Inground pool cost in Santa Fe, NM
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (450 sq ft)
- $32,400 – $101,500
- Per sq ft
- $72 – $225
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $74,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #246
- 1 = most expensive
An inground pool in Santa Fe, NM usually costs $32,400 to $101,500 for 450 sq ft. That works out to about $72 to $225 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $7,550 less. Construction laborers earn a median of $20.18 an hour in the Santa Fe area, 11% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 450 sq ft in Santa Fe, NM, standard level
$53,100 to $80,700
About $118 to $179 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $27,100 | $41,300 |
| Labor | $25,900 | $39,200 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $240 |
| Total | $53,100 | $80,700 |
Cost breakdown for 450 sq ft in Santa Fe, NM
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $16,400 | $34,200 | $51,900 | 51% |
| Labor | $15,900 | $32,500 | $49,200 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $100 | $200 | $300 | 0% |
| Total | $32,400 | $66,900 | $101,500 | 100% |
Where the Santa Fe price comes from
Labor is 49% of the midpoint bill here, against 52% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is construction laborers (40%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (30%), brickmasons and blockmasons (20%), plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (10%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Santa Fe the blended ratio comes out at 0.84.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Santa Fe is at 96.1 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $35,600 nationally becomes $34,200 here (midpoint, 450 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 98.8: $100 to $300.
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 Santa Fe. The wage table below marks each row.
What local crews earn in Santa Fe
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 Santa Fe the blend is 0.84.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 40%) the local median is $20.18 an hour, which is 11% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.99 and $22.67 an hour. BLS counts 530 of them working in the area, 85.8 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 $25.00 an hour, 13% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $23.20 and $28.24 an hour. About 140 work in the metro. That is 22.7 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 Santa Fe metro, so we used the New Mexico statewide median: $21.63 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $19.11 and $23.90 an hour.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152), 10% of the weighting: a median of $24.13 an hour, 21% below the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $18.88 and $31.14 an hour. About 160 work in the metro. That is 25.9 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 $1,700 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $1,500. That is a swing of roughly 2.2% to 2.5% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Santa Fe has 61,770 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 282nd 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% | $17.99 | $20.18 | $22.67 | $22.66 | 0.89 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $23.20 | $25.00 | $28.24 | $28.78 | 0.87 | metro |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 20% | $19.11 | $21.63 | $23.90 | $29.87 | 0.72 | state |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 10% | $18.88 | $24.13 | $31.14 | $30.67 | 0.79 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.84 | |||||
Cost by quality level and size in Santa Fe
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Santa Fe. 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
$32,400 to $60,000
Vinyl-liner pool, small size
Standard
$53,100 to $80,700
Fiberglass pool, standard size
Premium
$73,800 to $101,500
Concrete or gunite, large with custom features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small pool (400 sq ft) | $28,800 – $53,400 | $47,200 – $71,700 | $65,600 – $90,100 |
| average (512 sq ft) | $36,900 – $68,200 | $60,400 – $91,800 | $83,900 – $115,500 |
| large (800 sq ft) | $57,600 – $106,500 | $94,300 – $143,500 | $131,000 – $180,000 |
Santa Fe 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, Santa Fe 2 (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 Santa Fe are May through September: 5 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, April, October, November and December have an average overnight low of 40°F or below.
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.
Santa Fe gets about 13 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 20 inches of snow. The wettest months are July, August and September (2.3 inches in July). Inside the workable window, May and June are the driest, at 0.9 and 0.9 inches. The station averages about 24 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 | 43 | 18 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Feb | 48 | 21 | 0.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 57 | 26 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Apr | 64 | 32 | 0.6 | Cold |
| May | 74 | 41 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 84 | 50 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Jul | 86 | 55 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Aug | 83 | 54 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 78 | 47 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 66 | 35 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Nov | 53 | 24 | 0.8 | Cold |
| Dec | 43 | 18 | 0.8 | Cold |
Is Santa Fe 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 $65,700 to $73,400 across Santa Fe and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe, NMthis page | $32,400 – $101,500 | $66,900 | |
| Albuquerque, NM40 miles | $32,400 – $101,500 | $66,900 | level |
| Pueblo, CO200 miles | $35,500 – $111,000 | $73,200 | +9% |
| Las Cruces, NM225 miles | $31,800 – $99,600 | $65,700 | −2% |
| Amarillo, TX230 miles | $32,000 – $99,900 | $65,900 | −1% |
| Colorado Springs, CO240 miles | $35,600 – $111,000 | $73,400 | +10% |
| New Mexico (statewide) | $32,200 – $100,500 | $66,400 | −1% |
| United States | $36,100 – $113,000 | $74,500 | +11% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Santa Fe ranks #246 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Santa Fe is 1% above the New Mexico figure.
Elsewhere in New Mexico
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | 404,700 jobs | $32,400 – $101,500 | $66,900 | level |
| Las Cruces, NM | 80,000 jobs | $31,800 – $99,600 | $65,700 | −2% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Santa Fe against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pueblo, CO | 61,780 jobs | $35,500 – $111,000 | $73,200 | +9% |
| Decatur, AL | 61,240 jobs | $32,100 – $100,500 | $66,200 | −1% |
| Hattiesburg, MS | 62,230 jobs | $31,200 – $97,500 | $64,300 | −4% |
| Dothan, AL | 60,720 jobs | $30,600 – $95,900 | $63,300 | −5% |
What nearby projects cost in Santa Fe
Jobs that often go together with inground pool are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Santa Fe wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, wood deck comes out highest (−4%) and retaining wall lowest (−11%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,600 – $10,900 | −5% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,750 – $5,000 | −8% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,200 – $3,750 | −7% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $7,250 – $14,600 | −4% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $560 – $1,950 | −7% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,100 – $12,100 | −11% |
Why two Santa Fe 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.
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Inground pool in Santa Fe: your questions
+How much does it cost to install an inground pool in Santa Fe?
For 450 sq ft, expect $32,400 to $101,500 in the Santa Fe area. A standard-spec job lands at $53,100 to $80,700. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for inground pool in Santa Fe?
About $72 to $225 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $100 to $300 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $80 to $250.
+Is inground pool cheaper in Santa Fe or Albuquerque?
Albuquerque is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 450 sq ft there is $66,900, which is 0% more than Santa Fe ($66,900). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Santa Fe?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $32,500 out of $66,900. Materials are 51% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would average (512 sq ft) cost in Santa Fe?
$36,900 to $115,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does inground pool need a permit in Santa Fe?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $100 to $300 for fees in the Santa Fe area (our national range of $100 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Santa Fe expensive for inground pool compared with the rest of New Mexico?
Santa Fe is 1% above the New Mexico statewide estimate ($66,400 at the midpoint). We cover 3 metros in New Mexico; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Santa Fe?
The BLS median is $20.18 an hour in the Santa Fe area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.99 to $22.67.
+What do basic and premium inground pool work cost in Santa Fe?
For 450 sq ft, basic work runs $32,400 to $60,000 and premium work $73,800 to $101,500. 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 Santa Fe?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are May through September. May and June 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 Santa Fe
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.