Building a pool in a major metro area comes with a few extra layers most rural customers don’t run into: more permits, more inspections, and sometimes an HOA with its own opinions. If you live in the greater St. Louis area, that’s worth planning for from the start.
At Aloha Pools & Spas, our O’Fallon, Illinois location serves the greater St. Louis area, backed by 57+ years in business. In Cardinals country, we figure you’d better know the cardinal rules of purchasing a pool in this unique region (see what we did there?).
In this article, we’ll break down what an inground pool typically costs in the St. Louis area by material type, what’s included in that number, whether financing is an option, and the maintenance costs to expect once your pool is built.
Inground Pool Cost in the St. Louis Area
Here are the average inground pool costs for this area:
Vinyl: $35,000 – $68,000
Fiberglass: $42,000 – $78,000
Gunite: $55,000 – $110,000+
Metro-area pricing tends to run higher across all three materials, largely due to labor costs, permitting complexity, and electrical work in more developed neighborhoods.
Price differences come down to size, location, and how each pool is built. If you’d like to know more, check out these articles about the factors that drive a pool’s price and the hidden costs of building a pool.
Different Types of Inground Pools
Vinyl pools come as a kit, assembled on-site with steel or concrete walls and a stretched liner, keeping costs lower. You can customize them with waterfalls, lighting, ledges, and more.
Fiberglass pools come as a single premade shell that is lowered into an excavated hole, so you’re paying more for the manufactured piece- but often less time on labor. They are the least customizable of the three, but they are also less maintenance.
Gunite pools are built entirely on-site with sprayed concrete. They are then plastered, making this pool type the most labor-intensive and the most expensive- but also the most customizable of the three.
None of these are a bad choice; the right pool for you depends on budget, how much customization you want, and how much long-term maintenance you’re comfortable with. Vinyl liners generally need replacing around the 10-year mark, fiberglass rarely needs attention for 20 to 30 years, and gunite needs re-plastering every 10 to 20 years depending on how well the water is balanced. Read more here.
What Drives Your Pool Price? A Quick Breakdown
| Factor | Impact on Cost | Example |
| Pool material (vinyl, fiberglass, gunite) | High | Can swing your total by $20,000 – 40,000+ |
| Pool size | High | Bigger pool, more material and labor |
| Metro permitting and inspections | Medium-High | Higher fees and more checkpoints than rural builds |
| Karst topography in parts of the region | Low-Medium | Occasional extra ground evaluation |
| Electrical work | Medium-High | Often a bigger factor here than in rural locations |
| Salt system vs. chlorine | Low-Medium | Salt systems run $1,100 – $2,500 upfront |
| Accessories/upgrades | Variable | Upgraded steps alone can run $1,500 – $8,000 |
What’s Included In This Price?
These ranges cover the pool and installation. Some costs that typically fall outside that number are:
- Decking
- Fencing
- Upgraded accessories like steps, rails, or lighting
- Electrical work, often a bigger factor here than in our more rural locations
- Permit and inspection fees, which run higher in metro areas
- Extra site evaluations/excavation due to location and levelness of your yard
Your sales representative walks you through all of this before construction begins, so your budget reflects the realities of building in a metro market.
Your backyard also determines the cost. If your backyard is super sloped or rocky, construction may take longer, and labor costs may rise.
Pool Permits and HOA Requirements
Most cities in the area require a building permit for any above-ground or inground pool, spa, or hot tub capable of holding more than 24 inches of water, along with required inspections during installation.
Because O’Fallon sits in the St. Louis metro area, buyers here are also more likely to run into HOA approval requirements than in Aloha’s more rural locations. Be sure to check with your local HOA to ensure the pool type you want is permitted.
Electrical permitting is typically handled separately from the main pool permit, and your sales representative coordinates both as part of the build process.
What Happens During Pool Construction?
Before we touch the ground, we mark your underground lines. This helps the team avoid hitting any electrical lines while digging. After that, we finalize the layout, and our crew begins.
In the St. Louis metro area, this stage often involves more inspection checkpoints than our more rural locations, and HOA approval processes can add time before construction even starts.
On average, our teams complete a build about 82 days after signing, though metro permitting timelines can extend that window.
Read more about the pool construction process here.
How Much Should You Budget For Your Pool?
Building in a metro market means budgeting for a little more wiggle room than our rural locations. Beyond your pool’s base price, set aside a cushion for permitting fees, potential HOA-driven design requirements, and electrical work. An extra 10-15% on top of your base pool price is a safe starting point.
If you’re financing, putting down 10-20% upfront (roughly 5,000-24,000 on a St. Louis-area pool) lowers your monthly payment and helps secure a better interest rate. For example, on an $80,000 gunite pool, a 15% down payment of $12,000 leaves you financing $68,000, which typically means a meaningfully smaller monthly bill than financing the full amount.
Can I Finance My Pool?
Yes! Aloha Pools & Spas works with Lyon Financial to help make pool ownership more accessible. To learn more about financing through Lyon Financial, check out this article.
Pool Maintenance Costs
Once your pool is built, here’s a general yearly breakdown:
- Electricity: $70 – $350 per month during swim season, depending on lighting, heating, and size
- Chemicals: $50 – $150 per month, depending on pool size
Annual total: typically $1,500 – $5,000
Most owners spend about an hour a week on routine maintenance: testing water chemistry, skimming, and brushing walls, plus monthly filter care (if you’re interested in the difference between salt versus chlorine, read HERE). Our O’Fallon location offers free water testing any time you want help staying ahead of costs.
Pool FAQs
Are inground pools worth it?
For most homeowners, yes. Beyond the summers of memories, a well-maintained inground pool can add real value to your property, though “worth it” depends on your goals and how long you plan to stay in your home.
How much does pool decking cost on average?
Decking costs vary by material, but homeowners typically spend anywhere from $8 – $30+ per square foot depending on whether you choose stamped concrete, pavers, or a more basic finish. Metro-area decking labor can run a bit higher than in our more rural locations.
Does a pool increase home value?
Generally, yes, though the exact number depends on your market. National estimates commonly cite a 5-8% increase in home value for a well-maintained inground pool, and strong buyer demand in the St. Louis suburbs can push that even higher.
What are the hidden costs of an inground pool?
Common hidden costs include permitting fees, HOA-required design changes, unmarked utility repairs, yard restoration, and property tax increases. Read our full hidden costs breakdown here.
What’s the yearly maintenance cost of an inground pool?
Most owners spend $1,500 – $5,000 a year on electricity, chemicals, and general upkeep, with equipment replacement adding to that occasionally over the years.
READY TO TALK NUMBERS?
- To summarize, here are a few regional factors that tend to affect pricing in the St. Louis area:
- Being part of a major metro area means more detailed permitting and inspection requirements than our more rural locations.
- Some Metro East neighborhoods have HOAs with their own pool rules and approval processes.
- Parts of the region sit on karst topography, which can occasionally require extra site evaluation.
- Illinois property tax and assessment rules tend to be more detailed than in neighboring states, which can affect what a pool does to your property taxes long-term.
- Higher regional cost of living and labor market compared to our more rural locations.
If you’re in the St. Louis area and ready to see what a pool would cost for your yard, dive right in! Visit us at our O’Fallon, IL location (less than 20 miles from St. Louis!), or reach out to our sales team here.
