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Pool Cost Calculator

Build, Fill and Running Cost of a Swimming Pool

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How the Pool Cost Calculator works

This pool cost calculator estimates what a swimming pool costs to build and to run. Enter the length, width and average depth, and the rates you are quoted for building, water, electricity and chemicals, and it returns the surface area, water volume, build cost, first fill cost, pump electricity per year and total running cost per year. It has no built-in prices; get local quotes.

Pool builders usually quote per square metre of water surface for a given type (concrete, fibreglass, liner), with extras for heating, covers and landscaping. Running costs are mostly the filter pump, which runs for hours every day, plus chemicals, top-ups and heating if you add it.

How the pool cost calculator works

The formula is volume = length × width × average depth; build = surface area × your rate; first fill = volume in m³ × water price; pump = kW × hours a day × 365 × price per kWh; running = pump + chemicals × 12. For example, an 8 × 4 m pool 1.5 m deep has 32 m² of surface and holds 48,000 litres (12,680 US gallons); at 1,500 per m² it costs 48,000 to build, 96 to fill at 2 per m³, and a 0.75 kW pump for 8 hours a day at 0.25 per kWh uses 548 a year, 908 with chemicals. A second example: a variable-speed pump at 0.3 kW for the same hours cuts the pump line to 219.

Average depth is the mean of the shallow and deep ends for a sloping floor. To see how many litres a pool holds before ordering chemicals or a tanker fill, the volume line is enough on its own.

Water volume and surface area of common pool sizes at 1.5 m average depth

Pool size Surface area Litres US gallons
4 × 2 m 8 m² 12,000 3,170
5 × 2.5 m 12.5 m² 18,750 4,953
5 × 3 m 15 m² 22,500 5,944
6 × 3 m 18 m² 27,000 7,133
6 × 4 m 24 m² 36,000 9,510
7 × 3.5 m 24.5 m² 36,750 9,708
7 × 4 m 28 m² 42,000 11,095
8 × 4 m 32 m² 48,000 12,680
8 × 5 m 40 m² 60,000 15,850
9 × 4.5 m 40.5 m² 60,750 16,048
10 × 4 m 40 m² 60,000 15,850
10 × 5 m 50 m² 75,000 19,813
10 × 6 m 60 m² 90,000 23,775
11 × 5 m 55 m² 82,500 21,794
12 × 5 m 60 m² 90,000 23,775
12 × 6 m 72 m² 108,000 28,531
15 × 5 m 75 m² 112,500 29,719
15 × 7 m 105 m² 157,500 41,607
20 × 5 m 100 m² 150,000 39,626
20 × 10 m 200 m² 300,000 79,252
25 × 10 m 250 m² 375,000 99,065
25 × 12.5 m 312.5 m² 468,750 123,831

FAQ

How much does it cost to run a pool?

Most of it is the filter pump: kW × hours a day × 365 × your electricity price. A 0.75 kW pump running 8 hours a day uses 2,190 kWh a year. Add chemicals, water top-ups and any heating, which can easily cost more than the pump in a cool climate.

How many litres are in a swimming pool?

Multiply the length, width and average depth in metres to get cubic metres, then multiply by 1,000. An 8 × 4 m pool with an average depth of 1.5 m holds 48 m³, which is 48,000 litres or about 12,700 US gallons.

How can I reduce pool running costs?

Fit a variable-speed pump and run it slower for longer, use a cover to cut heat and water loss, run the pump on off-peak electricity if your tariff has it, and keep the water balanced so you use fewer chemicals. Solar heating avoids most of the heating cost.

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