Pool Screen Enclosures in Tampa: Costs, Types & Benefits
A pool screen enclosure, or pool cage as most people in Tampa Bay call it, is an aluminum frame…
How Much Does a Pool Cost in Tampa Bay in 2026?
- Published By Andrew McAdam
- Published By Andrew McAdam
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In Tampa Bay, a 12×24 gunite pool from Splash City starts around $55,000. A typical 12×24 package starts around $60,000 and includes a sun shelf, about 500 square feet of pavers, a salt chlorinator, two lights, a pump and filter, permitting, engineering, and electrical. A screen enclosure starts around $20,000, so a pool and enclosure built together typically start around $75,000 to $80,000. Adding a 6×6 spa with heating and automation runs about $20,000. Your final price depends on the size and shape of the pool, the finishes and features you choose, and the conditions in your yard.
How Much Does a Pool Cost in Tampa Bay?
Most pool builders in Tampa Bay advertise a starting price, but those numbers rarely say what is included. One builder may leave the deck, the lights, or the permits out of its starting price, while another includes all of them. That makes it hard to compare one number against another.
To make it easier, here is what our pricing includes. A 12×24 gunite pool from Splash City starts around $55,000. Our typical 12×24 package starts around $60,000 and comes with everything below.
Included | What It Means for You |
|---|---|
12×24 gunite shell | 288 square feet of swimming area, built to your design rather than a factory mold |
Sun shelf | A shallow lounging area that most Florida families use more than the deep end |
About 500 sq ft of paver decking | Enough room to walk around the pool and set up seating |
Salt chlorinator | Makes chlorine from salt, so you are not adding it by hand |
Two pool lights | Lets you use the pool after dark |
Pump and filter | Keeps the water circulating and clean |
Permitting and engineering | The county permits and structural drawings required before construction |
Electrical | Power to the equipment and lights, bonded to Florida code |
Because permitting, engineering, and electrical are included from the start, they will not show up later as extra charges. When you look at other estimates, check whether each of these items is included.
If you are still deciding on size, our guide to choosing the right pool size compares 12×24, 14×28, and 15×30 pools. Size has the biggest effect on your final price.
If you are just starting to plan, our new pool construction page covers how we design and build custom pools across Tampa Bay.
What Affects the Cost of Your Pool
Starting prices assume a straightforward 12×24 project. These are the factors that raise the price from there, beginning with the ones that make the biggest difference.
Pool Size and Shape
A larger pool needs more digging, more steel, more gunite, more interior finish, and more decking around it. Shape matters too. A rectangle is the most efficient shape to build, while curves, benches, raised walls, and changes in depth all take extra steel and extra time to shape by hand. Gunite is what makes those custom shapes possible, but a 14×28 free-form pool with several features will cost more than a 14×28 rectangle.
Interior Finish and Tile
Every pool includes a quartz interior finish. Upgrading to a pebble finish like PebbleTec, PebbleSheen, or StoneScapes costs more upfront, but pebble finishes last longer and change how the water color looks in the Florida sun. Waterline tile works the same way, with options ranging from basic ceramic to glass and stone. These selections can move your budget by several thousand dollars in either direction.
Equipment Upgrades
The typical package already includes a pump, filter, and salt chlorinator. Common upgrades include a variable speed pump, which costs more upfront but lowers your electric bill over time, a heater or heat pump to extend your swim season through the winter, and automation so you can control the pool from your phone.
Extra Decking
About 500 square feet of pavers covers the area around the pool, but many homeowners want more room for a dining table, lounge chairs, or an outdoor kitchen. Adding square footage raises the cost, and so does upgrading from standard pavers to travertine or marble. It helps to think through how you will use the space before setting your budget, because decking is easy to underestimate.
Your Yard and Site Conditions
Some costs depend on your property and can only be confirmed once we see it. These include how easily equipment can get into your backyard, whether a fence or gate needs to come out, the soil, Florida’s high water table, grading and drainage needs, and any easements or setbacks that limit where the pool can go. This is why we visit the property before giving you a final price.
Permits and Local Requirements
Permitting is included in our pricing, but the process varies by location. The City of Tampa, unincorporated Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and Pinellas County each have their own requirements and review times. Our guide to how long it takes to build a pool in Tampa explains how permitting fits into the overall schedule.
The Cost of Adding a Spa
A spa is the biggest single feature you can add to a pool. Adding a 6×6 spa with heating and automation runs approximately $20,000, which covers the additional shell, plumbing, heater, jets, and controls.
The best time to add a spa is during pool construction. Its plumbing has to go in before the deck is installed, so adding one later costs more and means tearing up finished work.
Water Features and Fire Features
Water features like sheer descents and bubblers, and fire features like fire bowls, each add plumbing or gas lines along with the feature itself. None of them are required, but like a spa, they are easier and less expensive to add during construction than afterward.
How Much Does a Screen Enclosure Cost?
Most pools in Tampa Bay have a screen enclosure to keep out insects, leaves, and debris. A screen enclosure from Splash City starts around $20,000, which includes permitting, engineering, the supporting footers, and the cage itself. A larger deck, a taller enclosure, or specific design features will raise that price.
When the pool and enclosure are built together, the combination typically starts around $75,000 to $80,000. Building them at the same time also keeps costs down, because the enclosure footers can be installed with the deck instead of being cut into a finished deck later.
Gunite vs. Fiberglass Pool Cost
Our pricing is for gunite pools, which is most of what we build. Fiberglass pools come in fixed shapes and sizes, which keeps the upfront cost lower but limits how much you can customize. Gunite costs more to build, but it can be shaped to fit your yard and your design, and the shell lasts 50 years or more. We build both, and our guide to concrete vs. fiberglass pools compares them in detail.
How to Compare Pool Estimates
Getting estimates from more than one builder is a good idea, but the numbers are only useful if each estimate covers the same work. Ask each builder these three questions:
What is included in the price? Check for permitting, engineering, electrical, how many square feet of decking, which equipment by model, lights, and features like a sun shelf.
Are there allowances? Some estimates include a set dollar amount for tile or finish. If you choose something that costs more, you pay the difference later.
What is not included? Drainage, grading, fence removal, tree removal, and dirt hauling often show up later as extra charges when they are left out of the estimate.
An estimate that clearly lists what is included is the one you can actually budget around.
Planning Your Pool Budget
Start with how you plan to use the pool. A pool for two adults who want to cool off is a different project than a pool for a family that entertains every weekend, and that difference shapes the size and features you need.
Next, separate your must haves from your nice to haves. A sun shelf is a must have for most families with young kids, which is why it is part of our typical package. A fire feature is a nice to have for most people.
Finally, budget for the whole backyard, not just the pool. The enclosure, extra decking, landscaping, and lighting all add to the total, and leaving them out of your first budget is the most common reason a project ends up costing more than expected.
Financing a Pool in Tampa Bay
Most of the homeowners we work with finance at least part of their project. Looking at the monthly payment early often makes it easier to decide what fits your budget than focusing on the total alone. You can learn more about pool financing, and we will walk you through your options during your consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get a Price Based on Your Yard
The prices in this article are starting points. Your actual price depends on your yard, your design, and the options you choose. Schedule your free 3D design and estimate, and we will give you a line by line price before you commit to anything.
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