How Fiberglass Pools Compare to Above Ground Swimming Pools

Overview
If you’re thinking about getting an above ground swimming pool, it would be a good idea to know about the other kinds of pools that are available as a comparison. This article will focus on fiberglass pools and how they compare to above ground pools.

Inground fiberglass pools are one type of inground pool that is currently available in the market. They have a number of attractive features, but are substantially more expensive than above ground swimming pools.

How Fiberglass pools are manufactured
Fiberglass pools are typically manufactured for a specific customer, especially if the particular shape that is ordered is not a stock shape, but rather a custom shape. Most brands of fiberglass swimming pools have a variety of predetermined shapes to choose from. Once the particular shape has been selected, the order is sent to the manufacturing facility of the company. The pool is then built to order and shipped to the customer.

Costs of Fiberglass Pools
There are several things to consider about fiberglass pool prices vs. the price of above-ground swimming pools. First and foremost is the up-front cost of the pool itself. Typical fiberglass pools cost from $20-30K for a small pool up to $40-50K for a large one. The variation in costs come from several factors including the types of pool accessories that are added on at the time of the order, ordering a custom shape vs. a standard shape, and the shipping distance.

While this is a substantial expense in the beginning, one of the things that fiberglass pools have an advantage over other pool types is that the ongoing cost of ownership is lower than other pool types. Typically, they require less time to maintain during the swimming season, require less cleaning and fewer chemicals due to the nature of fiberglass as a material. They don’t require replacement of the vinyl liner, since they don’t have one, and they don’t require remarciting as do cement inground pools. Most fiberglass pool manufacturers say that over a period of ten years, the cost of maintaining other pool types makes fiberglass pools prices more competitive.

Installation times
While still requiring more time to install than an above ground swimming pool, fiberglass pools can be installed much more quickly than other inground pools. This is because the excavation of the pool site can be timed with the delivery of the fiberglass pool to the site so that there is very little waiting in between.

Conclusion
So the biggest factors to take into consideration when comparing these two types of pools are upfront costs vs. cost of ownership over time, creating a permanent fixture vs. having a pool that can be disassembled and taken with to a new location, time of installation.

Once you know what your answer is to these issues, you’ll be able to make your decision about whether to go with a fiberglass swimming pool or an above ground swimming pool.

photo credit: Lostinawave