Make a Splash

By Lisa Arnett
March 2026 View more Featured

Everything you need to know about an in-ground pool project for your backyard oasis

Pool season may not be year-round here, but west suburbanites still want their own aquatic pieces of paradise. Since 2020, homebuilders and pool installers have seen a surge in demand that they say hasn’t slowed since. “You would think that we wouldn’t have as many requests for pools, with it only being a four-to-five-month window [of use],” says Steve Buonsante, president of Mondo Builders in Elmhurst. “I think [the pandemic] nudged us to realize, this is money well invested because of the quality family time. Before, it was: Drop the kids off at the local pool. Now, it’s: We want to have the fun house because we want all the kids to be here.”

Pondering the possibility of an in-ground pool? We tapped local experts to help clue you into the latest options and trends.

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The Big Picture

Anthony Russo, president of Russo’s Pool & Spa, has had a front-row seat to watch the demand for backyard pools evolve over the years. In 1988 his parents, Dominic and Anna Russo, opened a 500-square-foot pool store on North Avenue in west suburban Northlake. Today, he and his brother Joe run the business, which has expanded to a 10,000-square-foot showroom and 3,500-square-foot warehouse.

“Back in the day, you would see huge pools with a little four-foot walkway. That’s kind of a thing of the past,” Russo says. Today, homeowners view pools as the focal point of a larger backyard oasis, he says. To meet that demand, Russo’s now sells spas, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, and pavilions in addition to pools. The planning begins with a design appointment, where Russo sits down with the homeowner to discuss their vision. “We upload their site plan to our computer software and we design the pool together, so this way, we are able to create that backyard they’re picturing,” he says. “They can tell us, ‘I was at a friend’s house and I really liked this,’ and we can make recommendations.”

West Chicago–based Grant & Power Landscaping specializes in designing outdoor living spaces and serves as general contractor while partnering with local pool vendors. “Very rarely are we dropping a pool in the backyard and calling it good,” says Tyler Kovanda, sales representative and project manager. “We envision the space as a whole and how the areas are used around it, whether there’s patio space, a fire pit, an outdoor kitchen or living room with a fireplace or a TV. Structures are very popular right now, especially around pools, to extend the season in a way because you can be covered in inclement weather or add heating elements. Pergolas are a starting point, but if they want to provide shade, you start looking at a fully covered roof structure or louvered pergolas, which could be open or closed.”

An experienced designer can help parse out how far your budget will go and what you can execute now versus later. “What I always tell homeowners is, regardless of if you’re ready to pull the trigger on it all, let’s figure out the big picture, and we can always prep for portions of it to complete at a later date, so that the utilities are already in place,” Russo says. Perhaps you start with the pool only and designate space for a future outdoor kitchen. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, so we can plan out ultimately what you want to get to and split it into phases,” he says.

The Type Is Right

There are three main types of in-ground pools to consider: concrete (including the type called gunite), fiberglass, and vinyl. As for which is the best choice, it depends on your budget, your yard, and who you ask.

“A concrete pool is a steel-reinforced concrete structure, similar to the foundations for a building or home,” says Nick Luisi, president of Sunset Pools & Spas in Rolling Meadows, which specializes in designing and installing concrete pools throughout the Chicago area, including the west suburbs.

Fiberglass pools are molded in a factory and delivered in one piece for installation in your yard. Vinyl pools consist of a separate pool base and wall panels, all covered by a vinyl liner.

All three types of pools are on the table for customers of Grant & Power. Kovanda estimates that vinyl and fiberglass pools start around $90,000 and range up to $150,000, while concrete pools start around $120,000 and range up to $200,000 and beyond. “Budget is sort of No. 1 when it comes to what you choose but also the customizability you are looking for,” Kovanda says. “With a custom gunite pool, you really have no stipulations for shape and size. When you are looking at vinyl or fiberglass, you’re married to the shape that the liner or the cast comes in.”

Fiberglass pools also present some logistical challenges. “With fiberglass, it’s a big shell you drop in the ground, so you have to have the clearance to truck it into the backyard or get it lifted by crane over the house,” Kovanda says. “Sometimes if there are trees or other obstructions, you simply can’t.”

The aesthetics differ as well. “The finishes in the concrete pool are tile and aggregate finishes that we call plaster. It’s a very elegant look. The fiberglass pool finish looks plastic, not as elegant,” Luisi says. “Fiberglass pools seem to thrive in the $500,000 to $800,000 home value market. The concrete pools are a standard for any home over $1 million.”

Others, however, point out that concrete isn’t always the default for higher-end homes these days. Russo designed a vinyl-lined pool and fiberglass spa for a multimillion-dollar home in Oak Brook that, combined with custom stonework and uplighting, has a sophisticated look. Fiberglass pools also have come a long way when it comes to adding features previously only attainable with a custom concrete pool, such as spillover spas, sun shelves, and benches, he says.

“Our pools start as low as $57,325 for a vinyl-lined in-ground pool that’s 12 foot by 24 foot. That is completely installed, excavation, dirt removal, dump fee, all that good stuff,” Russo says. “Fiberglass becomes a little more, and it’s all based on the model that you choose.” For example, Russo’s installs Latham fiberglass pools, which start at $55,000 for their smallest model, which at 10 by 16 feet could be considered a plunge pool (see sidebar “Think Small”). The most expensive Latham fiberglass pool that Russo’s offers is 16 by 40 feet for $95,000.

Because warranties as well as cleaning and maintenance requirements can vary, be sure to talk details with your installer so you’re prepared for the ongoing costs. Take vinyl liners, for example: “You will end up replacing that liner; it’s not if, it’s when,” Russo says. “Within five to seven years, the liner will develop some fading and wrinkling. It’ll hold water for 10 to 13 years and may need patching. Cosmetically, it won’t look like it did from day one.”

Settling ground potentially can cause fiberglass pools to crack and need repairs. Concrete isn’t immune to cracking over time, either. “I always say, there is one guarantee with any type of concrete, and it’s that it’s going to crack,” Russo says. “You will have to replaster it at some point.”

Luisi notes that a concrete pool can be repaired by any concrete contractor. “Concrete pools can also be refinished,” he says. “So in 10 to 15 years, the tile and pool finish can be redone, which is great for resale. It’s common for new homeowners to want to update the pool colors to their taste.”

Under Cover

Though pools with rounded edges or an irregular border evoke a more natural, resort-like vibe, rectangular pools remain a top choice. “A majority [of homeowners] are doing a traditional rectangle swimming pool because it’s timeless, and a lot of them prefer it because then they can use an autocover for safety, too,” Russo says.

Automatic covers, a.k.a. autocovers, are hard tops that automatically roll out with the press of a button to keep children and animals as well as debris like leaves and branches from falling into your pool when you’re not using it. “The peace of mind an autocover gives you is worth its weight in gold,” Russo says. “Safety is the No. 1 concern, but between cleanliness of the pool and less water evaporation, chemical consumption, and heat loss, that autocover ends up paying for itself within three to four years.”

Though the specifics vary by municipality, a fence or safety barrier is required for pools across the west suburbs. In some areas, autocovers that meet certain weight requirements are considered a sufficient barrier alone without a fence.

In other communities such as Naperville, a fence that meets certain requirements is a must, whether or not you have an autocover. Homeowners are sometimes caught off guard by the cost of pool fencing and the specific requirements, such as height or distance between both horizontal and vertical rails, according to Lisa Rutherford, code official for the City of Naperville’s Department of Technology, Engineering, and Development. “The pool itself is not the hard part; it’s the fence,” she says. “If you put up a privacy fence, for example, the ‘ugly side’ with the horizontal rails would typically face your neighbor and the ‘pretty side’ goes to you.” However, if the distance between the horizontal rails is less than 45 inches, they’d need to face your side of the yard so as to not provide a foothold for a neighbor child to climb over and access your pool, she explains. Aluminum fences with a wrought-iron look are a popular style right now, but many models don’t meet rail requirements to prevent climbing, so make sure to do your diligence.

Permitting also takes time. “People have that emotional feeling of, ‘I’m going to get a pool, and my contractor can fit me in this week,’ but meanwhile, we have our guidelines for when a pool goes in from start to finish,” Rutherford says.

You can view Naperville’s swimming pool permit requirements and guidelines for residential pools by searching “swimming pools” at naperville.il.us.

Bells & Whistles

The options to personalize your pool with flashy upgrades are seemingly endless. “The features that make a pool really unique are the lights, the audio, and even fire features,” Kovanda says. “Whether that is a fire pit or fire bowls, those are really unique and…make the space really pop and give it that ‘wow’ factor.”

Water features such as deck jets, bubblers, and infinity-edge spas that spill over into an adjoining pool can provide the soothing sound of flowing water. “It’s not just the aesthetics but also the ambiance,” Russo says. “If you back up to a busier road, that sound [of the flowing water] becomes a good factor because it’s noise canceling.”

A light and sound system can be built into your pool and controlled via a built-in LCD screen or phone app. “It can control all the jets and all the lights so you’ll be able to change the color of the lights [shining under the water] or have it do a party theme,” Kovanda says.

Equipment controlled via app also opens up the opportunity for pool installers and maintenance companies to troubleshoot issues from afar. “When we build a pool, not only will the homeowner have that app, but we will also have access so we can log in remotely and help with whatever issue they’re having…whether that be with a water feature or heater cycles,” Russo says. “It’s really minimized service calls.”

In addition to the aforementioned autocovers, automation is expected to continue to make pool ownership and maintenance simpler for homeowners. “You’re going to see some new tech coming out that, instead of homeowners having to balance their own chemicals, that will be more self-monitoring with the help of sensors, and chemicals will be preloaded so you’re not worrying about, do we need to check this level?” Buonsante says.

Think Small

Think your backyard is too small for a pool? Maybe not, given the growing trend for smaller pools, also called plunge pools, cocktail pools, or dipping pools. “We are getting more and more requests for spools, [which are] smaller pools with more seating and therapeutic jet options for lounging purposes,” says Bekki Mihelich, design consultant for Sunset Pools & Spas in Rolling Meadows.

Anthony Russo of Russo’s Pool & Spa in Northlake has seen the plunge pool trend picking up steam not only for smaller backyards but empty-nesters as well. “I would say the plunge pool is for homeowners that had a larger house when they had a bunch of kids and teenagers, and now they’ve downsized on the house as well as the maintenance for the property and they just want something to relax in,” he says. “Nobody is looking to do cannonballs or to be an Olympic swimmer from this. You have some cocktails, cool off, and just enjoy the backyard.”

The smallest plunge pools out there are similarly sized to a standard standalone hot tub at 8 by 8 feet, Russo says, however there’s a difference in commitment between the two. “With a premanufactured hot tub, you could do away with it in a couple years if you decide it’s not really used all that often or you really only like it in the winter,” he says. “The caveat to the built-in pool is it’s not going anywhere.”

Photos: Mark Wilcox/Grant & Power Landscaping (Glen Ellyn backyard); Way Up Media/Sunset Pools; Mark Wilcox/Grant & Power Landscaping; Next Door Photos/Sunset Pools; illustration: Graphic Stock/Getty Images