We think it’s fair to say that New Jersey is a lively place. New Jersey has a lot to offer. It has a lot of tourist attractions, is home to many corporate headquarters, and has the most people in North Carolina. The summers here are hot and sticky, so what better way to cool off than by going for a swim in Lake Wylie? We’ll do you one better: you could swim in your own in-ground backyard pool!
At KBL Pools and Spas, we make one-piece fiberglass pools and install them across the United States, including in New Jersey. People often ask, “What should I budget for a fiberglass pool in New Jersey?” why should I buy a fiberglass pool? And we love to give them answers. If you’re thinking about getting a fiberglass pool for your New Jersey home, we’d like to share some tips and personal experience with budgeting for a pool project in this area.
We won’t keep you wading (see what we did there?)…get let’s into it.
Planning for a Pool in New Jersey
One of the most common questions we get is, “What should I budget for an inground pool?” And if you got here with this question, let’s just say that we applaud you for doing your research. Almost everyone is worried about how much they’ll have to pay for that shiny new pool, but it’s easy to miss important pieces of the budget puzzle. Questions like “What size pool can I fit in my yard?” “Is a fiberglass pool a good investment?” and “What accessories do I want for my pool/yard?” are very common when deciding how much money to put into a pooled budget. KBL Pools and Spas has been in business for more than 20 years, and we’ve been serving the New Jersey area for two years. We’ll talk about what you might want to think about for your fiberglass pool budget.
Compare Your Budget To Your Home Value
This one is important: we often tell homeowners to think about their budget in relation to the value of their homes. This helps put the pool budget in perspective and gives a point of comparison. We can say, “This is about how much other people are spending,” but how does that relate to your project and finances? You know how much your home is worth, and that can help you make a budget number that fits your situation.
Based on what we’ve seen, homeowners in New Jersey spend an average of about $76,000 on their pool project. The base package, which doesn’t include a heater, accessories, coping, or decking, costs closer to $55,000. (It’s important to note that neither of these figures includes landscaping.) With an average home value of $565,000 on our projects, this means that people put about 14–15% of their home value into their pool. Another important thing we want to point out is that we have customers who financed their projects and others who paid cash. There is no “right” or “best” way in the big picture; the only way that is right is what is best for you.
As we said, these are numbers based on our experience, and they may not be the best fit for you (and that’s okay!). Your pool installer will take your budget into account and talk you through your options. They are there to help you find the perfect pool for your lifestyle.
Things to think about for your New Jersey pool budget
When thinking about your budget, we suggest looking at the items or accessories that hold the most value (not just monetary value) and if you think you will get a return on that investment. For example, if you spend money on deck jets but only use them once every two years, you may not be getting the same return on your money. Here are a few other things we see people investing in:
Heaters
As we said earlier, New Jersey’s summers are hot, muggy, and heavy. But because this is a temperate climate, you can usually only swim here for about 5 months out of the year. We’ve seen many people in the area include a heater in their budget, and we’ve seen it almost double the amount of time people can swim to around 10 months. This means that whatever amount you put into your pool, you will be spreading it out over 10 months instead of 5 months (think of it as a cost-per-usage concept). Basically, adding an extra $5-$6,000 to your budget for a heater could double the amount of time you get to swim during the year.
You might be thinking, “All right, so heaters are good. But which kind of heater?” We’re glad you asked! We suggest gas heaters to our New Jersey customers for a few easy reasons. One is that gas tends to be fairly cheap. Gas heaters will also work well in the “shoulder months,” or colder months, when average temperatures are between 55 and 65 degrees.
Accessories
Of course, you can really dress up your pool with things like bubblers and lights, but you need to plan for them in your budget.
We also think automatic pool cleaners and leaf nets could be good additions to your fiberglass pool budget in New Jersey. Automatic pool robots tend to do a good job of cleaning fiberglass pool surfaces. Plus, fiberglass pools tend to need less maintenance than other types of inground pools, so this can make that maintenance even easier.
Regarding leaf nets, these are great if you have a beautiful tree in your yard that you just can’t bring yourself to trim or cut down. If your pool is under it, you’ll have to spend more time taking leaves out of the water. This item can be put on top of your pool in the fall and then pulled off to get rid of leaves. Instead of spending a lot more money on an automatic pool cover, which can be useful and safe in some situations, you can buy these nets online and they may only cost you about $150.
Things like landscaping and other things outside the pool
If you ask us if we’d rather be inside the pool or outside, we’ll always say we’re on Team In. But we won’t ever underestimate the power of the rest of the backyard and what it adds to the pool experience. We bring this up because if you want to improve your backyard beyond just the pool, your budget will need to account for it. We’ve seen adults choose to spend more time lounging by the pool than going for a swim. Depending on how much time you plan to spend outside of the pool, a good chunk of your budget may need to go towards landscaping elements. Check with the person who installed your pool to see if they offer these services, and if they don’t, ask if they have any suggestions for who to go to.
Picking Fiberglass in New Jersey
If you’ve made it to this blog, you may have already decided that a fiberglass pool is a right choice for you. If so, that’s awesome! If you’re still looking around, don’t worry. After looking at so many different parts of a fiberglass pool’s budget, it’s natural to wonder, “Is a fiberglass pool worth the money?” You probably know what our answer would be, but this is up to you to decide. Here are a few things fiberglass pools have to offer as a short- and long-term investment:
- Low maintenance
- The lower total cost of ownership
- Quicker setup
- Made in a controlled environment
- Smooth surface
If these things are important to you, then a fiberglass pool may be worth your money.
But it wouldn’t be fair to only talk about the good things about a fiberglass pool. Here are some to consider:
- fewer shape/size options
- Since it’s made in a facility, shipping costs may be higher.
- The maker decides which features to add and where to put them.
Which type of inground pool is best will depend on what you want from your pool. Fiberglass may be what you need if you want a pool that is easier to clean, has a smooth surface and takes less time to put together as a whole. Or, a gunite/concrete or vinyl liner pool may be the best choice if you want to build it in your backyard and put the tanning ledge and steps where you want them. Fiberglass pools are getting more and more popular in New Jersey, but we really think you should look into the other types of inground pools so you can feel 100% sure about your choice.
Conclusion
Aaaaaand…cut! That’s all for today’s post.
In all seriousness, we won’t act like a fiberglass pool is perfect for everyone, and we can’t give you a solid number for a budget, either. There isn’t always a one-size-fits-all answer for what your budget should look like. A range can always be given, but what matters is what you want from your yard and what makes sense for you to put in it. Checking out what different fiberglass pool manufacturers have to offer can help you figure out what options are available and what’s in your price range.
