The cost of a pool enclosure can vary significantly depending on where it is made and the quality of the materials used. Low-cost units made in China or Eastern Europe typically range from $40 to $70 per square foot and often have a shorter lifespan. In contrast, higher-quality enclosures made in the United States or Canada are built to last for many years and usually range from $60 to $110 or more per square foot. The design, size, layout, configuration, wind load, and other options will impact the final cost of these enclosures.
In addition to the base cost of the enclosure, there are other expenses to consider, such as shipping, site preparation, and installation. All these factors play a crucial role in determining the total cost of a pool enclosure. But before diving into the specifics of how these costs are calculated, it’s essential to understand what a pool enclosure is and why it might be a worthwhile investment.
But how much is a pool enclosure, exactly? Now let’s understand how this cost is determined, but first what is a pool enclosure.
Pool Enclosures are an architectural product, it is an actual building that encloses the swimming pool and the deck area. They are building structures that require a foundation and designed to meet local building codes. Stamped engineering drawings are required for each location to ensure the building meets snow and wind loads and are submitted to the local town or city for building permit approval prior to installation.
Are you wondering, “How much does it cost for a pool enclosure?” Typical indoor pool enclosure cost is determined by the following main factors or options:
Size determines everything. Typically the larger the enclosure, the lower the cost per square foot, but the overall cost will be higher. That is why when considering the enclosure size consider the layout of the pool and deck. If the swimming pool and pool enclosure is new, consider looking into a seating area beside the pool for lawn chairs, lounges, tables, etc.. Some projects get into features such as fountains, diving board, rocks, slides, planters or other decorative items that may be placed around the pool and the walking area around these items. And don’t forget at the end of the swimming pool a pool cover, either built in or on the deck, space is usually over looked for this piece of equipment.
Once the size is determined the design of the enclosure needs to be considered. The design is also influenced if it will be a freestanding enclosure or attached to an existing structure. If attached to an existing structure the interface and height needs to be looked at to ensure it compliments and functions well with the existing structure. When attached to an existing structure the enclosure cost maybe lower if a wall section is not required, but if a house interface or a house attached is required it may be the same or slightly higher in cost.
The second major factor on cost is deciding between a fixed or retractable pool enclosure. The retractable pool enclosure cost is more than fixed enclosures because of the increase complexity when covering the same area.
A fixed pool enclosure is simply a fixed building that doesn’t move and the most cost effective to build. By adding sliding bi-fold doors, windows and sliding doors enhance the fixed building by providing fresh area in the summer months.
Retractable pool enclosures or telescopic pool enclosures on the other hand have fixed and moving sections of the building to be opened in warmer weather uncovering the pool and deck area. The moving sections also known as bays typically slide over or under each other. Your pool in effect becomes an indoor or outdoor pool whenever you open or close the enclosure. This greatly enhances the function of the pool area when opened by extending the deck beyond the enclosure area. If you’re looking for the indoor pool enclosures cost, then this is your best bet.
Typically the bays are moved by hand and require two people to open and can be closed over a 5 to 10 minute period. New telescopic pool enclosures are easier to move, but over time it requires more effort. It is recommended that all retractable pool enclosures be purchased with an electric drive system that automatically opens and closes the enclosure. This increases the retractable pool enclosure cost, but well worth it over time and if you are alone or have any physical or health issues, it would be a must have.
Considering snow and wind load when deciding an enclosure is the last thing on people’s minds, but not the engineer’s. If you live in an area that receives a lot of snow and wind then the indoor outdoor pool enclosure must be designed for it. Because pool shelters are not designed for any real snow loads or wind loads, they typically fail for this reason and have a limited life. So, the higher the snow and wind the larger the structural members or framing will be. These larger framing components will also increase the pool cage cost, but not by a huge factor since pool enclosures are first designed for high winds and snow loads. And they will stand up to the weather no matter where you live.
Also, the roof of the enclosure should not be flat in any section but have a peak or gable roof as a minimum to allow snow and water slide off the enclosure. On any weaker system, too much rain, freezing rain or snow will result in the collapse of the pool cage.
Pool Enclosure structural framing materials can range from wood, steel to aluminum but not unsupported or non-reinforced vinyl (vinyl alone doesn’t have the strength). Aluminum is considered to be best due to its ability not to rust or rot in an indoor outdoor pool environment. The high humidity created by the evaporation of pool water will require a HVAC system if wood or steel is used. Even then, over time the wood and steel will deteriorate if regular maintenance is not performed. The additional cost of the HVAC as well as the electricity to run the HVAC continuously should be considered.
The glazing or the material used to cover telescopic pool cages range from acrylic, polycarbonate to tempered or laminated glass. The acrylic and polycarbonate are more cost effective and durable than glass but during cooler months condensation maybe visible on the inside. This will not be an issue for the aluminum framing but over time will be for wood or steel, which is why wood windows are not usually installed in homes to day.
If glass is considered it must be tempered or laminated for safety reasons. It is heavier requiring the structural framing members to be larger to support the load increasing the enclosure cost. Even tempered glass also can break on impact and more care is required not to hit the glass with the pool skimmer pole or other pool equipment.
Pool shelters are also called an enclosure, but are in fact a low cost structures that are made for mild climatic areas to be used in areas with no snow or very little snow and low wind areas. Any warranty, if provided, clearly states that that snow must be removed, straps, poles to secure the building in high winds or the unit must be dismantled in order to avoid the warranty being void. These shelters are not considered part of swimming pool enclosure cost in this article.
Hopefully, we answered your question, “how much does a swimming pool enclosures cost?”
With everything to consider it sounds pretty expensive for pool cage cost, but not as much as you might think. At Covers in Play we prefabricate each Retractable Pool Enclosure system and ship it knockdown to the installation site. So the onsite assembly and installation time is reduced to approximately a week for smaller units or so, depending on the size and complexity of the enclosure design.
The system also has lots of options allowing for economizing the design to suit various client needs and site conditions.
With all the considerations listed above the average cost of pool enclosure ranges from $60 to $110 or more per square foot depending on all the options. Applicable taxes, shipping, site prep, installation are all considerations.
On a final note, please take the time to read the manufacturer’s pool enclosure warranty. It’s an often-overlooked step that can save you a lot of trouble and prevent many potential headaches.
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