New Reports On Swimming Pools & Home Value Have Come In: Does The ROI Sink Or Swim?

Adding an in-ground swimming pool at your home can provide exercise and fun all summer for the entire family (and maybe even the neighbors who are nice to you). But before you decide whether to DIY-build an in-ground pool or leave it to the professionals, you might want to make sure it's a good investment that will enhance the value of your property.

A 2025 report from Realtor.com shows that homes with pools allow homeowners to continue to list the property for sale at a significant premium to houses without them. The report says homes with a pool currently have a median listing price of $599,000, while those without an in-ground swimming area list for a median of $389,000.

The report does show that the premium people are willing to pay for a house with an existing pool has fallen slightly in the past few years, returning to levels that were normal before the COVID-19 pandemic. When people were spending more time at home during the pandemic and many public pools were not open, demand for in-ground pools soared. In April 2025, the listing price for homes with a pool was 54% higher than those without one, whereas in February 2022, the asking price for a home with a swimming pool compared to a house without one was at a 61% premium, the highest measurement Realtor.com has ever reported. 

Learn more about making certain your amazing swimming pool design ideas will actually deliver the return on investment (ROI) you're seeking.

Although it sounds great to increase your home value by adding a pool, the cost ranges from $25,000 to $100,000 for this work, according to HomeGuide. Just looking at the raw numbers from the Realtor.com report, this seems like a good investment, as the listing price for an average house with a swimming pool is about $200,000 more than an average one without. However, the report also notes that an average home with a pool has about 600 square feet more of finished space than one without, naturally making the larger house more valuable before considering the swimming pool.

You should also consider the cost of having a pool. For example, your pool will have an "icky" result if you don't clean it regularly, and you'll pay an average of $230 per month to have a professional clean it for you. The cost to winterize the pool and reopen it in summer is about $500 each year. You should also budget a few hundred dollars extra for repairs to mechanical equipment. With costs for water and electricity also included, you can expect to pay $3,000 to $6,000 annually in pool operational costs, per HomeGuide.

Because spending the money to install and maintain an in-ground swimming pool is so significant, you should speak to a real estate agent for advice on ROI before building one. For example, your location's climate plays a role in the value potential homebuyers see from having an in-ground pool. In southern states, people can use the swimming area longer in the warmer climate, making it more valuable than in northern areas, where the swimming season might last only a few months.