There’s lots of everything in New York State, and inground pools are no exception. In the heavily populated coastal areas, including New York City, pools are a great relief from sweltering summer days. In western cities like Buffalo, they’re more of a fleeting luxury.
Swimming Season
Like most northeastern states, New York doesn’t offer a lot of swimming days. In much of the state, you will probably open your pool sometime in June and close it in September. You’ll get a few extra weeks if you live on the coast, however. The abbreviated swimming season is actually welcome for a lot of homeowners, who don’t want to maintain a swimming pool year round. Just be sure you have a sturdy winter pool cover.
Extras
You’ll want to keep your pool water warm and comfortable, so budget for a pool heater and cover. If you don’t have a lot of space, consider a plunge pool that can be used as a spa during the cooler months. On the other hand, if you’ve got the room (and money) for it, a separate inground spa or hot tub adjoining the pool makes a lot of sense.
Installation Costs
Pool installation in New York costs significantly more than average, largely due to the high cost of labor. You can lower the price by doing some of the work yourself, getting an inground pool kit, or going with a cheaper alternative.
Permits
One reason you might want to leave pool construction to the professionals is that they can often handle all the permits and fees for you. The process for obtaining permits for a new inground pool varies by city, and can be pretty confusing to the uninitiated. Regardless of whether you do it yourself or task your pool company with the job, you’ll need to make sure all the paperwork is submitted well ahead of time to prevent any construction delays.
Safety Laws
New York State has a slew of pool safety laws that you must abide by. Briefly, you have to have a permanent pool fence around your pool when it is completed, and a temporary one while it is under construction. Residential pools must also have pool alarms and a safe suction outlet. For more information, see this page. Note that these are just the statewide requirements – there may be additional local laws to consider as well. Obviously, you want to research all the applicable laws as early as possible in the planning stage to make sure your new pool is equipped with everything it needs to be compliant.
