When most people ask the question “How much does a vinyl pool liner cost?” They are typically looking at the cost to replace a vinyl liner on your pool. The cost of purchasing the liner itself is only part of the cost of installing a new liner on your pool.
This article will answer both questions. First, the price of the liner is based on the physical size of the liner itself, and second, whether the liner is sold wholesale or retail. Finally, the liner itself can be for an above ground pool or an inground pool. In-ground pool liners are more expensive as they almost always come in a custom ordered shape that is made specifically to fit that exact pool. Above ground vinyl liners are often made to fit generic pool shapes, so they are less expensive overall.
Cord-type liners, such as those used in in-ground pool installations, are more expensive than lap-style liners used in above-ground pools. An over-the-floor covering can cost $600-$1,200 retail and $300-$800 wholesale for dealers and installers.
A typical pool installer will increase the price of the liner by a few hundred dollars up to 100% of the cost. When you add pool and liner inspections, repairs, and installation to that price, it’s easy to see why some people are interested in finding ways to lower the cost of installing a new vinyl liner.
If you buy a vinyl liner online, you’ll get almost the same discount that a professional pool installer would get from a local supplier. This can be a great way to save more than a little money, up to half the cost of siding, except for one very big problem. Most vinyl siding installation professionals will not install siding that a customer has measured and purchased outright, and if they do, they increase their labor costs so much that the savings realized by purchasing vinyl siding from this way are reduced.
With vinyl liner in-ground pools, you can average the cost of liner installation to between $3,000 and $5,000, which would include the liner, pool preparation, and the actual installation. The retail cost of ground liners is around $2,000 – $4,000 with actual costs around half of these values if you can find wholesale discounts.
The best way to reduce the cost of installing a liner is to buy one online at a wholesale foundry store and install the liner yourself. This process can easily be completed in a weekend by two relatively inexperienced people, with professional installers doing more than three installations a day in the summer.
This would allow you to avoid all the artificial cost increases such as surcharge, labor, taxes and make sure you are not overcharged by some unscrupulous siding installer. In most cases, the tools required to install vinyl siding are minimal, requiring little or no specialized skills or tools.
Larger inground pools are actually as easy or even easier to install than many small above ground pool liners. Large liners also have the highest markup on retail price as well as installation costs, so the larger your liner, the more money you can expect to save.
Items like wall ladders and lights can add to the cost of installing your liner, and freeform pools are generally more difficult to measure and install than rectangular pools. All pools should have a visual inspection as well as a pressure test of the plumbing system before a new liner is installed to protect your investment.
