Inground pool cost in Erie, PA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (450 sq ft)
- $35,800 – $112,000
- Per sq ft
- $79.50 – $248
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −1%
- US $74,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #143
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for an inground pool in the Erie area: $35,800 to $112,000 for 450 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint lands close to the US figure. Construction laborers earn a median of $22.35 an hour in the Erie area, 1% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 450 sq ft in Erie, PA, standard level
$58,600 to $89,100
About $130 to $197 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $28,400 | $43,200 |
| Labor | $30,100 | $45,600 |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $220 |
| Total | $58,600 | $89,100 |
Cost breakdown for 450 sq ft in Erie, PA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $17,200 | $35,800 | $54,400 | 48% |
| Labor | $18,500 | $37,900 | $57,200 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $180 | $270 | 0% |
| Total | $35,800 | $73,800 | $112,000 | 100% |
What is behind the Erie number
The wage side of the estimate leans on construction laborers, who do 40% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $22.35 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Erie is 0.98 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 51% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Erie is at 100.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $35,600 nationally becomes $35,800 here (midpoint, 450 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 91.0: $90 to $270.
What nearby projects cost in Erie
Jobs that often go together with inground pool are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Erie wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, aluminum fence comes out highest (level) and paver patio lowest (−2%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,800 – $11,400 | level |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,950 – $5,300 | −2% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,250 – $4,000 | level |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $7,400 – $14,900 | −2% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $590 – $2,050 | −2% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,900 – $13,300 | −2% |
Inground pool: what moves the price in Erie
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.
The best months for inground pool in Erie
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Erie Intl 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 Erie are May through October: 6 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, April, 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.
Erie gets about 43 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 104 inches of snow. The wettest months are September, October and December (4.4 inches in October). Inside the workable window, July and August are the driest, at 3.3 and 3.4 inches. The station averages about 5 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 | 35 | 21 | 3.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 37 | 21 | 2.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 44 | 28 | 3.1 | Cold |
| Apr | 57 | 38 | 3.5 | Cold |
| May | 68 | 49 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Jun | 77 | 59 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 81 | 64 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 63 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Sep | 74 | 57 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Oct | 62 | 46 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 51 | 37 | 3.8 | Cold |
| Dec | 40 | 28 | 4.2 | Cold |
Who does the work: Erie trade wages
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 Erie the blend is 0.98.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 40%) the local median is $22.35 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.41 and $26.60 an hour. BLS counts 540 of them working in the area, 44.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $27.90 an hour, 3% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $24.42 and $32.99 an hour. About 280 work in the metro. That is 23.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 20%) the local median is $28.24 an hour, which is 5% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $23.54 and $35.21 an hour. BLS counts 40 of them working in the area, 3.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 3.4), so the local bench is about average.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152), 10% of the weighting: a median of $31.93 an hour, 4% above the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $23.08 and $45.89 an hour. About 280 work in the metro. That is 23.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.0 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $2,900 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $2,700. That is a swing of roughly 3.6% to 3.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Erie has 120,480 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 181st 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% | $18.41 | $22.35 | $26.60 | $22.66 | 0.99 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $24.42 | $27.90 | $32.99 | $28.78 | 0.97 | metro |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 20% | $23.54 | $28.24 | $35.21 | $29.87 | 0.95 | metro |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 10% | $23.08 | $31.93 | $45.89 | $30.67 | 1.04 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.98 | |||||
Erie: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Erie. 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
$35,800 to $66,200
Vinyl-liner pool, small size
Standard
$58,600 to $89,100
Fiberglass pool, standard size
Premium
$81,500 to $112,000
Concrete or gunite, large with custom features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small pool (400 sq ft) | $31,800 – $58,900 | $52,100 – $79,200 | $72,400 – $99,500 |
| average (512 sq ft) | $40,700 – $75,300 | $66,700 – $101,500 | $92,600 – $127,500 |
| large (800 sq ft) | $63,600 – $117,500 | $104,000 – $158,000 | $144,500 – $198,500 |
Is Erie cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (450 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Buffalo is the priciest of the group at $80,500. Youngstown is the cheapest at $72,200.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie, PAthis page | $35,800 – $112,000 | $73,800 | |
| Youngstown, OH75 miles | $35,000 – $109,500 | $72,200 | −2% |
| Cleveland, OH75 miles | $38,700 – $121,000 | $79,800 | +8% |
| Buffalo, NY95 miles | $39,100 – $122,000 | $80,500 | +9% |
| Akron, OH95 miles | $37,800 – $118,000 | $77,900 | +5% |
| Pittsburgh, PA115 miles | $38,100 – $119,000 | $78,500 | +6% |
| Pennsylvania (statewide) | $37,000 – $115,500 | $76,300 | +3% |
| United States | $36,100 – $113,000 | $74,500 | +1% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Erie ranks #143 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Erie is 3% below the Pennsylvania figure.
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA | 2,897,830 jobs | $38,700 – $120,500 | $79,700 | +8% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 1,114,490 jobs | $38,100 – $119,000 | $78,500 | +6% |
| Allentown, PA | 377,180 jobs | $36,900 – $115,500 | $76,100 | +3% |
| Harrisburg, PA | 335,010 jobs | $37,400 – $117,000 | $77,200 | +4% |
| Scranton, PA | 255,620 jobs | $36,700 – $114,500 | $75,700 | +3% |
| Lancaster, PA | 252,230 jobs | $36,600 – $114,500 | $75,500 | +2% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Erie against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala, FL | 120,980 jobs | $31,700 – $99,300 | $65,500 | −11% |
| Burlington, VT | 120,150 jobs | $36,200 – $113,000 | $74,600 | +1% |
| Kalamazoo, MI | 121,790 jobs | $36,800 – $115,000 | $75,800 | +3% |
| Kingsport, TN | 119,560 jobs | $34,400 – $107,500 | $70,900 | −4% |
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Inground pool in Erie: your questions
+How much does it cost to install an inground pool in Erie?
For 450 sq ft, expect $35,800 to $112,000 in the Erie area. A standard-spec job lands at $58,600 to $89,100. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for inground pool in Erie?
About $79.50 to $248 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $90 to $270 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $80 to $250.
+Is inground pool cheaper in Erie or Youngstown?
Youngstown is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 450 sq ft there is $72,200, which is 2% less than Erie ($73,800). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Erie?
About 51% at the midpoint, or $37,900 out of $73,800. Materials are 48% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would average (512 sq ft) cost in Erie?
$40,700 to $127,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does inground pool need a permit in Erie?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $90 to $270 for fees in the Erie area (our national range of $100 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Erie expensive for inground pool compared with the rest of Pennsylvania?
Erie is 3% below the Pennsylvania statewide estimate ($76,300 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Pennsylvania; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Erie?
The BLS median is $22.35 an hour in the Erie area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.41 to $26.60.
+What do basic and premium inground pool work cost in Erie?
For 450 sq ft, basic work runs $35,800 to $66,200 and premium work $81,500 to $112,000. 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 Erie?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are May through October. July and August 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 Erie
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.