Which Pool Type Is Right for Your Family?

Vinyl liner, fiberglass, and gunite pools each win in different yards and budgets. A builder who sells only one type will tend to push that type, so compare all three on cost, build time, and upkeep first. Any of the three can go into Tulsa clay soil, and the build decides how it holds up. Whatever you choose, plan for the fence and gate basics from Pool Safely.

A fiberglass pool arrives as one finished shell, so it goes in faster than gunite. We install Leisure Pools shells, which carry a structural warranty of at least 35 years for the original buyer. Read the full Leisure warranty before you buy. The gel coat surface is the part that wears, which is one reason every fiberglass pool we build gets waterline tile.

Gunite is concrete sprayed over a steel frame on site, so the pool can take any shape or size. It suits a vanishing edge, a beach entry, or an unusual yard. It also takes the longest to build, about 3 to 6 months from signing. A gunite plunge starts at $55,000, and a full-size custom pool starts at $100,000.

A vinyl liner pool has steel walls and a custom-fit liner, and it has the lowest starting price of the three. The trade-off is the liner itself. It lasts about 10 to 14 years, and replacing it with us costs $5,900 to $9,200. We use Hydra Pools liners, which carry a 20-year prorated warranty against seam separation.

A semi-inground pool sits at least 18 inches into the ground, with the exposed wall faced in rock or brick. It is 4 to 6 feet deep and is not built for diving. On a sloped yard it can often skip the retaining wall a full inground pool would need. Our 10x20 OK Plunge starts at $19,999, pool only.

Some families price an above-ground or a shipping container pool first. An above-ground pool usually costs less up front but does not last as long as an inground pool. Container pools are steel boxes that are heavy to lift into place, and steel can rust. We do not build them, so our guide is an outside view. When families ask us, our answer is simple: build the pool you want and your yard allows.