Des Moines is where things happen in Iowa. It's Iowa's largest city, the seat of its state government... and it's at the heart of a lot of critical American business interests, too.
If you've lived in Des Moines for a while, you're probably familiar with its standing as one of the major hubs of a multitrillion-dollar U.S. insurance industry. The city has been called "the number one spot for U.S. insurance companies," and you may very well work for (or with) one of the many major insurance and financial-services companies headquartered in Des Moines.
But when you want to get away from work for awhile, you might want to cool down, particularly during those broiling Midwestern summers, which can often push the thermometer into triple-digit territory (that's 100+ degrees Farenheit, or about 38 degrees Celsius for any international readers). You could drive out to one of the region's two major lakes for a dip... or you could get an inground swimming pool installed just steps from your back door in Des Moines.
If you're looking to get an inground swimming pool for your Des Moines-area backyard, you’ve probably got a few questions, which we're more than happy to answer:
- How much will it really cost to install an inground pool in Des Moines?
- Which type of pool is best for my backyard?
- How much will it cost to maintain my pool every year?
We manufacture nearly 2,000 fiberglass pools for installation in backyards like yours every year, and we started out as pool installers as well.
At River Pools, we've developed a unique perspective on the costs and challenges any new pool buyer will face, because we've helped pool buyers like you through each of the many steps involved in this process. A pool can be more complicated than you'd think, but we strive to make everything as approachable and understandable as possible.
With all that said, Let’s dive right in…
How much will an inground pool really cost in Des Moines, Iowa?
There are three types of inground pools:
- Vinyl liner
- Concrete
- Fiberglass
Choosing vinyl liner, concrete, or fiberglass will impact both your installation costs and your lifetime cost of ownership in significant ways. Your "lifetime cost of ownership" will include yearly maintenance expenses, refurbishing or refinishing surfaces, replacing equipment, and other costs -- these costs vary significantly depending on the material you've chosen.
In general, you can expect to spend anywhere from $60,000 to over $200,000 to install a pool in the Des Moines, Iowa area.
On the low end, you’ll have a fairly standard shape and size without any bells and whistles. The high end of this range tends to involve a lot of customization, both in terms of your pool’s dimensions and in terms of optional features, such as retaining walls, pool waterfalls, a pool house, and other things.
Here’s a quick breakdown of common price ranges to install each type of pool…
How much will a vinyl liner pool cost in Des Moines, Iowa?
Vinyl liner pools are typically the least expensive type of inground pool to install, whether you’re talking about Iowa or anywhere else in the U.S. (or the world, really).
A vinyl liner pool installation tends to cost between $60,000 to $75,000 in the Des Moines area, and you can easily go above the high end of this range for a larger pool with a more customized design and more add-ons.
This lower upfront cost tends to be offset by long-term maintenance and liner replacement expenses, as you’ll soon see.
How much will a concrete pool cost in Des Moines, Iowa?
Concrete offers the widest range of customization options, but it’s also the most expensive material you can use when installing an inground pool.
You’ll typically pay at least $75,000 to install an inground concrete pool in the Des Moines metropolitan area.
High-end customizations can easily push your installation costs above $100,000, and all-in costs for a turnkey concrete pool installation will occasionally surpass $200,000, particularly when considering optional constructions (such as retaining walls or waterfalls), accessories, and landscaping.
You can design any type of concrete pool you like in Des Moines, but it won’t be cheap -- and neither will your maintenance costs.
How much will a fiberglass pool cost in Des Moines, Iowa?
In our experience, fiberglass pool buyers in Des Moines tend to spend between $70,000 to $85,000 for turnkey installation.
Fiberglass pool buyers in Iowa have recently been spending an average of roughly $75,000, which includes everything involved in a pool installation project, such as retaining walls, fences, accessories, and the like.
We’ve created a custom pricing tool for fiberglass pool buyers. You can get a more precise quote, and start talking to a River Pools representative in Des Moines, with just a few clicks. Get started, and get price ranges on a pool you design yourself, by tapping the button below:
How much will it cost to maintain my pool in Des Moines, Iowa?
An inground pool is not something to "set and forget." You'll have to put in some work -- or at least hire a professional to put in some work -- to keep your pool water clean and enjoyable, and maintain the quality and durability of your pool’s surfaces. You've got to do some level of ongoing maintenance, no matter what type of pool you choose.
However, different types of pools tend to have different maintenance requirements. We’ve ballparked these maintenance costs so often that we gathered them all together in one easy-to-understand infographic:
Let’s talk a bit about what these expenses really mean, and how we’ve arrived at these projections for a 10-year period of ownership.
Vinyl liner pool maintenance costs
The largest “maintenance” cost for any vinyl liner pool owner tends to be the cost to replace the vinyl liner, which is necessary every five to nine years and will set you back an average of $4,500 -- though large vinyl liners with more customized shapes may very well be more expensive to replace. Many vinyl liner pool owners looking to sell their homes are asked to replace the liner as well, because savvy realtors and home buyers know these liners have a limited lifespan.
You’ll also need to spend a bit more on chemicals to keep your water clean, and your electricity expense can add up when running filters and pumps and other systems. On average, vinyl liner pool owners spend $400 a year on chemicals and $300 per year on electricity.
All together, a vinyl liner pool in Iowa, just as in any other part of the U.S., will probably cost an average of $11,500 to maintain over a 10-year period, not including any costs to retain a pool cleaning service, or any expenses you’ll incur to clean and maintain all the stuff you’ve got around your pool, like automatic covers, patio materials, electronics, and so on.
Concrete pool maintenance costs
Concrete is durable, but it’s far from indestructible. In fact, concrete is often considered the most finicky material used in pool construction.
You won’t have to replace your concrete, but you will have to resurface a concrete pool every 10 to 15 years.
Resurfacing a concrete pool isn’t cheap -- you can expect to spend between $10,000 to $20,000 each time. Our infographic uses the lower end of this range, but don’t be surprised if you wind up paying more.
In between resurfacings, you’ll also need to acid wash your concrete pool every few years, which typically costs about $450 each time, or $900 over a 10-year period.
Concrete surfaces tend to be more chemically reactive than fiberglass or vinyl liners, which means you’ll have to counteract the effects of the concrete on the water with additional treatment chemicals.
Concrete is also far more porous than other types of pool surfaces, which makes it a great breeding ground for algae. Battling algae and controlling the pH-raising effects of the concrete surface on your pool water can cost about $750 worth of chemicals per year, and about $400 per year in electricity usage.
Because concrete can be so high-maintenance, many concrete pool owners hire pool cleaning services, which we’ve ballparked at about $500 a year. You’ll still need to pay for chemicals and electricity, regardless of whether or not you hire a cleaning service.
All together, these expenses can add up to an average of about $27,400 in maintenance costs over a 10-year period of ownership for concrete pool owners.
Fiberglass pool maintenance costs
We’ve focused on building and installing fiberglass pools for a reason -- we believe they’re simply the best type of pool for the long run. Fiberglass is extremely durable, and it’s also (comparatively) quite low-maintenance.
Take care of your fiberglass pool, and you’ll never need to resurface or refinish it, you won’t need to replace any costly critical components, and you won’t spend hours every week keeping your pool water clean.
Fiberglass pools aren’t no-maintenance, though.
You will need to use chemical treatments to keep your water sparkling clean, and you’ll have to run pumps and filters and other powered components as well. Our customers spend about $175 a year on chemicals for their fiberglass pools, and about $200 a year on electricity.
This translates to an average of $3,750 in maintenance costs for a 10-year period of ownership for fiberglass pool owners.
You can save money on pool chemicals by using a salt water system, which is better-suited for fiberglass than for other types of pools. You may spend more money to install the system up front, but it can save you money over the long term.
Which type of pool is best for my backyard?
You might expect us to recommend a fiberglass pool for your home in the Des Moines area. In many cases, we will, because the balance of factors involved simply makes fiberglass pools a great option for many prospective pool buyers.
However, your needs may not be best-served by a fiberglass pool. We make fiberglass pool shells in a wide range of styles, sizes, colors, and shapes, but we might not have the perfect style, size, color, and/or shape of pool for the backyard of your dreams.
Some pool buyers trade lower lifetime ownership costs for greater customization options -- there aren’t any Olympic-sized fiberglass pools, but you might be able to get one installed if you use concrete, or even vinyl liners.
We want you to make an informed decision when you buy your pool. That’s why we’ve put together a wealth of informative resources, including a comprehensive ebook guide to the three different types of pools, and a brand-new interactive Pool Type Selector tool, which you can try out by clicking the banner below:
At River Pools, we manufacture world-class fiberglass pools for customers across North America. If you're shopping around for a fiberglass pool, feel free to take a look at our catalog of models, visit our extensive video library, try out our pool cost calculator, or request custom pricing from your Des Moines River Pools representative by clicking the button below.
