Orange County

[FPK]

We're thinking of making an offer. We have never had a pool and wondering what the average cost is to maintain an ingroud pool in Mission Viejo / Irvine. Thanks

[Nanomug]

The major expenses are heating and maintaining.

Heating and running the pump will be around $50 a month (rates vary).

Maintaining would include chemicals, testing the water, adding water about $20 per month.

A weekly service is approximately $80 per month and usually include chemicals. 

If the pool is old there may be big maintenance required with the heater and pump.

[RE_Guy]

Depending if you do the maintenance yourself - $150 to $200 per month.  Wish I did not have one, but the attached spa is nice.

Re-plaster can go as high as $10,000 - $15,000 but sometimes as low as $6,000 -  usually every 20 to 30 years.  Sometimes sooner depending on many factors like water quality, original pool construction quality, original plaster quality,  etc.

You end up replacing the heater about every 10 to 15 years at about $1,500 to $2,000.  You end up replacing the pump about every 10 years at about $1,500.

You can get your pool covered on your home repair insurance, usually purchased of at least one year for you by the seller - if an equity sale.  Buy it yourself if it an REO, short sale, foreclosure, etc.

My experience is that if you don't have kids you hardly ever  use it (except for the spa).

Of course all this is just my opinion.

[Quest]

Hi FPK,

 RE_Guy makes some very salient points and it makes a big difference if you do it yourself. The internet is loaded with information regarding pool water chemistry. If you have specific questions; fire away. In general if you hire a service, you need to know what they are doing and why. Simply pouring gallons of chlorine into a pool as a method of maintenance is destructive to every aspect of the pool( not just the bacteria).

  If you are buying a vacant house and the pool has been left empty, please budget for a replaster! Pool plaster left dry MUST be removed and replastered! Replastering is expensive,but, you get a virtually new pool for a fraction of the cost and you get a chance to update or revise things like tile color!

  RE_Guy is also correct in that you probably would use the spa more, especially now unless you heat your pool!

[MG_in_PS]

All,

Most of these numbers are on point (I'm the owner of a large pool service)...but I would look at the pool replastering costs a bit more.   The going rate is about $35-$40 a linear foot (measure around your pool and spa edge).

As a matter of advice, I suggest folks put aside $200 a month over and above their costs ...to be used as a pool "rainy day" fund to cover expenses such as new pumps, heaters, leak detections, plaster work, etc.

Best,

MG

[FPK]

Thank you very mcuh!  Nanomug, RE_Guy and MG.   frank