The 5-Year Cost Comparison: Keeping Your Pool vs. Removing It

You’ve been paying thousands every year on a pool your family barely uses, and you’re starting to wonder whether it still makes financial sense to keep it. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and the 5-year numbers might surprise you. The total cost of keeping a pool in Southeastern Pennsylvania over five years ranges from $15,000 to $35,000 or more when you factor in chemicals, electricity, repairs, insurance, and the major equipment replacements that inevitably come due. Compare that to a one-time pool removal investment of $5,000 to $18,000, and the math starts telling a very clear story.

At Robinson Landscape, we’ve had this conversation with thousands of Bucks County and Montgomery County homeowners since 2000. After 25+ years specializing in pool removal throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, we’ve found that homeowners who run the actual numbers almost always reach the same realization: pool removal doesn’t cost them money—it saves them money.

This guide walks through every expense you’ll face over the next five years as a pool owner, compares it side-by-side with the cost of removal, and helps you determine which option makes the most financial sense for your situation.

What You’ll Learn

• The Real Annual Cost of Pool Ownership in Pennsylvania
• What Most Pool Owners Forget: The Big-Ticket Expenses
• The Complete 5-Year Cost of Keeping Your Pool
• The Complete 5-Year Cost of Removing Your Pool
• Side-by-Side: 5-Year Financial Comparison
• Why Southeastern PA Homeowners Choose Robinson Landscape
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Next Steps

The Real Annual Cost of Pool Ownership in Pennsylvania

Most pool owners know their pool costs money. What they don’t know is exactly how much—because the expenses are spread across so many categories that the total rarely gets calculated. Based on current 2025-2026 pricing data, here’s what Pennsylvania homeowners actually spend each year.

Routine Annual Expenses

Chemicals are your most consistent expense. Chlorine, pH balancers, algaecides, shock treatments, and testing supplies run $600 to $1,200 per year for a typical inground pool. Concrete pools tend to require more chemicals than vinyl or fiberglass because their porous surfaces encourage algae growth.

Electricity for running your pump, filter system, and heater (if you have one) costs $480 to $1,200 annually. Single-speed pumps—still common in older Bucks County and Montgomery County homes—consume significantly more energy than newer variable-speed models. With Pennsylvania energy costs continuing to rise, this number trends upward each year.

Water costs add $200 to $400 per year. Evaporation, backwashing, and splash-out mean your pool needs regular topping off, and Pennsylvania’s seasonal freeze-thaw cycle can cause additional water loss through hairline cracks that develop over time.

Seasonal opening and closing costs $300 to $700 per year combined. Most Southeastern Pennsylvania pools require professional winterization in October and a spring opening in April or May—that’s roughly $150 to $400 for each service, depending on your pool’s size and equipment.

Ongoing Maintenance and Service

Professional cleaning and maintenance services cost $960 to $1,800 annually if you hire help, or roughly $80 to $150 per month during swimming season. Even do-it-yourself pool owners spend $30 to $50 per month on supplies and several hours per week on upkeep.

Minor repairs average $200 to $600 per year. This covers the small things that pop up regularly: replacing gaskets, fixing minor leaks, repairing skimmer baskets, patching small cracks, and addressing equipment quirks.

Increased homeowner’s insurance adds $150 to $350 annually. Insurance companies classify pools as “attractive nuisances,” and most require increased liability coverage—often recommending a jump from $100,000 to $500,000 in liability protection.

The Conservative Annual Total

When you add it all up, the baseline annual cost of pool ownership in Pennsylvania ranges from $3,000 to $6,250 for a year when nothing major goes wrong. But here’s what most homeowners overlook: major things do go wrong, and they happen within that 5-year window more often than you’d expect.

What Most Pool Owners Forget: The Big-Ticket Expenses

Routine maintenance is only part of the picture. The expenses that truly make pool ownership costly are the major repairs and equipment replacements that hit within any given 5-year period.

Equipment With Limited Lifespans

Pool equipment doesn’t last forever, and much of it reaches end-of-life within a 5-year window:

Pool pump replacement costs $700 to $1,500, and pumps typically last 8 to 12 years. If your pump is more than 6 years old when you start your 5-year calculation, you’re likely facing replacement during that period.

Pool heater replacement runs $1,500 to $5,000 depending on type and capacity. Heaters last 8 to 10 years on average—and that’s with regular maintenance. Many Southeastern Pennsylvania pools have heaters approaching or past that threshold.

Filter system components need replacement every 2 to 5 years, costing $100 to $500 per replacement cycle. Cartridge filters, sand, and DE filter grids all have finite lifespans.

Automatic pool cleaners last 3 to 5 years and cost $300 to $1,200 to replace. Robotic cleaners, while more effective, sit at the higher end of that range.

The Major Structural Expenses

These are the costs that catch pool owners completely off guard:

Vinyl liner replacement is required every 7 to 10 years and costs $3,000 to $6,000 for an average inground pool. If your liner is more than 5 years old, this expense is coming within your 5-year window. Sun damage, chemical wear, and Pennsylvania’s freeze-thaw cycles all shorten liner lifespan.

Concrete pool resurfacing costs $5,000 to $15,000 and is needed every 10 to 15 years. Older concrete pools in established Bucks County neighborhoods like Doylestown, Warminster, and Langhorne are particularly susceptible as they age.

Leak repair ranges from $350 to $2,700 for inground pools, depending on severity and location. In our 25+ years serving Southeastern Pennsylvania, we’ve seen how the region’s clay-heavy soil and seasonal ground movement contribute to pool structural issues that lead to leaks.

The Complete 5-Year Cost of Keeping Your Pool

Let’s put together the full picture. We’ll calculate two scenarios: a conservative estimate where your pool stays relatively healthy, and a realistic estimate that accounts for the major repair or replacement that statistically occurs within any 5-year period.

Conservative 5-Year Scenario (No Major Repairs)

Annual baseline costs ($3,000–$6,250) multiplied by five years:

• Chemicals (5 years): $3,000–$6,000
• Electricity (5 years): $2,400–$6,000
• Water (5 years): $1,000–$2,000
• Seasonal opening/closing (5 years): $1,500–$3,500
• Professional maintenance (5 years): $4,800–$9,000
• Minor repairs (5 years): $1,000–$3,000
• Insurance increase (5 years): $750–$1,750

Conservative 5-year total: $14,450–$31,250

Realistic 5-Year Scenario (One Major Expense)

The conservative scenario assumes five straight years with zero major equipment failures or structural issues. That’s unlikely for any pool more than a few years old. A realistic 5-year projection includes at least one significant expense:

Add one of these to the conservative total:

• Pump replacement: $700–$1,500
• Heater replacement: $1,500–$5,000
• Vinyl liner replacement: $3,000–$6,000
• Concrete resurfacing: $5,000–$15,000
• Major leak repair: $500–$2,700

Realistic 5-year total: $16,000–$35,000+

And keep in mind: after spending $16,000 to $35,000 over five years, you still own a pool that will continue demanding the same expenses for another five years, and another five after that.

The Complete 5-Year Cost of Removing Your Pool

Pool removal is a one-time investment that eliminates every recurring pool expense permanently. Here’s what that 5-year financial picture looks like.

Year One: The Removal Investment

• Inground pool removal: $5,000–$18,000 (depending on size, type, and method)
• This includes permits, demolition, certified clean fill, compaction, grading, topsoil, and seeding

Years Two Through Five: $0 in Pool-Related Expenses

No chemicals. No electricity for pumps. No seasonal opening and closing. No repairs. No increased insurance premiums. No surprise equipment failures. No weekend hours spent testing water chemistry and skimming debris.

Total 5-year cost of pool removal: $5,000–$18,000 (one-time)

Additional Savings After Removal

Beyond eliminating maintenance costs, pool removal delivers additional financial benefits:

Insurance premium reduction saves $150 to $350 annually once the pool is gone—that’s $600 to $1,400 over four years following removal.

Eliminated liability risk removes the financial exposure that comes with pool ownership. A single pool-related injury claim can cost tens of thousands of dollars even with proper insurance coverage.

Reclaimed yard space adds functional value to your property. In established Southeastern Pennsylvania communities where lot sizes are modest, converting a pool area into usable outdoor living space can be a meaningful improvement—especially for families with children and pets.

Side-by-Side: 5-Year Financial Comparison

Here’s where the numbers speak for themselves.

Scenario A: Keep the Pool

• 5-year baseline costs: $14,450–$31,250
• At least one major repair/replacement: $700–$15,000
• Total spent over 5 years: $16,000–$35,000+
• What you have after 5 years: An aging pool that continues costing $3,000–$6,250+ per year

Scenario B: Remove the Pool

• One-time removal cost: $5,000–$18,000
• Annual costs years 2–5: $0
• Insurance savings (years 2–5): $600–$1,400
• Net 5-year cost: $3,600–$16,600
• What you have after 5 years: A beautiful lawn, zero ongoing pool expenses, and lower insurance premiums

The Difference

Even comparing the highest removal cost against the lowest keeping cost, pool removal saves Southeastern Pennsylvania homeowners thousands of dollars over five years. In the most common scenario—a mid-range removal of around $10,000 versus realistic annual costs of $4,000 to $5,000—homeowners save $10,000 to $15,000 or more over the 5-year period.

After 25+ years completing thousands of pool removals across Bucks County and Montgomery County, we’ve watched this math play out for homeowner after homeowner. The financial case for removal gets stronger with every year you wait.

Why Southeastern PA Homeowners Choose Robinson Landscape

Choosing the right contractor for pool removal matters as much as the decision itself. Improper removal leads to settling, drainage problems, and costs that erode the financial advantage you set out to gain.

Robinson Landscape has specialized exclusively in pool removal and demolition since 2000—that’s 25+ years and thousands of successful projects throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Owner Tim Robinson personally oversees all major work phases, and our experienced foreman Delfino has been with the company for over 10 years.

What sets us apart: we complete most pool removal projects in just 2–3 days, significantly faster than the industry standard of 5–7 days. We use certified clean fill material that meets local specifications and employ systematic compaction testing to prevent the settling issues that plague improperly done removals. Our BuildZoom score of 113 places us in the top 3% of 125,106 Pennsylvania contractors.

We’re triple-licensed (PA #pa071368, NJ #13vh08112100, Philadelphia #46245) and OSHA certified (#36-900440038), and we handle all permits and inspections across every township we serve. Our detailed written estimates include everything—no hidden fees, no surprise charges.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it actually cost to maintain a pool each year in Pennsylvania?

The total annual cost of pool ownership in Pennsylvania ranges from $3,000 to $6,250 or more, covering chemicals ($600–$1,200), electricity ($480–$1,200), water ($200–$400), seasonal opening and closing ($300–$700), professional maintenance ($960–$1,800), minor repairs ($200–$600), and increased insurance premiums ($150–$350). This doesn’t include major repairs or equipment replacement, which can add thousands more in any given year.

How quickly does pool removal pay for itself?

Most Bucks County and Montgomery County homeowners recover their pool removal investment within 2–3 years through eliminated maintenance costs alone. A typical inground pool removal costing $10,000 eliminates $3,000–$6,000+ in annual expenses, meaning the investment pays for itself well before the 3-year mark in many cases.

Will removing my pool lower my homeowner’s insurance?

Yes. Insurance companies classify pools as “attractive nuisances” and typically require increased liability coverage—often recommending $500,000 in liability protection. Removing your pool eliminates this requirement and can reduce premiums by $150–$350 per year. Contact your insurance provider for exact savings based on your policy.

Is it cheaper to repair my pool or remove it?

This depends on your pool’s condition and age. If you’re facing a single minor repair under $2,000 on an otherwise healthy pool you actively enjoy, repair may make sense. But if you’re looking at major expenses like liner replacement ($3,000–$6,000), resurfacing ($5,000–$15,000), or multiple equipment failures—especially on a pool you rarely use—removal is almost always the better financial decision. Robinson Landscape provides free consultations to help you evaluate your specific situation.

Does pool removal affect my property value?

In Southeastern Pennsylvania’s climate, where pools are usable only 3–4 months per year, removing an aging or unused pool often makes your property more attractive to a broader range of buyers. Many potential buyers—particularly families with young children—specifically avoid homes with pools due to safety concerns and maintenance costs. A professionally restored yard with usable green space appeals to more buyers than an aging pool that represents ongoing expenses.

How long does pool removal take?

Robinson Landscape completes most pool removal projects in just 2–3 days, including demolition, backfilling with certified clean fill, systematic compaction, grading, topsoil, and seeding. That’s significantly faster than the industry standard of 5–7 days. For emergency situations—like real estate closings with tight deadlines—we’ve completed projects in as little as 4 days from first call to finished yard.

What’s the best time of year to remove a pool in Bucks County?

Pool removal can be completed year-round in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Many homeowners choose fall or winter removal to take advantage of more flexible scheduling during our off-peak season and to have their yard ready for spring landscaping. Winter removal works well because firm ground actually supports heavy equipment better, reducing potential lawn damage beyond the immediate work area.

Can I remove my pool myself to save money?

Inground pool removal is not a DIY project. It requires heavy equipment, knowledge of proper demolition techniques, certified fill material, systematic compaction to prevent future settling, permit management, and utility disconnection expertise. Improper removal causes long-term problems—sinking yards, drainage issues, and complications when selling your home. The risks and potential costs of DIY far outweigh any savings. Robinson Landscape’s professional removal includes everything from permits to final landscaping.

What should I do with the space after my pool is removed?

Robinson Landscape includes basic site restoration—grading, topsoil, and seeding—in every pool removal project. After allowing approximately 30 days for proper soil settlement, homeowners typically transform the space into expanded lawn areas, gardens, patios, outdoor entertaining spaces, play areas for children, or pet-friendly yards. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination, and you’ll be enjoying that space 12 months a year instead of just 3–4.

Do you handle pool removal permits in Montgomery County and Bucks County?

Yes. Robinson Landscape manages all permit applications, inspections, and final documentation as part of our standard service. With 25+ years working across dozens of townships in Bucks County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, we know each municipality’s specific requirements. Permit handling is included in our transparent pricing—never an extra charge.

Next Steps

Key takeaways from the 5-year cost comparison:

• Keeping your pool costs $16,000–$35,000+ over five years when realistic repair expenses are included
• Pool removal costs $5,000–$18,000 one time and eliminates all recurring expenses permanently
• Most homeowners save $10,000–$15,000 or more over 5 years by choosing removal
• The investment typically pays for itself within 2–3 years through eliminated maintenance costs
• Additional savings come from reduced insurance premiums and eliminated liability exposure

Every month you wait costs another $250–$500+ in maintenance expenses on a pool you’re not using. The sooner you make the decision, the sooner the savings begin.

Contact Robinson Landscape for a free, no-obligation estimate. Tim Robinson personally assesses each property and provides detailed written estimates with completely transparent pricing—no hidden fees, no surprises.

Call (215) 292-6572 to speak directly with our team, or email tim@robinsonlandscape.com to schedule your free consultation.

Robinson Landscape serves homeowners throughout Bucks County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia, and Central/South New Jersey with professional pool removal completed in just 2–3 days. With 25+ years of specialized experience, thousands of successful projects, and a BuildZoom ranking in the top 3% of Pennsylvania contractors, we deliver results you can count on.