How Much Does an Automatic Pool Cover Cost?

This fall, we decided to install a gas pool heater in our Sonoma property. The goal is to extend the swimming season year around to attract guests more guests at higher prices. People love swimming pools, but pools are unusable in Sonoma in the Fall, Winter, and Early Spring unless they’re heated. So we did it. Already, we got big bookings for Thanksgiving and Christmas almost entirely because of the heated pool.

However, heating a swimming pool with gas is extremely expensive. We haven’t gotten our first bill yet, but gulp it’s going to be bad. However, so that we don’t waste too much money and resources on heating the pool going forward, we decided to install a pool cover.

The automatic pool cover cost $10,500 for the cover and its installation. A wood box to cover the the apparatus cost another $1,200. So the total cost of this pool cover project was $11,700. Also included in this total price was a water pump that you’re supposed to put on the cover to clear puddles when it rains.

However, we should hopefully save money in the long term be reducing heating costs. Plus a pool cover makes it much safer for families staying at the house with children. On the other hand, these things tend to break and apparently you need to replace the vinyl cover every 5 to 10 years. And pool covers are a bit ugly and also you need to pump the water that pools on top of them when it rains.