What is the average cost of a pool in Florida?

Our model puts a medium gunite pool with basic equipment and a modest deck a little below the national range in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville and close to it in South Florida. Dewatering, rock excavation, a screen enclosure and a spa or heater are the common adds. Use the estimator for a ZIP-level range.

How do I check a pool contractor's license in Florida?

Search the DBPR license portal by name or license number. Confirm the license is a pool/spa contractor license that covers construction (not servicing only), that it is current and active, and that there is no open discipline.

What is the pool fence law in Florida?

Chapter 515 requires at least one approved safety feature on a new residential pool: a four-foot barrier, an approved safety cover, door and window exit alarms, or self-closing, self-latching doors. Many homeowners combine a screen enclosure with door alarms.

Does the water table add to pool cost in Florida?

Often. Dewatering during excavation is a standard line item in much of the state, and shallow limestone in South Florida can add rock excavation. Ask how both are handled in the contract.

When is the best time to build a pool in Florida?

Fall and early winter. The rainy season is over, builders have schedule room, and the pool is ready before the spring rush and summer heat.

How much does an inground pool cost in Florida?

Florida builds more residential pools than any other state, and that volume keeps base pricing competitive. What moves the number is the ground: a high water table and sandy or limestone soils mean dewatering and sometimes rock excavation, and the state's screen-enclosure culture adds a line most other states never see. Labor runs below the US average in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville and closer to it in South Florida.

Statewide, a medium inground pool with a basic deck runs about $55K – $106K installed.

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Price ranges by city

Medium pool (14×28 fiberglass or 15×30 gunite), basic equipment, 600 sq ft concrete deck. Ranges from our cost model.

City	Fiberglass	Gunite	Page
Tampa	$55K – $120K	$70K – $102K	Coming soon
Orlando	$55K – $120K	$70K – $102K	Coming soon
Jacksonville	$55K – $119K	$70K – $102K	Coming soon
South Florida	$56K – $122K	$70K – $106K	Coming soon

Check the DBPR pool contractor license

Florida licenses pool contractors through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Construction Industry Licensing Board. A commercial or residential pool/spa contractor license covers new construction; a pool/spa servicing license does not. Certified licenses (numbers beginning CPC or RP) are valid statewide, while registered licenses are limited to the local jurisdictions that issued the competency card. Search by name or license number, confirm the status is current and active, and check the discipline history.

Ask for the license number on the contract, a certificate of liability insurance and workers' compensation. poolcostguide.com is not a contractor and does not perform construction.

Florida DBPR license search

Pool safety act, permits and inspections

The Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (chapter 515, Florida Statutes) requires every new residential pool to have at least one approved safety feature before it passes final inspection: a barrier at least four feet high, an approved safety cover, exit alarms on every door and window opening onto the pool, or self-closing, self-latching doors with a high latch. The Florida Building Code adds the detailed barrier specifications, and a screen enclosure can serve as the barrier when it meets them.

Every inground pool needs a building permit from the city or county, plus electrical and plumbing permits. Expect inspections at pre-gunite steel and plumbing, electrical bonding, deck, equipment and a final safety-feature check. Permit fees are set locally and are usually valuation-based; your builder normally pulls them.

Water table, soil and timing

Most of Florida has a shallow water table, and in South Florida it is often within a few feet of the surface. Dewatering with well points during excavation is common and is usually a separate line, and shallow limestone in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties often means rock excavation too. On sandy inland lots the dig is simpler but still wet after heavy rain.

Pools are built year-round. The summer rainy season and hurricane season can slow excavation and shotcrete, and the spring queue is longest, so a contract signed in fall or early winter usually gets the shortest wait.

Frequently asked

What is the average cost of a pool in Florida?: Our model puts a medium gunite pool with basic equipment and a modest deck a little below the national range in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville and close to it in South Florida. Dewatering, rock excavation, a screen enclosure and a spa or heater are the common adds. Use the estimator for a ZIP-level range.
How do I check a pool contractor's license in Florida?: Search the DBPR license portal by name or license number. Confirm the license is a pool/spa contractor license that covers construction (not servicing only), that it is current and active, and that there is no open discipline.
What is the pool fence law in Florida?: Chapter 515 requires at least one approved safety feature on a new residential pool: a four-foot barrier, an approved safety cover, door and window exit alarms, or self-closing, self-latching doors. Many homeowners combine a screen enclosure with door alarms.
Does the water table add to pool cost in Florida?: Often. Dewatering during excavation is a standard line item in much of the state, and shallow limestone in South Florida can add rock excavation. Ask how both are handled in the contract.
When is the best time to build a pool in Florida?: Fall and early winter. The rainy season is over, builders have schedule room, and the pool is ready before the spring rush and summer heat.

Updated 2026-10-26. Sources: cost model v2026-10-26, see the national guide for the full source list.