4 Things to Consider When Planning Your Houston Pool Budget

Every pool has an initial investment as well as ongoing maintenance, upkeep, and repair costs. While a Houston swimming pool does not last forever, if you take regular preventative measures, maintain a water chemistry balance, and complete other pool upkeep tasks, you will greatly extend the life of the pool. Are you wondering what to consider when planning your Houston pool budget? The primary monthly components include energy, chemical and water usage, and pool maintenance.

As you begin calculating your monthly payment, keep in mind that every pool is different. Many pools include capacity for adjusting flow, pump performance, and energy consumption. It is worth taking the time to learn how to adjust these levels to reach an optimal balance.

Energy usage

A pool with a standard one and a half to two HP motor will cost anywhere from $60 to $80 per month. Older pools often have motors that are too large and consequently draw more energy. It used to be popular opinion that bigger pumps were better, which simply isn’t true.

Chemical usage

Chemical usage can run anywhere from $20 to $30 per month to $50 or more.

Water usage

A monthly water bill is largely dependent on how efficiently you use the water in your pool and the water rates in your specific area. For an average 12,000 gallon pool, a monthly water bill for the pool use alone can run $20 to $30 per month or more. This cost range may differ for pools of different sizes. Also keep in mind that the more swimmers and pool play you have, the more splash out you’ll have, requiring you to top up your pool water levels. Hot sun causes evaporation in the summer months. Remember this when planning the location of your pool- long hours of full sunlight will require you to top up water more often, raising your monthly water costs.

Pool maintenance

Some people opt to complete pool maintenance tasks themselves instead of hiring a cleaning company and do not include it in a list of what to consider when planning their pool budget. Whether you complete the work yourself or not, there are sizable costs for chemicals and pool treatments. If you are cleaning your own pool, you also have to calculate the amount of time you will spend working on the pool every day and then plan accordingly.

Pool service cleaning companies charge anywhere from $50 to $300 per month with an average rate of $100 per month. It is important to remember that what you pay for is what you get. Do not simply shop around for the cheapest cleaning company. Make sure that you are working with a reputable and experienced staff.