A pool budget should be created then updated annually

If you have a pool you need to create a budget for spending. Your pool budget should account for seasonal costs and future costs.

Families often budget spending, including:

  • monthly living expenses (such as the mortgage, utilities, and groceries).
  • other known monthly expenses (such as credit cards, vehicle loans, cable, internet access, and cell phones).
  • various insurance policies.
  • entertainment.
  • vacations.
  • memberships.
  • private school and/or college for the kids.
  • a high-dollar purchase (such as a car or truck).

They budget for this or that…quite simply, they establish budgets for whatever needs to be budgeted.

Pool-owning families also need to establish a budget solely for the swimming pool.

The pool-only budget

There are two types of pool costs:

  • seasonal costs.
  • future costs.
Seasonal Pool Costs

There are two types of seasonal pool costs:

  • fixed costs.
  • variable costs.

The fixed costs are the costs that you know you will pay each pool season, such as the start-up, seasonal chemicals, seasonal supplies, and the winterize. These are just a few examples. If you know that something – whether it be a product or a service – will be needed for your pool each year, then list it as a seasonal cost in the budget. As an example, you may be known for a pool party every year, so you can include the additional maintenance and chemical treatments, food and drink, and all of the other party supplies in your annual budget.

The variable costs are the costs that may or may not occur during a given pool season. Many of these costs cannot be foreseen, such as service calls, equipment repairs, equipment replacement (upgrades), leak detection and repairs, structural or interior repairs that are needed mid-season to salvage the remainder of the pool season, or for any other problems that can emerge during a given pool season. As part of your overall pool budget for the season, you must also budget for these potential and unforeseen variable costs. Its win-win. If you need the money this pool season, then you have it in the budget. And if you do not need the money this pool season, then you can continue to save it (or invest it) for the future of your pool.

Future Pool Costs

Your pool will need services rendered, repairs, resurfacing, perhaps a renovations or a remodel, and related pool work. You need to save money for the future of your pool. The future pool costs are simply the costs that will be spent on your pool in the future. The problem, though, is that it is often difficult – and at times impossible – to determine if the future is the near-future or the distant-future. Therefore, in addition to establishing a budget and having the money for (fixed and variable) seasonal pool costs, you also need to put money aside for future pool considerations.

With some planning, it really is easy and straightforward to save money for some future considerations. If you know that a certain piece of equipment may need to be replaced sooner versus later, or if you want to upgrade your current equipment, or if you want to purchase some additional equipment, then save money for the future replacement, upgrade, and purchases. Also, if you know that the pool itself needs to be repaired or resurfaced in the near future, then start collecting bids now so you can start to save money for the future pool work. And if you are contemplating a renovation to revive your current pool or perhaps a remodel to change the aesthetics, look, feel, and ambiance of the pool in the near future, then start collecting bids now so you can start to save money for the future pool improvements.

Everybody should be in the practice of saving money for the future. But pool owners must also save additional money for the future of their pools.

Planning

While planning is important, you cannot plan for the unknown. For example, it is difficult and at times impossible to determine when you will need an emergency service call or worse, a major repair that may be required in a given year to salvage the rest of that pool season. Therefore, put some money aside every month. Save that money. And only use that money for the pool so that you have the money available when the unknown becomes a known reality and your pool needs work – and potentially significant and expensive work – now.

We hope this helps.

Go back to the Pool Blog main page

We can help you budget pool work.

We offer free onsite consultation and bids. Let us know if you need pool work…even if that pool work is a year or a few years in the future.

Call us at 402-341-8132 or send us an email to [email protected] or submit a short form to discuss your pool or and schedule free onsite consultation.

Or for the quickest response, you can call or text 402-250-8100 (Mike Loftus, owner).