Inground Pool Liner Cost
I see a lot of websites that tell you what an inground pool liner replacement should cost, or sites with swimming pool liner replacement calculators, most of them are misleading or just plain don’t know what the heck they’re talking about. This article will give you a pretty good idea of what an inground pool liner cost to replace here in Massachusetts.
My crew and I have over 60 years of combined experience. You can’t even buy a decent pool liner for the amount some of these other websites say the whole job should cost.
I have done quite a bit of writing on this website about inground pool liner services. I wrote this article back in 2009: Inground Pool Liner Replacement Guide if you want to learn about the process.
While we do offer incentives for some jobs, we don’t haggle. We believe we are worth every penny. Ask any homeowner with a floated liner, wrinkles, or corners pulling out, and they will tell you they wish they had people with a bit more knowledge, skill, and experience.
Inground Pool Liner Cost Based On Pool Liner Thickness
A quality 28/20 mil inground pool liner cost roughly $1200.00 – $1700.00, depending on the size of your pool. Bump up to a thicker 28/28, and you can expect to pay 300-400 more.
For those who already have a good pool bottom like those formed with vermiculite or grout, a 28/20 is all you need. If you have a sand or stone dust bottom, and you are not willing to put in a vermiculite or grout bottom, you should go for the extra thickness and durability of a 28/28.
Vermiculite Pool Bottoms
Why do some pools have vermiculite or grout while others do not? Age may have something to do with it, as hard bottom pools came later. But the most likely reason for it is cost. To be competitive, pool builders would skip this crucial step. Putting in a sand bottom allowed them to bid the job for $1800.00 less. And putting in a stone dust pool bottom allowed them to bid the job for $1000.00 less.
If you’re having a new liner installed and you don’t want it wearing out because the sand is shifting around in the shallow end, or developing pinhole leaks because of sharp stones in the stone dust. Have your installer upgrade you by going to a vermiculite pool bottom.
Labor Cost – Inground Pool Liner Replacement
This labor cost to replace an inground swimming pool liner is going to vary from installer to installer and with different pool sizes. For someone to clean and drain your pool, cut and bag the old pool liner, and without getting into all the little details of properly preparing an older pool, you can expect to pay a quality inground pool liner installer $2500.00 for labor.
The job takes 1-2 days to get done right, with the average quality job taking two days. Unless you have a small pool, that is in like new condition, with no groundwater problems, and already has a hard bottom, your pool should take at least two days to complete. Otherwise, your installer is probably doing the absolute minimum. Unfortunately, this means you will have problems in the not too distant future.
Extras
Dealing with groundwater problems can add to the cost. If your inground pool liner goes over your stairs it will add roughly $350.00 to the cost. If your pool bottom needs extensive work, or your pool has an in-floor circulation system the price goes up a little as well.
Inground Pool Liner Cost Conclusion
If you add the cost of a quality pool liner with the labor cost of installation, you are looking at an average cost of roughly $4000.00 for 16×32 size inground pool. If you need to upgrade your pool bottom, your total average moves up to 5400.00. Of course, 18×36 and 20×40 swimming pools will cost a bit more.
While updating the look of your pool you may want to upgrade your equipment. Check out these other great articles:
