Inground pool cost in St. Louis, MO
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (450 sq ft)
- $42,300 – $132,000
- Per sq ft
- $94 – $293
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +17%
- US $74,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #23
- 1 = most expensive
An inground pool in St. Louis, MO usually costs $42,300 to $132,000 for 450 sq ft. That works out to about $94 to $293 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $12,800 more. Construction laborers earn a median of $31.01 an hour in the St. Louis area, 37% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 450 sq ft in St. Louis, MO, standard level
$69,300 to $105,000
About $154 to $233 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 59% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $28,200 | $42,900 |
| Labor | $40,900 | $62,000 |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $230 |
| Total | $69,300 | $105,000 |
Cost breakdown for 450 sq ft in St. Louis, MO
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $17,100 | $35,500 | $54,000 | 41% |
| Labor | $25,100 | $51,500 | $77,800 | 59% |
| Permits and fees | $95 | $190 | $290 | 0% |
| Total | $42,300 | $87,200 | $132,000 | 100% |
What is behind the St. Louis number
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, St. Louis wages are 1.33 times the national level. Labor makes up about 59% of the midpoint estimate (52% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. St. Louis is at 100.0 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $35,600 nationally becomes $35,500 here (midpoint, 450 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 95.1: $95 to $290.
Inground pool: what moves the price in St. Louis
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.
Is St. Louis cheap or dear? The local comparison
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 450 sq ft range from $75,800 to $89,100 across St. Louis and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MOthis page | $42,300 – $132,000 | $87,200 | |
| Springfield, IL85 miles | $43,300 – $135,000 | $89,100 | +2% |
| Jefferson City, MO95 miles | $37,300 – $116,500 | $76,800 | −12% |
| Columbia, MO120 miles | $36,800 – $115,000 | $75,800 | −13% |
| Bloomington, IL145 miles | $42,700 – $133,000 | $88,000 | +1% |
| Peoria, IL150 miles | $42,400 – $132,000 | $87,300 | level |
| Missouri (statewide) | $37,800 – $118,000 | $77,900 | −11% |
| United States | $36,100 – $113,000 | $74,500 | −15% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, St. Louis ranks #23 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, St. Louis is 12% above the Missouri figure.
Elsewhere in Missouri
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | 1,096,110 jobs | $37,000 – $115,500 | $76,300 | −13% |
| Springfield, MO | 223,030 jobs | $34,400 – $107,500 | $71,000 | −19% |
| Columbia, MO | 107,680 jobs | $36,800 – $115,000 | $75,800 | −13% |
| Joplin, MO | 87,190 jobs | $35,500 – $111,000 | $73,300 | −16% |
| Jefferson City, MO | 80,220 jobs | $37,300 – $116,500 | $76,800 | −12% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is St. Louis against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, MD | 1,356,680 jobs | $36,200 – $113,000 | $74,700 | −14% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $33,500 – $105,000 | $69,200 | −21% |
| Charlotte, NC | 1,358,370 jobs | $33,700 – $105,500 | $69,600 | −20% |
| Portland, OR | 1,208,410 jobs | $42,200 – $132,000 | $87,100 | level |
St. Louis 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, St Louis Sci Ctr (in the city). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For pouring concrete, the comfortable months in St. Louis are April through June and August through October: 6 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low of 40°F or below, and July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
The 40°F line is a deliberately cautious stand-in. The American Concrete Institute's cold-weather guide (ACI 306R-16) defines cold-weather concreting around an average daily air temperature below 40°F, which is colder than our test of an average overnight low at or below 40°F, so we flag a few extra shoulder months. In cold weather crews may need heated enclosures, insulating blankets or accelerated mixes, and those measures can raise a quote.
Heat matters for concrete as well. With average highs of 90°F or more in July, crews often start early, wet the base and plan for faster set times.
St. Louis gets about 44 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are April, May and June (4.9 inches in May). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 3.4 and 3.2 inches. The station averages about 47 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 | 41 | 25 | 2.7 | Cold |
| Feb | 46 | 28 | 2.3 | Cold |
| Mar | 56 | 38 | 3.6 | Cold |
| Apr | 68 | 48 | 4.8 | Workable |
| May | 77 | 59 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 4.2 | Hot |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Sep | 82 | 62 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 70 | 50 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Nov | 56 | 39 | 3.7 | Cold |
| Dec | 45 | 30 | 2.6 | Cold |
Planning more than one job in St. Louis?
Jobs that often go together with inground pool are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same St. Louis wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (+15%) and aluminum fence lowest (+8%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $4,150 – $12,300 | +8% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,450 – $6,300 | +15% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,350 – $4,500 | +12% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $8,250 – $16,500 | +9% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $690 – $2,400 | +15% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,350 – $15,000 | +14% |
What local crews earn in St. Louis
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 St. Louis the blend is 1.33.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 40%) the local median is $31.01 an hour, which is 37% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.00 and $39.22 an hour. BLS counts 8,670 of them working in the area, 64.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $39.56 an hour, 37% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $28.17 and $45.31 an hour. About 4,190 work in the metro. That is 31.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 20%) the local median is $37.26 an hour, which is 25% above the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $28.55 and $39.48 an hour. BLS counts 1,070 of them working in the area, 8.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 3.4), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152), 10% of the weighting: a median of $37.02 an hour, 21% above the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $27.61 and $49.92 an hour. About 4,060 work in the metro. That is 30.3 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 $5,600 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $5,450. That is a swing of roughly 6.3% to 6.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
St. Louis has 1,341,320 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 23rd 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% | $23.00 | $31.01 | $39.22 | $22.66 | 1.37 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $28.17 | $39.56 | $45.31 | $28.78 | 1.37 | metro |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 20% | $28.55 | $37.26 | $39.48 | $29.87 | 1.25 | metro |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 10% | $27.61 | $37.02 | $49.92 | $30.67 | 1.21 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.33 | |||||
St. Louis: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to St. Louis. 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
$42,300 to $78,200
Vinyl-liner pool, small size
Standard
$69,300 to $105,000
Fiberglass pool, standard size
Premium
$96,200 to $132,000
Concrete or gunite, large with custom features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small pool (400 sq ft) | $37,600 – $69,600 | $61,600 – $93,500 | $85,500 – $117,500 |
| average (512 sq ft) | $48,100 – $89,000 | $78,800 – $119,500 | $109,500 – $150,000 |
| large (800 sq ft) | $75,200 – $139,000 | $123,000 – $187,000 | $171,000 – $234,500 |
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Inground pool in St. Louis: your questions
+How much does it cost to install an inground pool in St. Louis?
For 450 sq ft, expect $42,300 to $132,000 in the St. Louis area. A standard-spec job lands at $69,300 to $105,000. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for inground pool in St. Louis?
About $94 to $293 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $95 to $290 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $80 to $250.
+Is inground pool cheaper in St. Louis or Springfield?
Springfield is 85 miles away. The midpoint for 450 sq ft there is $89,100, which is 2% more than St. Louis ($87,200). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in St. Louis?
About 59% at the midpoint, or $51,500 out of $87,200. Materials are 41% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would average (512 sq ft) cost in St. Louis?
$48,100 to $150,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does inground pool need a permit in St. Louis?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $95 to $290 for fees in the St. Louis area (our national range of $100 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is St. Louis expensive for inground pool compared with the rest of Missouri?
St. Louis is 12% above the Missouri statewide estimate ($77,900 at the midpoint). We cover 6 metros in Missouri; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in St. Louis?
The BLS median is $31.01 an hour in the St. Louis area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.00 to $39.22.
+What do basic and premium inground pool work cost in St. Louis?
For 450 sq ft, basic work runs $42,300 to $78,200 and premium work $96,200 to $132,000. 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 St. Louis?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through June and August through October. September and October 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 St. Louis
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.