How Much Does It Cost to Build a Pool House? [2025 Data]

The average pool house costs $72,000, but prices vary widely. You could pay as little as $1,500 for a small pool shed to house pool toys, towels, and cleaning supplies, and prices can climb to $240,000 for a larger pool house that includes a bathroom, a seating area, and a kitchenette for maximum luxury. Expect to pay between $150 and $600 per square foot for your new pool house.

Pool House Cost by Type

The type of pool house you’re looking to build will significantly impact your total. The most affordable type is a pool shed, followed by a cabana. A pool house that has a kitchenette and a bathroom and can double as an ADU or in-law suite is the most expensive. Pool houses with seating areas, changing areas, and bathrooms fall somewhere in the middle.

Cost by Size

You can expect to pay between $150 and $600 per square foot for your pool house, with an average of $400 per square foot. Where in that range your build falls depends on the amenities you include and the materials you choose. The larger the pool house, the more materials and labor you’ll need for the foundation, framing, roofing, and finishes, and the higher your costs will be.

Custom Homebuilder Costs

Labor will account for 40% to 60% of your total, or an average of between $28,800 and $43,200. It’s best to hire a custom homebuilder to construct your pool house, as this professional will tackle everything from the foundation to the interior finishes, either with on-staff experts or subcontracted specialists. They’ll also handle pulling permits and have the experience to help you make design decisions along the way.

Below are some of the key tasks custom homebuilders will tackle, along with pricing for each.

• Foundation pouring: $5–$16 per sq. ft.

• Framing: $4–$16 per sq. ft.

• Roofing: $4–$30 per sq. ft.

• Interior finishes: $80–$500 per sq. ft.

Architect Costs

You can choose to build your pool house based on pre-made plans, but if you want more control over the structure, dimensions, and options, you’ll need to hire an architect to draft plans for you. An architect can provide blueprints to acquire permits, as-built drawings for your contractor to follow, and structural drawings to ensure your custom pool house will be structurally sound.

The costs below are averages for standard pool houses. For fully custom plans, architects charge between 8% and 15% of the total, or an average of between $5,700 and $10,800.

• Blueprints: $800–$2,700

• As-built drawings: $700–$1,300

• Structural drawings: $500–$2,000

Electrician Costs

Pool sheds and cabanas may not have electricity, but for standard pool houses, you’ll need to hire an electrician to wire everything and install outlets, switches, and fixtures. You’ll also need a subpanel to extend your main home’s electrical service to the new build.

• Wiring: $600–$2,500

• Installing a subpanel: $400–$1,750

• Installing outlets: $100–$450 each

• Installing light fixtures: $150–$6,000 each (including materials)

Additional Pros to Consider Hiring

Building a pool house is a complicated project that involves multiple professionals to get the job done. Hiring a custom homebuilder will mean you can vet and hire a single pro. If you decide to act as your own general contractor, you may need to hire the following experts, as well.

• Framer: $7–$16 per sq. ft.

• Drywall installer: $1–$2.10 per sq. ft.

• Interior painter: $2–$6 per sq. ft.

• Roofer: $4–$30 per sq. ft.

• HVAC technician: $2,000–$12,500

• Window installer: $300–$2,500 per window

• Carpenter: $75–$125 per hour

• Flooring installer: $2–$20 per sq. ft.

• Plumber: $45–$200

• Interior designer: $50–$500 per hour

Cost by Location

Labor costs scale with the local cost of living, so you can expect to see higher pool house costs in areas where the cost of living is above the national average. Homeowners in major metropolitan areas are likely to pay above-average prices for pool houses, while those in rural areas in more affordable states are likely to pay below the national average.

Additional Cost Factors

There are many other cost factors to consider that can swing your costs up or down.

Custom vs. Prefab

Custom pool houses cost an average of $72,000, but going with a prefab pool house costs an average of just $20,000. Prefab pool houses provide little to no opportunity to customize the layout or amenities, but they are far more affordable, at least upfront. Prefab pool houses won’t last as long as well-built traditional pool houses, so long-term costs will be more similar.

Amenities

The amenities you choose to include in your pool house build are another major cost factor to think about. An open sitting and storage area in a pool house will cost between $15,000 and $72,000, while adding a kitchen and a bathroom to that main area will push your total closer to $120,000 or more.

Material Quality

As is the case with the cost to build a house, the quality of the materials you pick can swing your total costs by tens of thousands of dollars. Just as an example, choosing a budget-friendly material like vinyl flooring over hardwood in a 400-square-foot pool house would save you between $1,600 and $4,400.

If you’re installing a kitchen and bathroom, you’ll have many more opportunities to save on materials. You can choose to go more affordable or more luxurious when it comes to the cost of the sinks, cabinets, countertops, toilet, shower, and more.

Utilities

Running utilities to a pool house will cost between $1,000 and $15,000, depending on which you need. Pool sheds may not require any utilities. Standard pool houses may just have electricity and plumbing, and luxury pool houses often have plumbing and electricity, plus a standalone HVAC system that can total between $2,000 and $12,500 by itself.

Permits

You’ll need a building permit to build a pool house, and you may also need an electric permit, a plumbing permit, and an HVAC permit, along with other locally required permits. Permits for a pool house cost between $400 and $2,000, depending on what your building department charges.

Ongoing Costs

In addition to upfront prices, there are some ongoing pool house costs to consider. A pool house is considered a permanent improvement to your property, so your property taxes will go up. You may also see a bump in your homeowner’s insurance premiums to cover the addition—by how much depends on where you live, the value of the pool house, and your insurer.

Pool Costs

You may be considering putting in a pool and a pool house, in which case you’ll need to factor in the cost to build a pool, as well. Together, these additions to your yard will cost $114,000, on average.

DIY Pool House Build vs. Hiring a Pro

Building a pool house from the ground up isn’t a job suitable for DIY. Things like foundation pouring, framing, roofing, and handling utilities all demand help from a pro, so it’s best to hire a custom homebuilder near you to do the bulk of the work. Not only is this wise from a quality and safety perspective, but most building departments will only issue permits to licensed professionals.

However, you can handle some of the finishing work to flex your DIY muscles and save some money on labor costs. You can install flooring, hang drywall, paint, and decorate.

Remodel vs. New Construction

Building a standalone structure to serve as a pool house costs an average of $72,000, but you can convert a section of living space around an exterior entrance instead, which would be considered more of a remodel than new construction. Constructing walls inside, finishing them, and installing built-in shelving to store towels and pool equipment will cost just $3,000 to $10,000.

You can consider this alternative if you’re on a tight budget and have some living space to spare. Just be aware that a remodel of existing space will take away from your living area and could end up decreasing your home value.

How to Save Money When Building a Pool House

Pool houses can quickly get expensive, so use these money-saving tips to keep costs to a minimum while still adding some utility to your yard and pool area.

• Go with a small pool house size: Remember that every square foot you add to your pool house will cost an additional $150 to $600. Build only what you need and keep your project small to save money and yard space.

• Limit the utilities: Running utilities will add thousands to your pool house costs. Consider a cabana that’s fitted just with electricity rather than a heated and cooled pool house with plumbing for a bathroom and kitchenette.

• Don’t go crazy with amenities: It’s tempting to deck out your pool house with a bathroom, a wet bar, and a steam room, but forgo what you can to save.

• Choose materials carefully: Go with more affordable finishing materials when it comes to flooring, kitchen cabinets, plumbing fixtures, and lighting fixtures to stay within your budget.

• DIY what you can: Finally, consider tackling some of the finishing work yourself to save between 40% and 60% on labor costs for the items you’re comfortable DIYing.

Does a Pool House Increase Home Value?

A small pool shed may only provide an ROI of 5% to 10%, while a luxury pool house that doubles as a guest house or a rentable ADU could provide up to a 55% ROI. The added value you’ll see depends on the size of the pool house, your yard size, the amenities you add, and more.

Speak with a local real estate agent or a local custom homebuilder to get their opinion on the added value you’ll see. You can also look at comparable homes in your area to see if pool houses are the norm, as this is sometimes a good indication of whether or not they’ll be seen as assets to buyers.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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