Outer Banks Pool Options - Is It Worth Adding A Pool?

I get this question a lot here when people are looking at buying homes without a pool - how much would it cost to add a pool? The short answer is, more than you might think. The real answer is…. it depends. What kind of pool do you want to add? Do you have a site plan from when the home was built that accounted for adding a pool? How much concrete will you need around the pool deck? Will it be heated?

There are a lot of variables to consider, and if you own a home with a pool already in place, you might be surprised at how much it should add to the purchase price of homes here.

What Kind Of Pool?

The main 4 types of pools we see on the Outer Banks are:
(click on the links for each to see a timelapse video of installation)

Fiberglass pools - by far the most common type of pool, usually because it’s cheaper than gunite or concrete. The main advantage (beyond being much cheaper than other options) is that it comes in one piece and doesn’t need as much site prep or work to install. It’s also a pretty quick install - they can be done in as little as 1 week if they hustle, but typically 2-4 weeks. The downside is that you are somewhat limited in your pool design as fiberglass pools are typically available in a handful of shapes and sizes. Smooth surface.

Gunite pools - we have some of these, gunite is a mix of sand, cement and water. They pump dry sand and cement through a hose that has a special nozzle at the end, and it “mixes” the solution moments before it’s sprayed on. Typically the pool installer will put down steel rebar to give them something solid to spray onto. This is a much more comprehensive process vs fiberglass, and can take months to fully finish a gunite pool. You can use plaster and tile to decorate it and you have tons of configuration options on size and shape, but ultimately it’s a sprayed-on finish that has to cure and the skill of the installers could produce a smooth surface, or a rough one.

Concrete pools - a little more common than gunite pools, and a similar surface/material at the end. This is a less involved process than gunite (although it might still take several weeks to fully cure once it’s poured) but still much more work than a fiberglass pool installation. Much like a concrete slab foundation on a home, they have to build forms (2x4 or 2x6 boards built to make the outer shape of the pool) and pour concrete in and smooth it out. You can do a wide variety of shapes and configurations but it can quickly get expensive with today’s cost for concrete. Rougher surface in most cases.

Vinyl liner pools - typically the cheapest option, but it has some drawbacks. With a vinyl liner pool, a crew installs the pool walls and then the pool deck and base concrete layer are installed. Instead of using full concrete for the floor and walls, a thin layer of concrete is poured in the bottom once the modular walls are in place. It takes longer to install than a fiberglass pool but nowhere near the amount of time it takes for full concrete or gunite. The drawbacks are that you will probably have to replace the PVC pool liner every 10 years or so (and I’ve seen some here at the beach who waited way too long to replace) and it can actually grow algae easier than other options. Smooth surface in most cases.

What’s Going Around The Pool?

Here’s where it can get REALLY expensive. If you just want a basic fiberglass pool with a small concrete or stone deck around it, you can keep costs down pretty well. There will still be things like plumbing, grading/backfill and other things that can eat into your budget. But beyond the basics, some people get a little wild with their landscaping plans and what they thought would cost $50k ends up costing $100k.

Keep in mind that there are setback rules that prevent you from building a pool too close to the house, too close to the lot boundary, and too close to the septic system. So you will need to have a spot picked out for it that can handle the size and shape of the pool you want. A little mulch from Lowes is going to be much cheaper than having someone pour 100 yards of concrete for a larger-than-needed pool deck.

Other expensive items can include a pool heater (which costs you money up front and every day from then on) or outdoor grill/patio areas, which can quickly add up to another $20,000+ if you go all out.

So How Much Do These Pools Cost?

As you can see there are a lot of variables, and pool installation cost varies widely in the United States. Here at the beach, we have a handful of vendors and there can be a pretty big difference in price between who you use as the pool installer too. I’ve seen quotes as low as $30,000 for a small fiberglass pool with a small pool deck and I’ve seen quotes over $150,000 for a concrete pool. If you have a relatively flat lot with plenty of room to dig a hole, and you just want a basic fiberglass pool, it can be pretty reasonable. But keep in mind that “plunge pools” or lap pools are not viewed the same way as a full-sized pool by people renting a house here. If you were to install a new pool for a rental property I would suggest at least going 12x24, and 16x32 is probably the sweet spot for size and potential ROI (rental and resale).

For a basic setup you can probably plan on this as the bottom line -

Vinyl liner pool - $30,000+
Fiberglass pool (cheapest options) - $35,000+
Fiberglass pool (Latham or brand name) - $50,000+
Gunite pool - $70,000+
Full sized concrete pool - $80,000+

Is A Pool Worth It?

If you are going to own your home and rent it out for 10+ years (or if you want one for your personal use) I would say absolutely! A private pool is one of the top amenities people will look for when booking a beach house.

1) Proximity to beach
2) # of bedrooms
3) Private pool
4) Elevator
5) Pet friendly

For a private pool to come in at #3 on that list means it’s a very important amenity for your rental property. If you were to take a 3BR “beach box” house with no pool between the highways in Nags Head or Kitty Hawk and look at a prime season week it might rent for $2,500/week. If you add a pool and hot tub and maybe a fenced back yard to provide a little privacy, the same 3BR beach box could rent for $3,500/week in prime season. Spread over 8-10 weeks of prime season rentals you could boost your income by $10k+ per year. Even if a pool costs $50k you can usually recoup those costs in a 10-year period and then your resale value when you go to sell the house will be higher.

Keep in mind that you will certainly pay more to own and maintain a pool, that’s why it’s not a 5-year payback but more like a 10-year payback. Weekly cleaning, annual maintenance and water/electric costs plus winterizing if you choose to, those items can add up. If you want to heat your pool, that can add quite a bit to your electric bill every month.

A Few Ideas And Comments

If you install a pool heater, consider doing a solar heating system. It can save you a ton on electric costs every year. Bonus points if you have a pergola or pump house built so you can mount panels on that (and not your home’s roof).

People go on showings in the winter and are amazed when they see a pool completely uncovered with sand and leaves in it. Why not cover and winterize the pool? Well here at the beach we don’t usually have a lot of sustained below-freezing temperatures so you don’t have to worry too much about a pool freezing up, and the straps that are installed for pool covers are typically attached to metal spikes that can damage your concrete or stone pool deck. A crack in the concrete that leads to your fiberglass pool can lead to an expensive repair job.

If you are worried about your pool or pipes freezing, run your pump 24/7 when it’s coldest.

If you install a vinyl liner pool, you might not want to have a pet-friendly home. People love inviting their pets into the pool, and larger dogs can scratch and tear the liner. Having a big rip in a vinyl pool liner after you just installed it can be expensive - you might have to replace the entire liner.