:
- Humidity. Pools lose a lot of moisture into the air, even if you cover them when not in use. Outside, that’s no big deal. Indoors, it can be a real problem. You need special equipment to deal with the humidity of an indoor pool.
- Initial cost. Building an indoor pool costs considerably more than an outdoor pool of the same size. Oh, and do you have the space for this?
How much does an indoor pool cost?
A full-size, in-ground indoor pool, including the room around it and all equipment, can cost upwards of $200,000. That’s according River Pools, of Warsaw, VA, which breaks down the costs in this manner: The structure, at $100 per square foot, could cost $112,500. The dehumidification system will run between $20,000 and $30,000. And the rest of the pool parts add another $40,000 and $60,000.
That’s not cheap—but then again, keep in mind that you will get to use it year-round, so the price per use goes down substantially from there.
What’s the ROI on an indoor pool?
Whether indoor or outdoor, a swimming pool adds between 5%-10% to the value of your house, according to Kobi Karp, who builds homes (as well as indoor and outdoor pools) in the Miami, FL, area.
In other words: The return on investment (or ROI) on a pool is usually far less than the amount you spend on it. So if you’re planning to sell your house in the near future, installing an indoor pool is probably not going to be the best investment for your money.
All that said, an indoor pool is a luxury amenity that can certainly help a listing stand out. Another advantage of an indoor pool over an outdoor pool is that it adds to the square footage of your property when you go to sell.
In addition, a pool may cost less than other recreational expenditures, such as a luxury motor home. It’s possible you will spend fewer vacations in faraway locations when you have the ultimate resort at home. And if you are buying a pool for health reasons, it’s hard to put a value on a pool of your own that you can use year-round.
How to enclose a pool for less money
If a full-sized, in-ground, indoor pool is financially out of the question, your next best solution depends on what you want to do with your pool, and what you already have to work with. Consider these options:
- Temporary enclosures: Another option is to build a less expensive outdoor pool, and cover it with a temporary enclosure. An inflatable pool enclosure that covers an existing pool—they are also called a bubble or dome—can cost around $2,000 to $5,000. A large air blower keeps the enclosure inflated while in use.
- Screen enclosures: If your main concern is bugs, leaves, and debris, you might want to just build a screen enclosure over an in-ground pool. HomeAdvisor estimates the cost of enclosing a 12-foot by 24-foot pool to be about $8,000.
- Retractable enclosures: Instead of choosing between an indoor pool or an outdoor pool, you can buy a retractable pool enclosure with a high, medium, or low height line. The pool cover slides open in fair weather, or closes when you want an indoor pool experience. Retractable enclosures of the highest quality may cost up to $150,000, according to HomeAdvisor.
- Smaller spas and exercise pools: If all you really want is water exercise in the privacy and comfort of home, an exercise spa might be just the thing. For a fraction of the cost of a pool, you can get a 12-foot SwimCross Exercise System with a jetted swim current, for example. It also includes a hydromassage for after your workout, and starts at $20,999 before shipping, installation, and taxes. A smaller pool, specifically designed for the purpose you intend to use it for, may in fact be better than a full-size pool. Not only does it cost less, but it’s cheaper and easier to heat and maintain. You’ll be spending more time exercising, playing, or just soaking in the water, and less time lugging around bags of chemicals.
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Sally Herigstad has been writing about personal finance since 1998 and is the author of "Help! I Can't Pay My Bills." She is also a licensed real estate broker in Washington and a retired certified public accountant.
