Backyard bliss or money pit?

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Published Date 7/16/2025

With the summer buying season upon us, it’s no wonder that taking a tour of houses that include pools in the backyard are an enticing hot button. Let’s face it: Buying a home with a swimming pool will certainly score you bragging rights to friends and family, especially during the heat of the summer.

Go ahead. Just imagine parties, evening pool lights, and even that summer morning cup of coffee gazing at the serene water that belongs to you and you alone. But, as Kiplinger’s Andrea Browne Taylor explains, there is much more to pool ownership than planning deckside parties and kids' playdates.

“For starters, maintaining a pool is time-consuming and expensive, especially with the high cost of living. Plus, there are safety hazards to consider,” she says, after having interviewed a number of real-estate experts over the years about the pros and cons of owning a home with a pool.

First off? Be forewarned. “The cons outnumber the pros,” she admits, offering cost estimates for pool operation, maintenance and repairs for in-ground swimming pools, based on data provided by HomeAdvisor.

“Owning a home with a pool in the backyard provides a convenient source of fun for the entire family,” she says. “However, you'll be on the hook for regular (and expensive) maintenance when the pool is in use.”

Of course, in temperate areas in the Midwest, Northern states and East Coast, pool season typically stretches from Memorial Day to Labor Day. But in places such as Southern California, Florida and Arizona, pools are often used year-round, which means year-round work as well as expense.

No one wants to dive into a dirty pool, so weekly cleaning is vital. We’re not only talking about debris, but also testing pH to ensure proper alkalinity and chlorine levels. If left unchecked, the water can be unsafe for swimmers and can cause corrosive damage to the pool's surface and equipment. Don’t want to do this yourself? After all, it does require purchasing equipment and administering chemicals. So we get to the idea of hiring a pool maintenance service. And that can quickly add up. Pool owners put out some serious cash on having their pool maintained weekly by a professional. “The service includes skimming the water's surface for floating debris, vacuuming the pool floor, brushing the pool walls, cleaning the filter, and checking the water and pH levels,” says Taylor, who says her research revealed the median cost, at the end of the month at $936 spent on maintenance alone.

What about repairs? A tear in a swimming pool's lining, a protective layer applied to the pool before it's filled, is a common repair encountered by pool owners. “The liner acts as a barrier between the pool walls/floor and water, and it helps prevent mold growth,” says Taylor. “Vinyl lining is popular largely due to its affordability.” Depending on how big the tear is or if the entire liner needs replacing, it can cost anywhere between $1,000 and $6,000. If the tear is small enough, however, you may be able to repair it yourself with a vinyl pool liner patch kit.

As for leaks. Even a tiny one can have you wondering where the water went if it’s not due to normal evaporation. And professional leak detection will cost you anywhere from $100 to $500 to have a repairman inspect your pool to find the leak. If plumbing is the culprit, you'll need to have a professional assess the damage, and Taylor cites the national average for that repair at more than $700.

Questions you should ask the owner before considering purchasing a home with a pool? First and foremost, ask about any previous repair work. Find out the specific type of repairs and when they were completed. A pattern of small repairs could be a warning sign of a larger, costlier repair to come.

As for safety concerns, nearly 400 children under the age of 15 drown in backyard swimming pools every year, says Taylor, who cites information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. “Children younger than 5 years old account for about 75% of these drownings, more than half of which are attributed to a gap in adult supervision,” she says.

While many locales require a safety barrier to be installed around a residential pool to help prevent accidental drownings, you’ll want to be sure to install a separate fence specifically around the pool and not just the backyard. “If you have small kids at home, consider buying a fence with a self-closing door with a locking mechanism that's positioned high up on the door panel and out of their reach,” experts recommend. The CPSC recommends installing door alarms on all doors in the home leading to the pool area, as well as on the pool fence door itself.

Pool fencing options come in glass, mesh, and vinyl and cost anywhere from $15 to $40 per linear foot on average. Chain-link and mesh run $1,000 to $5,000, while wrought iron, aluminum, vinyl, or wood are double that price, at $2,000 to $12,000. Tempered glass is the most expensive and ranges from $7,000 to $20,000.

Nix the diving board idea if you want affordable insurance. Three common injuries include falling while climbing the ladder; hitting the diving board while trying tricks; and landing on swimmers in the water and as a result, insurance companies will likely charge a higher premium or won't cover diving-board injuries at all, Taylor found.

Speaking of insurance companies, pools are considered by them to be "attractive nuisances." So consider increasing your policy’s liability coverage beyond what's already offered through your homeowners insurance policy. A personal umbrella policy is a good way to do this so that if you ever get sued, the additional coverage can help cover paying for judgments against you, as well as attorney fees.

Now that you have all that information in hand, how does that pool look? Your kids may be screaming for it, but it’s up to you to decide whether that “attractive nuisance” is worth it. In some cases, you simply can’t beat having your own pool. In others, you might search for a neighborhood where a communal one is offered. That way, you might not be forced to fall asleep with the sounds of kids’ voices screaming “Marco Polo” in your head.

Kiplinger, TBWS

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