How Much Does A Swimming Pool Cover Cost

A swimming pool cover offers a lot of benefits. Depending on the purpose of covering the pool, you can get a pool cover to prevent accidents, keep out debris from the pool, retain heat, protect the pool, and so much more. Though most pool covers come cheaply, spending money on a pool cover is a wise investment. This article will discuss the cost of a swimming pool cover.

The Cost Of A Swimming Pool Cover

The cost of a swimming pool cover varies depending on the type of pool cover you prefer. Winter pool covers range from $15 to $350.

This refers to a standard winter pool cover made of vinyl or similar material. This works to prevent debris, dirt, and leaves from entering the pool in the winter. With such kind of cover, you eliminate cleaning needs brought by rain, snow, ice, or algae that can accumulate easily in an uncovered pool. Solar pool covers, on the other hand, cost around $20 to $500.

These are also called solar blankets because they trap heat from the sun and then transmit the heat to the water to keep its temperature warm. It also works the other way around by trapping the heat of the water to prevent it from escaping into the air. Safety pool covers cost $1,000 to $3,000.

These are different from the above-mentioned covers because they can support weight. Hence, if a child or animal fall through, they won't be trapped or drowned in the water as the cover can carry their weight most of the time. With this sturdier and stronger make, safety pool covers are more expensive.

Factors Affecting The Cost Of A Swimming Pool Cover

Material. No matter what kind of pool cover you are purchasing, the material of the cover will greatly affect prices. For instance, basic winter pool covers cost $15 to $350 while better mesh winter covers cost $50 to $600. This is true because mesh winter covers are low maintenance.

Aboveground or inground? Basically, pool covers (especially winter and solar covers) are priced differently depending on where you install them. Usually, inground pool covers are twice the price of aboveground pool covers. Check out the following prices:

Size. Of course, the size of the pool covers affect prices. Smaller pool covers cost less than their bigger counterparts.

Quality. This works just the same as the material. The better the quality of the pool cover, the more expensive the unit becomes.

Operation. Pool covers can be installed manually into the pool once you need them. However, there are pool covers that can be automated. But, automated pool covers are a lot more expensive. A completely automated winter pool cover costs $2,000 to $5,000 or more, an automated solar pool cover costs $1,000 to $2,000 or more, and automated safety pool covers cost $3,000 to $8,000 or more. There are also semi-automated pool covers that are cheaper. Manual pool covers where you have to roll, unroll, fold, and store the cover yourself are the cheapest.

Additional Costs

You may need to purchase a solar tarp if you have a solar pool cover. Solar tarps are used to protect the solar blankets while rolled up. Usually, a solar tarp will cost you $8 to $20.

Getting additional features for your pool covers can cost you extra. Those with UV protection, for instance, are more expensive.

Over time, some pool covers can have tears and holes. You can purchase repair kits that can help you put the piece back together.

Pool Cover Benefits

To convince you on purchasing a cover for your swimming pool, check out the following benefits of installing a pool cover:

• Helps conserve water  as it reduces water evaporation and so reduces the amount of needed make-up water by around 30 to 50 percent
• Helps reduce the swimming pool's chemical consumption by around 35 to 60 percent
• Helps reduce the cleaning time on the pool as it keeps the dirt and debris out of the pool
• Helps retain the heat in the pool so water heating expenses are lowered and swimming seasons are extended
• Helps prevent accidents and keep unwanted visitors from the pool

Photo by Michael Hirst

Tips Before You Buy A Swimming Pool Cover

Know what your needs are from a pool cover. Do you want to save on heating costs? Or, do you want to prevent pool accidents and ensure the safety of your kids and children? Your main goal of getting a pool cover must be answered by the pool cover of your choice.

Find reputable and trusted manufacturers of swimming pool covers. It is best to get the best quality pool covers to ensure that you'll get the most out of their benefits.

Make sure that you get a pool cover that is a few feet larger than the actual size of your pool. This allows perfect coverage of the pool opening. For instance, if you have a 16x36 swimming pool, get at least a cover that is 21x41 in size.

When shopping for a safety pool cover, make sure that your choice of unit is sturdy, strong, and durable. Make sure it can carry the weight of children in your family. Usually, it even is better to get a safety pool cover that can support 400 pounds or even more of weight.

Don't sacrifice quality over price. A durable pool cover is the most energy efficient, not to mention yet cost efficient.

Find pool covers that come with sufficient warranty from the manufacturer. This way, you can be protected in cases of premature pool cover damage.

Check out local water departments and see if you can get a rebate from your purchase of an energy-efficient pool cover. Usually, local water departments give off $50 to $200 or 50 percent rebate of the cost of the pool covers.