How Much Does Pool and Spa Services Cost?

You head to the pool, but the filters aren't running and the pool is full of leaves and critters—these are signs it’s time to invest in some maintenance. Swimming pool maintenance costs $235 on average, including the price of cleaning and utilities. Total costs can range from $55 for simple upkeep to $775 for standard maintenance, plus repairs.

Let's read about factors to consider in your pool maintenance budget.

Swimming Pool Maintenance Cost Factors

The bigger the pool, the more you’ll spend on maintaining it. And upkeep doesn’t just involve cleaning, you also need to open the pool for summer and close it before winter, and you want to consider the cost of water and electricity.

Pool Type

Your pool maintenance costs depend on the type of pool you have (think: in-ground, aboveground, outdoors, or indoors). Chlorinated and saltwater pools require different types of upkeep and have differing maintenance costs.

Size

While there’s no set price per square foot for swimming pool maintenance, you can expect to pay in the higher end of the range ($2,000 or more annually) if you have a pool larger than the standard 15,000- to 30,000-gallon swimming pool.

Pool Material

Most in-ground pools are made of concrete or fiberglass or are lined with vinyl. Each material has specific maintenance needs, with the size and design of the pool increasing or decreasing the cost of yearly maintenance. Concrete needs the most maintenance, including more chemicals and weekly scrubbing.

Frequency

If your schedule is jam-packed, you might not have time to dedicate to pool maintenance tasks. In this case, you could opt for weekly services. But if you're a DIYer and enjoy doing what you can, you might only call in a pool pro a few times a year for major needs like opening and closing your pool. Whatever your situation, here are some costs you can expect by frequency.

Weekly Pool Maintenance Cost

Pool upkeep costs about $20 to $50 per week. Your tech will check your chemical levels, balance the water, and do a shock or algaecide treatment as necessary. It’s a good idea to hire someone to take care of your pool weekly because the company can keep a close eye on your pool equipment and water quality so you can avoid costly issues or repairs.

Monthly Pool Maintenance Cost

Monthly pool maintenance costs about $30 to $260 per month. The price depends on the frequency and level of the service.

If you’re open to doing some maintenance yourself, like skimming the pool daily and brushing the walls weekly, you can opt for a basic monthly package that costs around $30 to $95 per month. These services include water testing and balancing, backwashing filters, cleaning the skimmer, and cleaning the pump baskets.

You can upgrade to $70 to $95 per month for the tech to check your equipment, maintain automatic pool cleaning systems, and brush your pool walls. They’ll visit your pool two to four times a month.

On the higher end, a service that costs $100 to $200 or more per month and includes everything listed above and more. The tech will conduct pool surface skimming, cleaning, and pool vacuuming. Pool opening and closing are often included as well.

Annual Pool Maintenance Cost

Your average pool maintenance cost per year likely falls within the $960 to $1,800 range, depending on your pool type, size, and the services you require. If you’d like to pass along all pool maintenance tasks to a pro, you can expect to pay the higher end of the price range.

On the other hand, if you plan to DIY almost all of your pool maintenance and only call in a pro as needed, you’ll pay $150 to $200 for a single, comprehensive maintenance call.

Type of Maintenance

Total upkeep costs range from $116 to $354. This includes supplying your pool with water and electricity, regular cleaning, and common repairs like fixing clogged pumps or dirty filters.

Repairs

Most pool repairs cost an average of $250 to $1,200, depending on the type of repair needed. Replacing a pump motor or filter is expensive while repairing a drain or skimmer is much less costly. Some other repairs you might need include fixing a pool leak, replacing lights, or replacing broken or loose tiles.

Labor

You can hire a pool maintenance person for about $80 to $200 per week to help skim out debris from the water. For more detailed upkeep, like checking filters or opening a pool in the summer, expect to spend $75 to $100 per hour to hire a local pool cleaning pro.

How Often Should You Schedule Pool Maintenance?

Some pool maintenance tasks, like skimming the water daily and checking chemical levels weekly, should be done frequently. You may be able to do this on your own, but you can schedule a pool service pro to get the job done.

You can also schedule pool maintenance at the beginning and end of the season to ensure the pool is properly open for the summer and closed for the winter.