More than likely, the search that landed you here is one that we’ve been seeing more and more of these days. Let us take a guess – did it look anything like “inground pools for sale” or “inground pools for sale near me”?
Now more than ever before, swimming pool installers are booking out well into the future, which is great because that means there’s more and more families out there getting the dream pool they’ve always wanted. So you may be inquiring about buying a pool in your area to install yourself, or you’re just searching for the most experienced installer with an opening in their books. We’re here to guide you in this journey and by the end, we hope you’ll have a better idea of what your inground pool options are and what route may be best for you.
River Pools manufactures inground fiberglass pools and distributes them throughout the country. We know we just said we make fiberglass pools, so sure, we feel strongly about that type of pool. However, a fiberglass pool is not for everyone. There are certainly situations where a gunite or vinyl liner will be exactly what someone needs, and we want to make sure that you can find out which one fits your situation.
With that being said, let’s march on, friends!
To Build or To Buy?
For some of you, this may be past due. For others, looking for homes for sale with a pool may be still on the table. Here are some things to consider when buying a home with a pool already in the yard:
- You won’t have a choice in the design of the pool.
Since it’s already in place, you won’t get to have a say in the size, shape or depth of the pool as you would if you had the pool put in.
- You may not know much about the pool’s history.
If the previous homeowner’s pool maintenance regiment was lacking, depending on how long the pool had been in place, there could be some long-lasting effects that you’ll have to deal with from the get-go.
- On the other hand, the pool may be in perfect condition and you won’t have to pay any extra for the pool on top of what you’re paying for the home.
You may end up with a perfectly cared for pool and only have to worry about maintenance expenses. If you’re looking to buy a new home, it’d be nice to not have to include the entire pool construction in your budget, as well.
- You may need to check into the pool’s warranty and have it transferred to you.
This tends to be the case for inground fiberglass pools. Oftentimes, fiberglass pool manufacturers will offer a warranty on the pool shell, and it may need to be transferred from the previous homeowner to you if ever it needs to be used. We recommend discussing this with the previous homeowner in case you need any info from them.
If you’re not in the housing market and just want to get that shiny, new pool, there are certainly pros and cons to that, as well. You’ll have total control over the type, design and placement of the pool, and you’ll have a fresh start when it comes to keeping the pool maintained. However, it is still a decent chunk of change you’ll have to dish out, and you’ll have the wait time during construction before you can actually swim. Knowing your options ahead of time can help you avoid the dreaded swimming pool buyers remorse homeowners often worry about because you’ll know just what you’re getting into.
What Are Your Inground Pool Options?
If inground pools are the way you want to go, you have 3 choices for pool type: concrete (aka gunite), vinyl liner, and fiberglass. We have many resources that go over the difference between the three, so we’ll just give you a quick overview here.
Concrete:
- Built from scratch; very customizable
- May spend 4-5 hours/week on maintenance on average
- Can take 3-6 months to install on average
Vinyl Liner:
- Built from scratch; very customizable
- May spend 2-3 hours/week on maintenance on average
- Can take 4-8 weeks to install
Fiberglass:
- Comes in one, predesigned piece (no custom work)
- May spend about 1 hour/week on maintenance on average
- Can take 2 to 6 weeks to install
These installation times listed above are based on the average for installers of that pool type. But what if you want to install one of these pools yourself?
DIY Pools
Pool builders are busier than ever. It’s true – many are booking out to next season and beyond! And you have that family reunion coming up at the end of summer, so you can’t wait. If you have your heart set on a diy inground pool, there are options out there. However, we would like to extend a cautionary warning: installing an inground pool of any type could be biting off more than you can chew. There are experts for a reason: there are many aspects to a complete and proper pool installation, and it’s easy to make mistakes along the way without the experience or knowledge. This is why at River Pools, we do not sell fiberglass pool shells to the public for DIY purposes and do not recommend self installs for fiberglass. We believe it’s always better to go through a pro so you have less mistakes to correct down the line.
With that being said, let’s go over what options you have for your own installation:
Concrete:
These pools are extremely difficult to pull off yourself due to the extensive list of equipment and labor required. Certain steps in the process, like spraying the concrete, tend to be very challenging if you’re not experienced in it beforehand. Also, there typically aren’t kits that come with what you need, so it’s a lot of custom work from the start. If you’re determined to build this type of pool yourself, you may want to have an expert in your back pocket to guide you.
Vinyl Liner:
If you’re looking to put in your own inground pool, this pool type will likely be your best bet. There are vinyl inground pool kits you can get your hands on online, and they often come with most everything you need. As with any inground pool, having an expert to help would likely make the process easier on you, but these pool types are generally the ones we see DIY’d most often.
Fiberglass:
It may be tempting to go the DIY route with fiberglass since the pool comes as one solid piece. But, fiberglass pools require a great amount of skill and knowledge to install properly, so it can be frighteningly easy to make mistakes. One needs to know the correct type of backfill, how to keep the pool level, how to do the plumbing and more to install one of these pools.
But…can you install a fiberglass pool yourself? Technically, yes. However, as we mentioned, there are many steps and nuances that go into fiberglass pool installation, so it’s not recommended. In our experience, going through a trusted pool builder near you is always the best choice.
Is Now the Time To Buy?
We say yes – but it may not be the best time to have the pool put in depending on when you’re reading this. Installing a pool requires dry and warm enough weather, so you may have a hard time getting it put in if it’s December and snowing. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t start planning ahead or even start that conversation with your local pool builder!
Like we said, pool builders are extremely busy these days, so it’s not a bad idea to start chatting with them early to get in their books ASAP. Keep in mind that the demand, along with delays in equipment, could create longer wait times and delays in your pool project, particularly with fiberglass pools.
Closing Thoughts
So that’s the story. If you’re looking for inground pools for sale, they’re out there. You just may need to have patience to get the one you want most.
To us, what’s most important is getting a pool you love and getting it done right, no matter what type of pool it may be. We believe the perfect pool is one where you can bring your loved ones ‘round and make the most of your time together. It can be hard to find time in the day to just be – especially with those we care about most. But when you take one look at a pool, your mind shifts from stress and deadlines to fun and relaxation times. If we can help families get the pool that melts away their worries, then we feel like we’ve done good.
Are you sold on the idea of an inground pool, particularly a fiberglass pool, but need some pricing to get a better idea? You can click here to try out our pool cost calculator. Want to see what designs we have to offer? Click here. Or, if you’re ready to take the next big step, getting in touch with a River Pools dealer near you by clicking the button below.
