In a country known for its harsh winters, any thoughts of outdoor swimming pools from October through March are usually immediately whisked away from the mind. Unless you’re one of the crazy folks who jumps in a lake on New Year’s Day, there’s no way anyone is thinking of taking a dip in the backyard swimming pool when the snow is falling. But having said that, there may be a good reason to be thinking about outdoor swimming pools during the winter months. And that reason is price. Installing a swimming pool during the off-season might actually be advantageous. Are inground pools cheaper in the winter? Let’s take a look and find out.
Can You Actually Install an Inground Pool in Winter?
The quick answer is that yes, yes you can. And this isn’t just for places on the West Coast where winters are relatively mild. There are a lot of advantages to a winter swimming pool installation and price is one of the biggest. To wrap your head around this, think about when parkas, snow shovels and winter tires would be at their cheapest. It certainly wouldn’t be the days after the first big cold snap or snowfall. This is when those items go for a premium. It’s the same with things like sunscreen and bathing suits. They’re going to be much cheaper in the middle of winter than they will be in the spring or during summer vacation.
Swimming pools are exactly the same. The companies that install swimming pools are working flat out during the spring and summer months. You’ll be lucky if you can even find one that has time in their schedule to install a swimming pool when the temperatures are at their peak. But once the snow flies most people are thinking about snow boots and rock salt, not what they’re going to do during the dog days of the following summer. If you love a bargain, winter is the best time to schedule the installation of your new inground swimming pool.
Are There Drawbacks to Installing A Pool in The Winter?
There are drawbacks to a winter pool installation, but they really aren’t deal breakers if you think of it in the right way. Sometimes construction might get delayed due to bad weather. But does this really matter if it’s December and you realistically won’t be swimming outside for another four or five months?
If the installation is too deep into the winter season, it’s possible that the ground might freeze, and excavation can be made much more difficult. That said, unless it’s been an exceptionally cold winter, or you live in an area with permafrost (where you probably don’t want an outdoor swimming pool anyway) this is rarely a problem. If it is, you can simply wait until the weather warms a bit to continue the job.