Flagship cost guide
How much does an inground pool cost in St. Louis?
For most St. Louis homeowners, a new inground pool lands somewhere between $35,000 for a straightforward vinyl-liner project and $120,000+ for a larger custom gunite build with premium features. The honest answer depends less on the brochure and more on your yard, access, soil, decking, and finish choices.
Typical St. Louis installed price ranges
| Project | Typical range | What the range assumes |
|---|---|---|
| Fiberglass pool | $45,000–$85,000 | Shell, standard excavation, equipment pad, basic plumbing and electrical, and standard coping or concrete collar. |
| Vinyl-liner pool | $35,000–$65,000 | Kit, excavation, walls, liner, standard equipment, and basic concrete decking allowance. |
| Gunite / concrete pool | $60,000–$120,000 | Custom shape and finish potential; final pricing varies heavily with size, access, features, and finish. |
| Inground liner replacement | $4,500–$8,500 | Measurement, liner, installation, water delivery variables, and minor track or step repairs can move the final quote. |
How size changes the math
Small (about 12×24 to 14×28 ft)
The most budget-friendly inground footprint. Fiberglass and vinyl-liner dominate this size; gunite is possible but the custom premium is harder to justify.
Medium (about 16×32 to 16×36 ft)
The most common St. Louis family-pool size. All three construction types compete here, which is why quote spreads are widest in this band.
Large (about 18×36 ft and up)
More excavation, more decking, larger equipment. Gunite and large fiberglass shells are typical; features and site work often rival the base pool price.
Feature adders: what the extras really cost
Base ranges buy a working pool. Most of the spread between a base quote and a dream quote lives in this table. Ranges are typical St. Louis planning figures, not quotes — get each one itemized in writing.
| Feature | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Attached spa | $8,000–$18,000 | Integrated spillover spa with its own plumbing and controls. A standalone hot tub is usually cheaper and can be added later. |
| Tanning ledge (Baja shelf) | $2,500–$7,000 | Built into the shell or structure at build time on most designs; difficult and expensive to retrofit. |
| Pool heater | $3,500–$7,000 | Gas heaters sit at the lower end for equipment cost; heat pumps cost more up front and extend the season efficiently in spring and fall. |
| Salt chlorine generator | $1,500–$3,500 | Cell, control box, and start-up salt. Cells are a wear item and are typically replaced every several years. |
| Automation and app controls | $1,500–$4,500 | Panel, actuators, and app control for pump, heater, lights, and water features. |
| LED lighting package | $800–$3,000 | Depends on the number of niches and whether lights are color-changing. |
| Water features | $1,500–$9,000 | Sheer descents and bubblers are at the low end; rock work, waterfalls, and grottos move quickly past this range. |
| Automatic safety cover | $12,000–$22,000 | One of the largest single adders. Also reduces evaporation, heat loss, and debris, and can serve as the safety barrier strategy on some projects — confirm local code treatment. |
| Pool fence | $2,500–$9,000 | Required in practice on nearly every project. Aluminum and removable mesh are common; glass and long runs cost more. Gate hardware must self-close and self-latch. |
| Concrete decking | $12–$20 per sq ft | Plain broom-finished concrete at the low end; colored or stamped finishes cost more. |
| Paver decking | $20–$35 per sq ft | Depends on paver material, base preparation, and pattern complexity. |
| Natural stone or travertine decking | $30–$55 per sq ft | Premium surface; also price coping upgrades to match. |
| Retaining wall | $50–$120 per linear ft | Highly site-specific. Sloped St. Louis lots are where this line item appears; get it itemized, not buried in an allowance. |
| Landscaping and lawn restoration | $2,000–$10,000 | Sod, irrigation fixes, planting, and fence reinstallation after construction access. Frequently excluded from pool quotes. |
What the pool costs after it is built
Budget ownership, not just construction. These are typical annual planning ranges for a St. Louis pool; the maintenance cost guide explains each line.
| Annual cost | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity (pump and any heating) | $600–$1,800 per year | Variable-speed pumps sit at the low end. Gas heating for a longer season moves a household toward the top of the range. |
| Water and sewer (top-ups and refills) | $100–$400 per year | Evaporation, splash-out, backwashing, and partial refills. An automatic cover cuts this noticeably. |
| Chemicals and sanitation | $250–$700 per year | Chlorine systems at the higher end; salt systems trade chemical spend for cell replacement every several years. |
| Opening and closing | $500–$900 per year | Professional spring opening and fall winterization, priced as a pair. DIY owners spend less but take on the freeze-protection risk themselves. |
| Supplies and minor repair reserve | $300–$1,000 per year | Test supplies, seals, o-rings, cleaner parts, and the small fixes every pool eventually needs. Excludes major equipment replacement. |
| Optional professional cleaning service | $1,800–$3,600 per year | Weekly or biweekly service during the swim season. Pure convenience spend — many owners self-maintain for the cost of chemicals alone. |
Added up, most self-maintained St. Louis pools land roughly in the $1,750–$4,800 per year range before optional cleaning service — real money, and far better known before you sign than after.
Why two quotes for the “same” pool can be $30,000 apart
Builders do not always include the same work. One quote may include excavation, haul-off, electrical, gas, concrete decking, fencing coordination, permits, and start-up. Another may price the pool shell and leave several of those items as allowances or exclusions. Ask every builder to separate the pool, the deck, the fence, the electrical work, and any retaining or drainage work.
St. Louis factors that move the price
- Access: A wide side yard is cheaper to build in than a tight lot that needs smaller equipment or hand work.
- Soil and rock: Clay is common around St. Louis, and shallow rock can change excavation cost quickly.
- Slope and drainage: Retaining walls, French drains, and grading are often the difference between a clean quote and a change order.
- Decking: Basic concrete, pavers, and natural stone live in very different price worlds.
- Season: Builders book spring and summer quickly. Winter planning often produces a calmer buying process.
Questions to ask before you sign
- What exactly is excluded from this quote?
- Who handles permits, inspections, electric, gas, fencing, and final grading?
- What allowance is included for decking, and what happens if we upgrade it?
- What is the payment schedule tied to — dates, or completed milestones?
- What warranty covers the shell, equipment, plumbing, and workmanship?
Get a quote that matches your yard
Use the calculator for a planning range, then submit a verified request if you want a local builder to price the actual project.