The costs of building an above-ground pool, an in-ground pool with a liner and a custom gunite pool have become much closer over the last few years. When evaluating the "true cost" of building a pool, one must also take into consideration the return on investment when you sell your home. From Del Val Pools & Spas' perspective, the price gap with different styles of pools has closed based on market conditions and their experience has closed it even further.

Since COVID, the cost of materials necessary to build swimming pools has gone up. Fiberglass, plastics and steel are all substantially more expensive than they were five years ago. According to Gordian's RSMeans Data, structural steel prices are up 111% since 2020. The costs of polypropylene and plastic resin—key ingredients in forming plastic—are up more than 400% since 2020. Some more simple comparisons can help one relate: in 2020, a gallon of gas (on average) cost $1.97; in 2025, a gallon of gas (on average) costs $3.13. Compare these cost increases to the ingredients which make up gunite. According to the same data, they've gone up by 13% since 2020.

Del Val Pools & Spas has been able to narrow the divide in pool building costs even further by investing and developing their own gunite division. In the past, it's been a standard among pool contractors to subcontract that part of pool construction. Simply put, Del Val trucks now spray the gunite that forms the shapes and structure of its custom in-ground pools. They do not sub-contract any part of the pool construction. Everything is accomplished and performed by Del Val employees.

"From excavation to finish plaster, it's all Del Val. We saw the prices on pool types coming closer together, and we knew there was more we could do to close that gap," says Bryan Hull, co-owner. "Besides controlling costs, having our own gunite trucks allows us to control our schedule, which maximizes schedule efficiency. No more wasted man hours or money waiting for a gunite contractor to arrive. We like to boast that we deliver finished pools on time and on budget."

Another reason the cost to build different types of pools has lessened is because Del Val is a very efficient pool builder. That comes from experience, and the third generation of the Hull family is now building pools. That's worth bragging about, but with that message also comes the positive impression from the continuity of the business. They are still around because they build pools very well, and they build them competitively.

"After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, we did a lot of consulting work at the Jersey Shore. We saw firsthand what caused older first-generation pools from the 1970s and 1980s to fail, and in many cases disappear," says Brett Hull, co-owner. "We learned from the mistakes of previous pool builders. We build our pools with deeper keels and tighter rebar patterns than other pool contractors. I like to say we out-build our competitors, but what our customers know is our pools last—and that's what matters."

Swimming pools are becoming a "must- have" request from home buyers. Realtors know selling a home with a custom in-ground gunite pool is an easier and faster sale. Gunite pools also lend to a more finished outside oasis. A gunite pool most certainly gives the seller the best return on investment.

The bottom line is the costs associated with building different types of pools are closing, which makes it an excellent time to sit down and have a conversation about your pool goals. Make a list of what you want out of your backyard oasis. Get a clear understanding of a pool's costs and your options even if it's a goal a year or more on the horizon. It's what Del Val Pools & Spas is known for: bringing your dreams to reality.

Del Val Pools & Spas
Blackwood, Elmer and Sewell, N.J.
(856) 629-2999
DelValPoolsAndSpas.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 25, Issue 3 (March/April 2025)
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