What does a pool cost to run each year?
Pool size
How busy is it?
Fine-tune the variable linesTypical assumptions
Use your own bills if you have them. These three lines are assumptions, not quotes.
Opening, closing, filter service and repair lines use published GTA bands. Chemical, hydro and water defaults are editable planning assumptions. Heating, liner replacement and HST are not included.
Annual planning range
$1,650 – $3,225
CAD per year · about $138–$269/month averaged
- Spring opening
- $425–$725
- Fall closing
- $450–$750
- Chemicals
- $310–$470
- Pump hydro
- $125–$185
- Water top-ups
- $70–$115
- Routine service
- $120–$600
- Repair reserve
- $150–$380
Toronto published band; salt service included when selected.
Toronto published band, including a line blowout.
6-month season planning assumption; edit it to match your receipts.
5-month pump season planning assumption; edit it to match your bill.
Evaporation and splash-out allowance; edit it to match your utility bill.
One filter clean or media service from the published repair band.
Pump capacitor or motor repair set aside as one typical event — not a prediction.
A planning tool, not a quote. Your actual costs depend on equipment, water chemistry, utility rates and how much work you do yourself.
Service ranges are planning figures before HST. Chemical, hydro and water defaults are editable assumptions, not published market rates.
What is in the range
Seven lines, not one vague number.
The total is easier to trust when you can see what moved it. Every line updates when you change the pool, the equipment or the assumptions.
Opening and closing
Your city's published seasonal bands, with a salt-system allowance if selected.
Chemicals
A six-month planning assumption based on pool size and use. Edit it to your receipts.
Pump hydro
A five-month planning assumption based on pump type. Edit it to your electricity bill.
Water top-ups
An evaporation and splash-out allowance. Edit it to your utility bill.
Routine service
One filter service or a filter-plus-treatment visit, using published repair bands.
Repair reserve
One optional typical event — not a prediction and not a warranty.
Not included
Heating fuel, a new liner, major equipment beyond the reserve, construction or renovation work, and HST. Those are separate decisions with their own quotes.
How the estimate is built
The seasonal lines are not invented benchmarks. They use the same city bands and repair ranges published elsewhere on this site, so the budget and the service pages agree.
- Opening and closing: the published range for your city, adjusted for pool size and type. Add a salt-system service allowance when selected.
- Routine service and repairs: filter cleaning, water treatment, a pump capacitor, a heater repair or a pump replacement, taken from the repair price bands.
- Chemicals, hydro and water: defaults you can edit. The pump line assumes 900 pump-hours over a five-month season at $0.18/kWh; the chemical line assumes a six-month season. Neither is a utility quote.
Change the city on the calculator to see the seasonal difference. If you have last season's bills, replace the three assumption fields with your own numbers — that is more accurate than any generic benchmark.
Need the seasonal detail? Read the GTA opening cost guide and the pool repair price bands. For a problem you can already see, start with the pool-care learning centre.
Common questions
Budgeting a GTA pool
How much does it cost to run a pool in the GTA?
There is no single number because city service rates, pool size, equipment and how much you do yourself all move it. The calculator builds a planning range from published GTA opening, closing, filter and repair bands, then adds editable chemical, hydro and water assumptions. Heating, liner replacement and HST are excluded.
Why does the calculator ask for my city?
Opening and closing prices vary across the GTA because access, parking, travel and local demand differ. Toronto and Halton generally sit above Durham for the same seasonal work. The city selector uses the published ranges on this site rather than a single GTA-wide average.
Is a saltwater pool cheaper to run?
Not automatically. A salt system reduces the need to buy and carry chlorine, but the salt cell, salt, acid and replacement cell still cost money. The calculator adds a salt-service allowance to opening and closing; it does not include a new cell, which is a separate repair.
How much should I set aside for repairs?
A repair reserve is a budget, not a prediction. The calculator lets you include one typical event from the published bands — a pump capacitor, a heater repair or a pump replacement. A major equipment failure can exceed the reserve, and a liner replacement is separate.
Are these numbers quotes?
No. They are planning ranges before HST. Service lines come from published GTA bands, but a crew still has to inspect access, equipment and water condition. Use the result to set a budget, then get local quotes for the actual work.
Want the real number for your pool?
Use the calculator for the budget, then ask local crews to quote the actual opening, closing or repair. Free for homeowners, no obligation.