How to Choose the Best Pool Size for Your Home

There are many variables to consider when selecting your backyard inground pool ranging from shape, color, decking, to water features. Once you’ve taken the initial steps to prepare for buying a pool, you can start narrowing down all of these fun options. A great factor to get started with is pool size — the other details will flow from there!

Here are a few things to help determine which pool size is perfect for you, your family, and your backyard.

Common Inground Pool Sizes 

There is still plenty of variation within these categories, though. For instance, at Parrot Bay Pools, the smallest pool we offer is the TL09, which measures 9 feet by 9 feet. The largest is the I Series 125s, which measures 12 feet by 25 feet, and includes a lane for laps which runs 25 feet in length as well. Our smallest large pool, the Crescent Cove C35, measures 35 by 16 feet; while the largest, the Tropic, measures 42 by 16 feet.

The Main Purpose of an Inground Pool

How you plan on using the pool is key to picking out the right size! Spending your days floating in the water, throwing poolside parties, or swimming laps have different sizing needs. Let’s take a look at some of the top pool uses and size suggestions.

The Best Pool Size for Kids

This section applies not just to the little ones you have at home right now. Will you be expanding your family in the future? Will there be neighborhood kids or classmates coming over to use the pool? What about grandkids? All of these cases require a versatile pool that will serve your needs as the children grow. 

A shallow end is a must for young kids, and if they’re even younger, a tanning ledge works as a safe play area. However, you’ll want to make sure there’s enough interior space for water sports as they get older. Friends will likely join in as well, so think about how many total kids will be in the pool at one time. Including a diving board automatically means that you’ll need a larger pool size to meet minimum safety standards too.

It’s common that kids will ask for the biggest pool possible…Don’t be swayed! They’ll be just as happy splashing around in a 25’ pool as a 35’ pool, so pick what fits best for your whole family.

The Best Pool Size for Entertaining and Hosting

Do you dream of hosting beautiful poolside parties? Think about how many people you plan to have over and make sure you’ll have enough room for them to comfortably mingle — both inside and outside the pool. 

There’s a good chance that plenty of your guests will hang out poolside and never even take a dip. If they do, not everyone will be swimming at the same time anyway. There will be a continual cycle of people getting in and out of the pool, especially since some may stay in longer than others. So, keep in mind the total size of your backyard and how much space can be dedicated to the pool versus the patio. You’ll want to have plenty of available space for seating, tables, and other non-pool features like a fire pit, BBQ grill, or even an outdoor kitchen.

The Best Pool Size for Relaxing

Similarly to having patio space for hosting or entertaining, the same applies to using your pool to relax in your backyard sanctuary. A larger patio area around the pool allows you to add gorgeous landscaping, water features, and other upgrades that can create a relaxing spa-like experience mere steps away from your home. Does your ideal backyard vision of relaxation include an outdoor bar? What about spacious deck furniture, lawn chairs, or a firepit? Leave room for all of the components you’ll want when you unwind after a long day of work.

When you envision yourself relaxing by the pool, do you see yourself taking little dips as opposed to immersing yourself? A small pool will satisfy just dipping your toes in or reading a book off of the pool’s edge. But, you might be interested in a tanning ledge. Tanning ledges are perfect for that partial-in/partial-out happy medium so you can experience the coolness of the water without full-on swimming. They’re generous enough to accommodate patio chairs as well.

The Best Pool Size for Exercising

Swimming laps is a great way to stay in shape. In this case, you’ll want a pool that is at least 30’ or larger to give yourself a decent lap distance. The pool depth that is comfortable for you to swim in is your own personal preference. Common shallow end depths of our fiberglass pools are 3’ deep, 3’8” deep, and 4’ deep.

While a rectangular-shaped pool is the most obvious choice for laps, you may also choose a curved or abstract pool that has long lines either horizontally or diagonally. This is often a good option if you want the functionality of swimming laps but like the look of curved lines more (check out the Crescent Cove pool to see what we mean).

The Best Pool Size Based on Your Family Size

In addition to considering the ages of your kids, the amount of people in your family will also play into selecting the best size for you. 

If more than 8 people will be regularly using the pool, a 16 foot by 36 foot is a great choice that will give you enough room to entertain and play games. If your family is made up of 4 to 6 people, you can probably size that down to a 14 by 32 foot pool. 

Of course, if your household is small but you regularly host friends and extended family for gatherings, you should consider a larger size.

Pool Size Based on Frequency of Usage

If you’ll be using the pool a lot, that means you’ll also be cleaning the pool a lot. While for some, cleaning a big pool is no problem, others may not have the time to regularly maintain it. Consider how much time you might have to dedicate to keeping the pool clean, or if you may be able to get outside help for the task.

Pool Size Restrictions

Before deciding which pool size works best based on your intended use of the pool, there might be physical constraints to consider. You’ll need to assess how much backyard space you truly have and the layout of usable pool space.

Determine where your property lines fall and whether there are any easements, setbacks, sump pumps, or fence lines that inhibit your future pool. Any landscaping features you want to keep should also be taken into consideration.

Budget Impacts Your Pool

Aside from pool usage and backyard restrictions, there’s one more factor that will affect your pool size…pricing! A small fiberglass pool generally ranges between 20 and 25 feet. The smallest fiberglass swimming pool we offer in Raleigh, NC is 20 feet in length and starts at $60,000 without additional features.

Our medium pools range from 26 to 34 feet and cost $65,000 to $90,000, while our large pools (sized between 35 and 40 feet) fall into the $77,000 to $102,000 range. These are all starting prices without any add-on features like lighting, diving boards, basketball hoops, safety covers, or water features. 

Although your backyard may be equipped to handle a large pool, it might not be practical if you are trying to stay within a certain budget. Our high-quality fiberglass pools make beautiful additions to any backyard regardless of size, increasing your home’s value. Use our pool cost calculator to get a quick and easy estimate of your dream pool with the size and features you want.

Fiberglass Pools in North Carolina

Choosing the right pool size now will help ensure you don’t have regrets down the road. If you have any questions about the right pool size for you, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (919) 888-0327. We offer a wide range of pool packages in North Carolina, so you’re sure to find the perfect one for your family and budget. We’re happy to help!

You can also schedule a consultation, or visit our fiberglass pool design showroom in Benson, North Carolina! While our swimming pool showroom is in Benson, we serve Holly Springs, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Cary, Clayton, Pittsboro, Fuquay-Varina, and other areas.