Inground pool cost in New Orleans, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (450 sq ft)
- $33,300 – $104,000
- Per sq ft
- $74 – $231
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −8%
- US $74,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #212
- 1 = most expensive
An inground pool in New Orleans, LA usually costs $33,300 to $104,000 for 450 sq ft. That works out to about $74 to $231 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $5,750 less. Construction laborers earn a median of $18.98 an hour in the New Orleans area, 16% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 450 sq ft in New Orleans, LA, standard level
$54,500 to $82,900
About $121 to $184 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $26,400 | $40,200 |
| Labor | $28,000 | $42,400 |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $220 |
| Total | $54,500 | $82,900 |
Cost breakdown for 450 sq ft in New Orleans, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $16,000 | $33,300 | $50,600 | 48% |
| Labor | $17,200 | $35,200 | $53,200 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $95 | $190 | $280 | 0% |
| Total | $33,300 | $68,700 | $104,000 | 100% |
Where the New Orleans price comes from
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 4 trades: construction laborers at 40%, operating engineers and other construction equipment operators at 30%, brickmasons and blockmasons at 20%, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters at 10%. Weighted together, New Orleans wages are 0.91 times the national level. Labor makes up about 51% of the midpoint estimate (52% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. New Orleans is at 93.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $35,600 nationally becomes $33,300 here (midpoint, 450 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 92.6: $95 to $280.
Data note: 20% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in New Orleans. The wage table below marks each row.
Specs and site conditions that change a New Orleans bid
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.
Related projects, priced for New Orleans
Jobs that often go together with inground pool are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same New Orleans wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (−8%) and wood deck lowest (−11%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,350 – $10,200 | −10% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,700 – $4,900 | −10% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,550 | −11% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $6,700 – $13,500 | −11% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $550 – $1,900 | −9% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,500 – $12,400 | −8% |
New Orleans weather and the inground pool calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, New Orleans Lakefront Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For pouring concrete, the comfortable months in New Orleans are September through June: 10 of 12. Outside them, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Heat matters for concrete as well. With average highs of 90°F or more in July and August, crews often start early, wet the base and plan for faster set times.
New Orleans gets about 60 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (6.5 inches in August). Inside the workable window, October and November are the driest, at 3.6 and 3.6 inches. The station averages about 86 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 47 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Feb | 65 | 51 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 71 | 57 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 78 | 63 | 5.9 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 71 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 76 | 6.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 91 | 78 | 6.3 | Hot |
| Aug | 91 | 79 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Sep | 87 | 76 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 79 | 67 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 70 | 56 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Dec | 63 | 50 | 4.6 | Workable |
What local crews earn in New Orleans
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 4 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For New Orleans the blend is 0.91.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 40%) the local median is $18.98 an hour, which is 16% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.45 and $23.29 an hour. BLS counts 3,620 of them working in the area, 81.2 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 $28.00 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.97 and $32.23 an hour. About 1,150 work in the metro. That is 25.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the New Orleans metro, so we used the Louisiana statewide median: $27.62 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $23.05 and $29.23 an hour.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152), 10% of the weighting: a median of $30.03 an hour, in line with the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $24.43 and $36.43 an hour. About 1,510 work in the metro. That is 33.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.0 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $2,950 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $1,050. That is a swing of roughly 1.5% to 4.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
New Orleans-Metairie has 445,550 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 57th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 40% | $17.45 | $18.98 | $23.29 | $22.66 | 0.84 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.97 | $28.00 | $32.23 | $28.78 | 0.97 | metro |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 20% | $23.05 | $27.62 | $29.23 | $29.87 | 0.92 | state |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 10% | $24.43 | $30.03 | $36.43 | $30.67 | 0.98 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.91 | |||||
Cost by quality level and size in New Orleans
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to New Orleans. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from small pool (400 sq ft) to large (800 sq ft).
Basic
$33,300 to $61,600
Vinyl-liner pool, small size
Standard
$54,500 to $82,900
Fiberglass pool, standard size
Premium
$75,800 to $104,000
Concrete or gunite, large with custom features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small pool (400 sq ft) | $29,600 – $54,800 | $48,500 – $73,700 | $67,400 – $92,600 |
| average (512 sq ft) | $37,900 – $70,100 | $62,000 – $94,200 | $86,200 – $118,500 |
| large (800 sq ft) | $59,100 – $109,500 | $96,900 – $147,000 | $134,500 – $185,000 |
New Orleans against nearby metros and the rest of Louisiana
Of the five closest metros, 4 are cheaper than New Orleans. Mobile is the lowest at about $65,500 (midpoint, 450 sq ft), 125 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LAthis page | $33,300 – $104,000 | $68,700 | |
| Houma, LA75 miles | $31,800 – $99,400 | $65,600 | −5% |
| Slidell, LA80 miles | $32,300 – $101,000 | $66,600 | −3% |
| Gulfport, MS90 miles | $32,200 – $101,000 | $66,500 | −3% |
| Baton Rouge, LA125 miles | $33,500 – $104,500 | $69,100 | +1% |
| Mobile, AL125 miles | $31,800 – $99,300 | $65,500 | −5% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $32,500 – $101,500 | $67,100 | −2% |
| United States | $36,100 – $113,000 | $74,500 | +8% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, New Orleans ranks #212 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, New Orleans is 2% above the Louisiana figure.
Elsewhere in Louisiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $33,500 – $104,500 | $69,100 | +1% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $32,200 – $101,000 | $66,500 | −3% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $32,400 – $101,000 | $66,800 | −3% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 101,690 jobs | $33,500 – $105,000 | $69,200 | +1% |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $32,300 – $101,000 | $66,600 | −3% |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $31,400 – $98,100 | $64,700 | −6% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is New Orleans against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | 446,380 jobs | $50,200 – $156,500 | $103,500 | +50% |
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $32,900 – $102,500 | $67,800 | −1% |
| Albany, NY | 449,410 jobs | $40,400 – $126,000 | $83,300 | +21% |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $34,200 – $107,000 | $70,600 | +3% |
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Inground pool in New Orleans: your questions
+How much does it cost to install an inground pool in New Orleans?
For 450 sq ft, expect $33,300 to $104,000 in the New Orleans area. A standard-spec job lands at $54,500 to $82,900. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for inground pool in New Orleans?
About $74 to $231 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $95 to $280 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $80 to $250.
+Is inground pool cheaper in New Orleans or Houma?
Houma is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 450 sq ft there is $65,600, which is 5% less than New Orleans ($68,700). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in New Orleans?
About 51% at the midpoint, or $35,200 out of $68,700. Materials are 48% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would average (512 sq ft) cost in New Orleans?
$37,900 to $118,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does inground pool need a permit in New Orleans?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $95 to $280 for fees in the New Orleans area (our national range of $100 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is New Orleans expensive for inground pool compared with the rest of Louisiana?
New Orleans is 2% above the Louisiana statewide estimate ($67,100 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Louisiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in New Orleans?
The BLS median is $18.98 an hour in the New Orleans area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.45 to $23.29.
+What do basic and premium inground pool work cost in New Orleans?
For 450 sq ft, basic work runs $33,300 to $61,600 and premium work $75,800 to $104,000. Basic means: vinyl-liner pool, small size. Premium means: concrete or gunite, large with custom features.
+When is the best time to install an inground pool in New Orleans?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. October and November are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Inground pool near New Orleans
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.