Inground pool cost in McAllen, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (450 sq ft)
- $30,200 – $94,300
- Per sq ft
- $67 – $209
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −16%
- US $74,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #300
- 1 = most expensive
An inground pool in McAllen, TX usually costs $30,200 to $94,300 for 450 sq ft. That works out to about $67 to $209 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $12,200 less. Construction laborers earn a median of $16.57 an hour in the McAllen area, 27% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 450 sq ft in McAllen, TX, standard level
$49,400 to $75,100
About $110 to $166 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 46% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $26,400 | $40,200 |
| Labor | $22,900 | $34,600 |
| Permits and fees | $140 | $210 |
| Total | $49,400 | $75,100 |
Cost breakdown for 450 sq ft in McAllen, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $16,000 | $33,300 | $50,600 | 54% |
| Labor | $14,000 | $28,700 | $43,500 | 46% |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $170 | $260 | 0% |
| Total | $30,200 | $62,300 | $94,300 | 100% |
Where the McAllen 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, McAllen wages are 0.74 times the national level. Labor makes up about 46% of the midpoint estimate (52% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. McAllen is at 93.8 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 85.9: $85 to $260.
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 McAllen. The wage table below marks each row.
Pick a size, pick a tier: inground pool pricing in McAllen
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to McAllen. 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
$30,200 to $55,800
Vinyl-liner pool, small size
Standard
$49,400 to $75,100
Fiberglass pool, standard size
Premium
$68,700 to $94,300
Concrete or gunite, large with custom features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small pool (400 sq ft) | $26,800 – $49,600 | $43,900 – $66,800 | $61,100 – $83,900 |
| average (512 sq ft) | $34,300 – $63,500 | $56,200 – $85,400 | $78,100 – $107,500 |
| large (800 sq ft) | $53,500 – $99,100 | $87,700 – $133,500 | $122,000 – $167,500 |
What nearby projects cost in McAllen
Jobs that often go together with inground pool are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same McAllen wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (−13%) and concrete patio lowest (−20%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,200 – $9,850 | −14% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,550 – $4,600 | −16% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,050 – $3,150 | −20% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $6,250 – $12,600 | −17% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $490 – $1,750 | −18% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,050 – $11,900 | −13% |
Specs and site conditions that change a McAllen 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.
How McAllen compares
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 $62,300 to $69,200 across McAllen and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen, TXthis page | $30,200 – $94,300 | $62,300 | |
| Brownsville, TX50 miles | $30,400 – $95,000 | $62,700 | +1% |
| Corpus Christi, TX115 miles | $32,700 – $102,000 | $67,500 | +8% |
| Laredo, TX120 miles | $30,700 – $96,000 | $63,400 | +2% |
| San Antonio, TX210 miles | $32,200 – $101,000 | $66,500 | +7% |
| Austin, TX270 miles | $33,500 – $105,000 | $69,200 | +11% |
| Texas (statewide) | $33,400 – $104,500 | $68,800 | +11% |
| United States | $36,100 – $113,000 | $74,500 | +20% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, McAllen ranks #300 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, McAllen is 10% below the Texas figure.
Elsewhere in Texas
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $35,000 – $109,500 | $72,300 | +16% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $34,000 – $106,500 | $70,200 | +13% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $33,500 – $105,000 | $69,200 | +11% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $32,200 – $101,000 | $66,500 | +7% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $30,700 – $96,100 | $63,400 | +2% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $32,700 – $102,000 | $67,500 | +8% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is McAllen against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | 300,130 jobs | $37,600 – $117,500 | $77,400 | +24% |
| Toledo, OH | 291,530 jobs | $37,000 – $115,500 | $76,200 | +22% |
| Provo, UT | 304,660 jobs | $35,200 – $110,000 | $72,700 | +17% |
| Stockton, CA | 289,660 jobs | $41,100 – $128,500 | $84,700 | +36% |
McAllen 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, Mcallen Miller 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 McAllen are October through April: 7 of 12. Outside them, May, June, July, August and September 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 May, June, July, August and September, crews often start early, wet the base and plan for faster set times.
McAllen gets about 22 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, September and October (4.6 inches in September). Inside the workable window, January and February are the driest, at 0.8 and 0.7 inches. The station averages about 177 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 | 73 | 53 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Feb | 77 | 57 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Mar | 83 | 63 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Apr | 88 | 68 | 1.4 | Workable |
| May | 93 | 74 | 2.0 | Hot |
| Jun | 97 | 78 | 3.0 | Hot |
| Jul | 99 | 79 | 2.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 100 | 79 | 1.8 | Hot |
| Sep | 94 | 76 | 4.6 | Hot |
| Oct | 89 | 69 | 2.1 | Workable |
| Nov | 80 | 60 | 1.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 74 | 54 | 1.1 | Workable |
What local crews earn in McAllen
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 McAllen the blend is 0.74.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 40%) the local median is $16.57 an hour, which is 27% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $14.08 and $18.08 an hour. BLS counts 1,360 of them working in the area, 45.8 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 $18.85 an hour, 35% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $17.66 and $22.19 an hour. About 1,010 work in the metro. That is 34.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the McAllen metro, so we used the Texas statewide median: $27.12 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $23.31 and $28.57 an hour.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152), 10% of the weighting: a median of $22.17 an hour, 28% below the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $18.38 and $27.04 an hour. About 360 work in the metro. That is 12.1 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 $1,050 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $1,700. That is a swing of roughly 2.7% to 1.7% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission has 296,700 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 86th 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% | $14.08 | $16.57 | $18.08 | $22.66 | 0.73 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $17.66 | $18.85 | $22.19 | $28.78 | 0.65 | metro |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 20% | $23.31 | $27.12 | $28.57 | $29.87 | 0.91 | state |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 10% | $18.38 | $22.17 | $27.04 | $30.67 | 0.72 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.74 | |||||
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Inground pool in McAllen: your questions
+How much does it cost to install an inground pool in McAllen?
For 450 sq ft, expect $30,200 to $94,300 in the McAllen area. A standard-spec job lands at $49,400 to $75,100. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for inground pool in McAllen?
About $67 to $209 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $85 to $260 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $80 to $250.
+Is inground pool cheaper in McAllen or Brownsville?
Brownsville is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 450 sq ft there is $62,700, which is 1% more than McAllen ($62,300). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in McAllen?
About 46% at the midpoint, or $28,700 out of $62,300. Materials are 54% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would average (512 sq ft) cost in McAllen?
$34,300 to $107,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does inground pool need a permit in McAllen?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $85 to $260 for fees in the McAllen area (our national range of $100 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is McAllen expensive for inground pool compared with the rest of Texas?
McAllen is 10% below 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 McAllen?
The BLS median is $16.57 an hour in the McAllen area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $14.08 to $18.08.
+What do basic and premium inground pool work cost in McAllen?
For 450 sq ft, basic work runs $30,200 to $55,800 and premium work $68,700 to $94,300. 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 McAllen?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through April. January and February 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 McAllen
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.