How Much Does Pool Maintenance Cost? Calculator
With the example prices below, a 15,000-gallon pool costs about $109 a month to run, or $656 for a 6-month season. Chlorine ($43) and pump electricity ($41) are the two biggest parts.
On this page (7 sections)
Your own total depends on your prices, your climate, and your equipment, so enter your own numbers. The calculator adds up the costs you pay every month. It does not estimate repairs or use a national average.
About these numbers. Every price here is an example value, not an average: $6 per gallon of 12.5% liquid chlorine, $15 a month of other chemicals, a 1,000-watt pump for 8 hours a day at $0.17 per kWh, 300 gallons of top-up water a week at $8 per 1,000 gallons, and no heating. We could not confirm a reliable national average for pool running costs, so we don't quote one.
Calculator: monthly and yearly running cost
Enter your pool volume, how much chlorine your pool uses per day, your chlorine price, other chemicals, pump power and hours, electricity price, top-up water, water price, heating per month, and how many months the pool is open. With the example values:
- Chlorine: $43 a month
- Other chemicals: $15 a month
- Pump electricity: $41 a month (240 kWh)
- Top-up water: $10 a month
- Heating: $0
- Total: $109 a month, $656 for 6 months
The calculator uses 30-day months.
What each line includes
- Chlorine. The cost of replacing the chlorine your pool uses each day with 12.5% liquid chlorine at your price per gallon. Chlorine use depends on sun, heat, swimmers, and stabilizer (cyanuric acid, CYA). To find yours, test free chlorine (FC) one evening and again the next evening without adding any. To compare liquid chlorine with tablets or salt, use the pool chemical cost calculator.
- Other chemicals. Acid or pH increaser, alkalinity increaser, stabilizer, and anything else you buy, as one monthly amount. Add up last season's receipts and divide by the months.
- Pump electricity. Watts ÷ 1,000 × hours a day × 30 × your price per kWh. The wattage is on the pump label or the display of a variable-speed pump. The pump run time calculator helps you set the hours.
- Top-up water. Water you add each week to replace evaporation, splash-out, and backwashing. If you add much more water than evaporation explains, check for a leak with the pool bucket test.
- Heating. A monthly amount. Estimate it with the pool heater cost calculator.
What the total leaves out
- Repairs and replacement parts: filter cartridges, sand or DE, pump seals, liners, salt cells.
- Opening and closing the pool each season, and any service visits.
- The first fill. The pool fill cost calculator prices it.
- Insurance, property tax, and any fence or safety cover required where you live.
- Costs while the pool is closed, such as a winter cover or running the pump to prevent freezing.
Add these from your own quotes and bills if you want a full yearly budget.
Where the money goes and how to cut it
- Use a cover. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says a pool cover reduces top-up water by 30% to 50% and chemical use by 35% to 60%, and can save 50% to 70% of heating costs. Estimate yours with the solar pool cover savings calculator.
- Slow the pump down. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Building America guide says a variable-speed pump can reduce pump energy use by 50% to 90%. Most of the saving comes from running the pump longer at a lower speed.
- Keep stabilizer in range. With too little CYA, sunlight breaks down chlorine fast. With too much, you need more chlorine for the same protection. See pool chlorine levels.
- Fix leaks. A leak costs water and the chemicals in it.
- Shop chlorine by cost per ppm, not by jug price. Strength varies by product, so compare the cost of raising your pool by 1 ppm.
Above-ground vs inground pools
The same math applies to both. Only the inputs change: an above-ground pool usually holds fewer gallons, so it needs less chlorine per day, and its pump may be smaller. Read the watts on your pump's label instead of guessing. Inground pools may add a heater or a longer season. Enter your own gallons, pump label, and season length, and the calculator shows the difference. For care routines, see above-ground pool care.
FAQ
How much does it cost to maintain a pool per month?
Add chlorine, other chemicals, pump electricity, top-up water, and heating. With the example prices, a 15,000-gallon pool runs about $109 a month before repairs and opening or closing. Your own prices and chlorine use change it a lot, so enter yours above.
Why does my pool cost so much to run?
Usually the pump, the heater, or high chlorine use. A single-speed pump running many hours, an uncovered heated pool, low stabilizer in a sunny pool, or a leak can each add a lot. Enter your numbers above to see which line is the biggest.
What does a pool cost per year?
Monthly running cost × the months the pool is open, plus repairs, opening, closing, and closed-season costs. With the example prices, a 15,000-gallon pool costs $656 for a 6-month season before those extras.
How much does a pool pump add to the electric bill?
Watts ÷ 1,000 × hours a day × 30 days × your price per kWh. A 1,000-watt pump running 8 hours a day uses 240 kWh a month, which is $41 at $0.17 per kWh.
Is a pool service cheaper than doing it yourself?
Doing it yourself saves the service fee, but you still buy the chemicals and power. Enter the service fee in "Other chemicals" or as a separate line in your budget to compare. Prices vary too much by area for us to quote a typical fee.
Sources
- U.S. DOE Energy Saver, Swimming pool covers (water, chemical, and heating savings; archived copy, May 2026): energy.gov via web.archive.org
- PNNL, Building America Solution Center, Variable-speed pool pumps (50–90% pump energy savings): basc.pnnl.gov
- Chlorine dose per ppm for 12.5% liquid chlorine: methodology