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A pool costs money every week it holds water. Knowing where that money goes helps you set a realistic budget, spot a quote that looks out of line, and decide which jobs to do yourself and which to hand to a pool technician.
Pool maintenance cost breakdown
Every pool has the same four running costs: electricity for the pump, chemicals and cleaning gear, water to replace what evaporates, and heating if you have it. Professional servicing and the occasional part replacement sit on top of those.
Running the pool pump
The pump and filter keep the water moving and clean, and they draw power every day the pool is in use. What you pay depends on the pump's energy star rating, how many hours a day it runs and your electricity tariff. Sustainability Victoria's running-cost table shows the highest-rated pumps cost a fraction of what the lowest-rated ones do to run on the same tariff, so the star label is worth checking before you replace a pump.
Heating
Heating is optional, but it stretches the swimming season in cooler areas and makes deep pools more comfortable. Solar heating is the cheapest to run at about $100 to $200 a year. Electric heating runs between $250 and $750 a year, and gas is the most expensive at $500 to $1,500 a year.
Chemicals and cleaning products
If you look after the water yourself, budget for chemicals, a test kit, a leaf net and an automatic cleaner. Basic chemical cleaners start at around $100, and once you add the net, cleaner and ongoing chemicals the total can reach a couple of hundred dollars a year.
Test the water regularly and keep the free chlorine within the range your state health department recommends. SA Health's guidance for home pools is 1 to 3 mg/L, with 2 mg/L as the ideal.
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Topping up the water
Australian summers pull a lot of water out of a pool through evaporation, so you'll top it up through the warmer months. The cost depends on your water rates and how exposed the pool is to sun and wind. A cover cuts evaporation, which is the easiest way to keep this cost down.
How much does a pool service cost?
A pool maintenance company typically charges around $100 a visit. Services differ, so ask what a visit includes before you book: water testing and balancing, chemicals, emptying the baskets and vacuuming are the usual items, and repairs and parts are charged on top.
In summer you may need a visit about once a month. In winter you can usually get away with fewer. Between visits you'll still need to empty the skimmer, check the water level and make sure the pump and filter are running as they should.
For what to ask before you hire someone, read how to hire the best swimming pool cleaner.
Tip: Ask for each quote to list what a standard visit includes and which chemicals are extra. That makes it easy to compare pool services on the same job.
What changes your pool maintenance cost
- Size and depth. More water means more chemicals, longer pump run times and more to heat.
- Surface. Concrete and pebble pools have a rougher surface than fibreglass, so they generally need more brushing to keep algae from taking hold.
- Sanitiser. Salt and chlorine pools have different ongoing costs. See the next section.
- Heating. Whether you heat the pool, and with what, can be the biggest swing in your yearly budget.
- Trees and weather. Leaves, dust and storms mean more cleaning and more chemicals.
- Season. Summer is when you swim, run the pump longest and book the most services, so most of the year's cost lands in the warmer months.
Salt water pool maintenance cost
A salt water pool is still a chlorine pool. A chlorinator turns dissolved salt into chlorine, so you buy less chlorine and add salt every so often instead. Many owners find salt water gentler on their eyes, skin and swimwear.
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The trade-off is equipment. The chlorinator's cell builds up scale and needs cleaning, and it wears out over time and has to be replaced. Factor that into the running cost when you compare a salt system with dosing chlorine by hand.
Pool parts cost breakdown
Parts are easy to leave out of a budget. Most last for years, but each one eventually needs replacing. Approximate prices:
- Pool pump: about $1,000
- Solar pump: about $500
- LED pool lights: about $320
- Solar heater installation: about $3,800
- Gas heater installation: about $3,000
- Electric heater installation: $4,500 to $6,000
Pool safety checks and registration
Pool owners have legal safety obligations as well as running costs, and the rules depend on your state:
- New South Wales: pools that can hold 300 mm or more of water must be listed on the NSW Swimming Pool Register, and you need a pool compliance certificate to sell or lease the property.
- Victoria: pools and spas must be registered with the local council, and the barrier must be inspected and a certificate of barrier compliance lodged every four years. See the Victorian Building Authority.
- Queensland: pools must be on the QBCC pool safety register, and you need a pool safety certificate from a licensed pool safety inspector to sell or lease the property.
In other states and territories, check with your local council. Inspection fees vary, so get a quote before you book. If your barrier needs work, our guide to glass pool fencing costs covers the options.
Where to save on pool maintenance costs
- Choose solar heating if you heat the pool. It costs the least to run.
- Don't set the heater too hot. A lower temperature uses less energy.
- Run the pump on a timer for the hours your pool needs rather than all day.
- When the pump needs replacing, compare energy star ratings. A higher-rated pump costs less to run.
- Use a pool cover to keep out leaves and dirt and to cut evaporation.
- Turn off water features such as waterfalls when nobody is using the pool.
- Put the automatic cleaner on a schedule instead of leaving it running around the clock.
Tip: Clean the skimmer and pump baskets every week. A blocked basket makes the pump work harder and can leave the water poorly filtered.
Further reading
- The healthiest pool water alternatives
- How to hire the best swimming pool cleaner
- Factors to consider when building a swimming pool
Costs are approximate Australian dollar figures and vary by location, pool and provider.