Are Plunge Pools Cheaper? Small Pool Costs in Sydney
Completed concrete pool build by Cronulla Pools, Sydney pool builders.
Today's topic is one I'm a little bit passionate about setting straight: the small plunge pool myth. That's the idea that a smaller pool automatically means a much cheaper, simpler build.
I completely understand why people assume it. Less pool, less money, right? But the honest answer is that a plunge pool usually costs less than a big pool, just not as much less as people expect. A lot of what you pay for in a concrete pool has nothing to do with how big the water is.
Why small pools don't cost proportionally less
Think about everything a pool needs regardless of size:
Design, engineering and approvals
A survey, and often a sewer peg-out
Getting machinery into the yard
Filtration equipment, pump and an acoustic box
Heating (and yes, I think you should heat it)
Pool fencing
Coping and paving around the edge
Those costs are similar whether your pool is 3m long or 8m long. As a rough example from our own enquiries, a 5 x 3m pool with one to two metres of side access is likely to land around $150k once you include design and approvals, heating, fencing and the other bits that make it usable. That surprises people. It's also the honest number.
The biggest cost in a small pool: your block
The size of the pool is only one piece of the pricing puzzle. The bigger variable is usually excavation, and excavation is almost entirely decided by your block, not your pool.
Small pools tend to go into small yards, and small yards tend to have tight access. If we can't get a machine to the back of the property, we hand dig. If the side path is under about 800mm wide, a hand dig is likely. When that happens, and especially if we hit rock, excavation alone can run upwards of $30,000 before we've done a single other thing.
Then there are the hidden things that are more common in small yards: sewers, stormwater pits, neighbours' footings, and services running underground close to the house.
What a plunge pool is good for
I don't want this to sound like I'm talking you out of a small pool, because some of my favourite pools live in yards you could walk across in eight steps. A plunge pool is brilliant for:
Cooling off on a 34-degree arvo without the beach car park
Kids splashing around (and you perched on a bench with a drink)
Year-round use with a heat pump, or as a cold plunge in winter if that's your thing
Laps with a swim jet, which turns a small pool into a lap pool
Adding value and making the backyard feel finished
Small spaces force really good design. Where the steps sit. Whether a bench doubles as a place to perch. How close you can build to the boundary (for a CDC, the waterline must be at least 1m from a side or rear boundary). Nothing can be accidental.
How to plan a small pool budget
Get a realistic range before you design anything. Don't fall in love with a design that doesn't match your budget.
Get your access measured. It changes the excavation method and cost more than anything else.
Find out about sewers and services early.
Decide on heating upfront, because the pipework goes in during the build.
Ask what's included, especially excavation, rock, fencing and approvals.
Wrap up
So if you've got a smaller or trickier block, please come and talk to us before you start planning your budget around a number you've seen online, because we'd much rather help you plan it properly from the start than have you get a shock later on. Give us a call on 1300 373 706.
