Inground pool cost in Houston, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (450 sq ft)
- $34,000 – $106,500
- Per sq ft
- $75.50 – $236
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −6%
- US $74,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #189
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for an inground pool in the Houston area: $34,000 to $106,500 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 runs 6% lower than the US figure. Construction laborers earn a median of $19.88 an hour in the Houston area, 12% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 450 sq ft in Houston, TX, standard level
$55,700 to $84,700
About $123 to $188 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $28,400 | $43,200 |
| Labor | $27,200 | $41,200 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $240 |
| Total | $55,700 | $84,700 |
Cost breakdown for 450 sq ft in Houston, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $17,200 | $35,800 | $54,300 | 51% |
| Labor | $16,700 | $34,200 | $51,700 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $100 | $200 | $300 | 0% |
| Total | $34,000 | $70,200 | $106,500 | 100% |
Why Houston prices look the way they do
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, Houston wages are 0.88 times the national level. Labor makes up about 49% of the midpoint estimate (52% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Houston is at 100.6 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 98.6: $100 to $300.
Is Houston cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, all are cheaper than Houston. College Station is the lowest at about $64,100 (midpoint, 450 sq ft), 95 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, TXthis page | $34,000 – $106,500 | $70,200 | |
| Beaumont, TX70 miles | $33,900 – $106,000 | $69,900 | level |
| College Station, TX95 miles | $31,000 – $97,100 | $64,100 | −9% |
| Lake Charles, LA130 miles | $33,500 – $105,000 | $69,200 | −1% |
| Austin, TX140 miles | $33,500 – $105,000 | $69,200 | −1% |
| Waco, TX170 miles | $31,800 – $99,500 | $65,600 | −6% |
| Texas (statewide) | $33,400 – $104,500 | $68,800 | −2% |
| United States | $36,100 – $113,000 | $74,500 | +6% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Houston ranks #189 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Houston is 2% above the Texas figure.
Elsewhere in Texas
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $35,000 – $109,500 | $72,300 | +3% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $33,500 – $105,000 | $69,200 | −1% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $32,200 – $101,000 | $66,500 | −5% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $30,700 – $96,100 | $63,400 | −10% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $30,200 – $94,300 | $62,300 | −11% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $32,700 – $102,000 | $67,500 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Houston against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $35,000 – $109,500 | $72,300 | +3% |
| Washington, DC | 3,136,190 jobs | $37,300 – $116,500 | $76,900 | +10% |
| Chicago, IL | 4,513,280 jobs | $46,500 – $145,000 | $95,800 | +36% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 2,897,830 jobs | $38,700 – $120,500 | $79,700 | +14% |
Why two Houston 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.
Related projects, priced for Houston
Jobs that often go together with inground pool are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Houston wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (−5%) and concrete patio lowest (−8%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,550 – $10,900 | −5% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,800 – $5,100 | −6% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,200 – $3,650 | −8% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $7,000 – $14,100 | −7% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $560 – $1,950 | −6% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,600 – $12,900 | −5% |
Who does the work: Houston 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 Houston the blend is 0.88.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 40%) the local median is $19.88 an hour, which is 12% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.82 and $22.88 an hour. BLS counts 34,080 of them working in the area, 103.6 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 $24.54 an hour, 15% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.50 and $29.76 an hour. About 14,000 work in the metro. That is 42.6 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 $27.12 an hour, which is 9% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $24.15 and $27.90 an hour. BLS counts 1,090 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 $29.47 an hour, 4% below the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $23.68 and $36.39 an hour. About 10,980 work in the metro. That is 33.4 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 $2,050 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $1,400. That is a swing of roughly 2.0% to 2.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has 3,289,720 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 5th 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% | $17.82 | $19.88 | $22.88 | $22.66 | 0.88 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.50 | $24.54 | $29.76 | $28.78 | 0.85 | metro |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 20% | $24.15 | $27.12 | $27.90 | $29.87 | 0.91 | metro |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 10% | $23.68 | $29.47 | $36.39 | $30.67 | 0.96 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.88 | |||||
The best months for inground pool in Houston
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Houston Hobby Ap (10 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 Houston are September through May: 9 of 12. Outside them, June, 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 June, July and August, crews often start early, wet the base and plan for faster set times.
Houston gets about 56 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, September and October (6.1 inches in June). Inside the workable window, February and March are the driest, at 2.9 and 3.3 inches. The station averages about 101 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 | 64 | 46 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Feb | 68 | 50 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Mar | 73 | 56 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 79 | 62 | 4.1 | Workable |
| May | 86 | 69 | 5.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 91 | 75 | 6.1 | Hot |
| Jul | 93 | 77 | 4.6 | Hot |
| Aug | 94 | 77 | 5.4 | Hot |
| Sep | 89 | 73 | 5.8 | Workable |
| Oct | 82 | 64 | 5.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 73 | 54 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Dec | 66 | 48 | 4.3 | Workable |
Cost by quality level and size in Houston
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Houston. 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
$34,000 to $63,000
Vinyl-liner pool, small size
Standard
$55,700 to $84,700
Fiberglass pool, standard size
Premium
$77,400 to $106,500
Concrete or gunite, large with custom features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small pool (400 sq ft) | $30,300 – $56,000 | $49,600 – $75,300 | $68,900 – $94,600 |
| average (512 sq ft) | $38,700 – $71,600 | $63,400 – $96,300 | $88,100 – $121,000 |
| large (800 sq ft) | $60,400 – $112,000 | $99,000 – $150,500 | $137,500 – $189,000 |
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Detailed inground pool report for Houston, TX, $9
Multi-page report for Houston, TX: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Inground pool in Houston: your questions
+How much does it cost to install an inground pool in Houston?
For 450 sq ft, expect $34,000 to $106,500 in the Houston area. A standard-spec job lands at $55,700 to $84,700. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for inground pool in Houston?
About $75.50 to $236 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 Houston or Beaumont?
Beaumont is 70 miles away. The midpoint for 450 sq ft there is $69,900, which is 0% less than Houston ($70,200). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Houston?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $34,200 out of $70,200. Materials are 51% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would average (512 sq ft) cost in Houston?
$38,700 to $121,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does inground pool need a permit in Houston?
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 Houston area (our national range of $100 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Houston expensive for inground pool compared with the rest of Texas?
Houston is 2% above the Texas statewide estimate ($68,800 at the midpoint). We cover 21 metros in Texas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Houston?
The BLS median is $19.88 an hour in the Houston area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.82 to $22.88.
+What do basic and premium inground pool work cost in Houston?
For 450 sq ft, basic work runs $34,000 to $63,000 and premium work $77,400 to $106,500. 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 Houston?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. February and March 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 Houston
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.