Inground pool cost in Alabama
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (450 sq ft)
- $31,800 – $99,300
- Per sq ft
- $70.50 – $220
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $74,500
- Metros covered
- 9
Alabama prices for inground pool: $31,800 to $99,300 for 450 sq ft, or $70.50 to $220 per sq ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 12% below the national one. Local wages for construction laborers are $17.74 an hour.
Inside Alabama, the metros we cover range from $63,300 (Dothan) to $67,500 (Birmingham) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 450 sq ft in Alabama (statewide), standard level
$52,000 to $79,000
About $115 to $175 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 47% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $27,200 | $41,400 |
| Labor | $24,700 | $37,400 |
| Permits and fees | $140 | $210 |
| Total | $52,000 | $79,000 |
Cost breakdown for 450 sq ft in Alabama
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $16,500 | $34,300 | $52,100 | 52% |
| Labor | $15,200 | $31,100 | $47,000 | 47% |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $180 | $270 | 0% |
| Total | $31,800 | $65,500 | $99,300 | 100% |
How Alabama compares with nearby states
Alabama ranks 49 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for inground pool, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $102,500 and the cheapest Arkansas at $64,300, both for 450 sq ft at the midpoint. Alabama sits at $65,500. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 170 miles away | $32,600 – $102,000 | $67,200 | +3% |
| Mississippi | 180 miles away | $31,700 – $99,100 | $65,400 | level |
| Tennessee | 190 miles away | $34,300 – $107,000 | $70,800 | +8% |
| Louisiana | 310 miles away | $32,500 – $101,500 | $67,100 | +2% |
| South Carolina | 350 miles away | $32,700 – $102,000 | $67,400 | +3% |
Weather windows across Alabama
Weather decides when pouring concrete can happen, and Alabama is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Daphne has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Alabama at 11 months (February through December); Decatur has the shortest at 6 (March through June and September through October). Rainfall runs from 49 inches a year in Decatur to 66 inches in Daphne.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 35 | 91 | 57 | 7: March through June and September through November |
| Huntsville | 33 | 92 | 54 | 7: March through June and September through November |
| Mobile | 43 | 92 | 61 | 9: September through May |
| Montgomery | 37 | 94 | 51 | 6: March through May and September through November |
| Tuscaloosa | 35 | 92 | 57 | 6: March through May and September through November |
| Daphne | 39 | 89 | 66 | 11: February through December |
| Auburn | 35 | 89 | 56 | 9: March through November |
| Decatur | 32 | 90 | 49 | 6: March through June and September through October |
| Dothan | 40 | 93 | 54 | 8: February through May and September through December |
Related projects, priced for Alabama
Each project weights the trades differently, so Alabama's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, aluminum fence is −10% and concrete patio −13%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,400 – $10,300 | −10% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,600 – $4,750 | −13% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,100 – $3,450 | −13% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $6,700 – $13,500 | −11% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −12% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,100 – $12,000 | −12% |
Basic, standard or premium: Alabama prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from small pool (400 sq ft) to large (800 sq ft).
Basic
$31,800 to $58,800
Vinyl-liner pool, small size
Standard
$52,000 to $79,000
Fiberglass pool, standard size
Premium
$72,300 to $99,300
Concrete or gunite, large with custom features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small pool (400 sq ft) | $28,200 – $52,300 | $46,300 – $70,300 | $64,300 – $88,300 |
| average (512 sq ft) | $36,100 – $66,900 | $59,200 – $89,900 | $82,200 – $113,000 |
| large (800 sq ft) | $56,400 – $104,500 | $92,400 – $140,500 | $128,500 – $176,500 |
Alabama metro-by-metro prices
3 of the 9 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $65,500, and the top-to-bottom gap is 7%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (450 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | $32,700 – $102,000 | $67,500 | +3% |
| Decatur, AL | $32,100 – $100,500 | $66,200 | +1% |
| Huntsville, AL | $32,000 – $99,900 | $65,900 | +1% |
| Daphne, AL | $31,900 – $99,800 | $65,800 | level |
| Mobile, AL | $31,800 – $99,300 | $65,500 | level |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $31,700 – $99,200 | $65,500 | level |
| Montgomery, AL | $31,400 – $98,300 | $64,900 | −1% |
| Auburn, AL | $31,400 – $98,100 | $64,700 | −1% |
| Dothan, AL | $30,600 – $95,900 | $63,300 | −3% |
Why two Alabama quotes can differ
Pool type
Vinyl pools are $25,000-$65,000, fiberglass $45,000-$100,000, and concrete or gunite $50,000-$120,000 (HomeGuide).
Maintenance
Pool maintenance is $80-$150 a month; concrete pools also need an acid wash every 3-5 years at $300-$1,000.
Permit
A building permit for a pool is $100-$300 and contractors often include it. Many cities add plumbing and electrical permits.
What construction laborers and the other trades earn in Alabama
Alabama's labor line is priced from 4 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 0.80 times the national level.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 40%) the local median is $17.74 an hour, which is 22% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $14.41 and $21.75 an hour. BLS counts 18,400 of them working in the state, 87.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $22.84 an hour, 21% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $19.12 and $27.66 an hour. About 9,640 work in the state. That is 45.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 20%) the local median is $23.90 an hour, which is 20% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $18.98 and $27.55 an hour. BLS counts 370 of them working in the state, 1.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 3.4), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152), 10% of the weighting: a median of $28.21 an hour, 8% below the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $22.63 and $31.12 an hour. About 6,950 work in the state. That is 32.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.0 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($21.75 an hour) would add about $2,750 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($14.41) would take off about $2,250. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 2,113,660 jobs across Alabama (May 2025), which is 1.4% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 40% | $14.41 | $17.74 | $21.75 | $22.66 | 0.78 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $19.12 | $22.84 | $27.66 | $28.78 | 0.79 | state |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 20% | $18.98 | $23.90 | $27.55 | $29.87 | 0.80 | state |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 10% | $22.63 | $28.21 | $31.12 | $30.67 | 0.92 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.80 | |||||
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Inground pool in Alabama: your questions
+How much does it cost to install an inground pool in Alabama?
$31,800 to $99,300 for 450 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Alabama can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Alabama is cheapest for inground pool?
Dothan at about $63,300 (midpoint, 450 sq ft). The priciest is Birmingham at $67,500.
+Is inground pool cheaper in Alabama than the US average?
It is 12% cheaper: $65,500 against $74,500 for 450 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Alabama?
About 47% ($31,100). Materials are 52%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.80x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Alabama?
The BLS statewide median is $17.74 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $14.41 to $21.75.
+Where does Alabama rank for inground pool costs?
49th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $65,500 for 450 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium inground pool work cost in Alabama?
For 450 sq ft, basic work runs $31,800 to $58,800 and premium work $72,300 to $99,300. Basic means: vinyl-liner pool, small size. Premium means: concrete or gunite, large with custom features.
+Does the season matter for inground pool in Alabama?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Alabama metros we cover, Daphne has the most comfortable months (11 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
Inground pool by city in Alabama
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does An Inground Pool Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Cost to Renovate: Renovation Labor Report 2026: Where the Money Goes (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = 48% of the installed price, from Cost to Renovate's mid-range 'Outdoor Living' category split. It is a category average, not a pool-specific one, so read the pool materials line loosely.