The Ultimate Guide: How Much Does a Swim Spa Cost? Unveiling Top Factors and Price Ranges

Choosing to purchase a swim spa is not just an investment into your home, it’s an investment into your health & wellbeing. Having the opportunity to exercise, relax, and have fun in a pool all year round is truly life changing. Not only will you notice your increased motivation to workout more often, you’ll have something enjoyable to do year round. To invest in a swim spa, it’s important to know how much a swim spa costs to purchase & to maintain over it’s lifespan. This way, you can prepare a realistic budget for the experience you want to have with your future swim spa. Throughout this article, we’ll go over the upfront & lifetime costs of owning a swim spa to help you understand how much you’ll need to plan on spending. If there’s something we didn’t go over, feel free to comment below & one of our wellness consultants will respond as soon as possible. How much does a swim spa cost? Let’s find out.

Understanding Swim Spas

What Is A Swim Spa?

A swim spa is a unique combination of a swimming pool and a hot tub, designed to provide a versatile aquatic experience. It offers the benefits of both a spa for relaxation and a pool for swimming, making it a popular choice for individuals and families seeking the best of both worlds.

Unlike traditional pools, swim spas are compact and can be installed both indoors and outdoors, making them suitable for various spaces and climates. They are equipped with powerful jets that create a current, allowing you to swim in place and get a challenging workout. Additionally, swim spas often include built-in seating areas, hydrotherapy jets, and other features for a complete wellness experience.

Benefits of Owning A Swim Spa

Owning a swim spa comes with several advantages that make it an attractive option for many individuals. Here are some of the key benefits:

Fitness and Exercise: Swim spas provide a convenient and effective way to exercise and stay fit. The adjustable current allows for swimming laps, improving cardiovascular health, and building muscle strength. They also offer resistance training options, making them suitable for a wide range of fitness levels.

Hydrotherapy and Relaxation: The combination of warm water and hydrotherapy jets in a swim spa can provide numerous therapeutic benefits. It helps in relieving muscle tension, reducing stress, improving circulation, and promoting relaxation after a long day.

Space Efficiency: Swim spas are more space-efficient compared to traditional pools, making them suitable for smaller yards or limited outdoor spaces. They can be customized to fit different dimensions, making them versatile and adaptable to various environments.

Year-Round Enjoyment: Unlike outdoor pools that are limited to warm weather, swim spas can be enjoyed throughout the year. They are equipped with heating systems, allowing you to soak and exercise even in colder climates.

Swim Spa vs. Traditional Pool: Which is Right for You?

Choosing between a swim spa and a traditional pool depends on your specific needs, preferences, and available space. Here are some factors to consider when making a decision:

Space Requirements: If you have limited space, a swim spa offers a compact solution that combines the benefits of a pool and a hot tub. Traditional pools generally require more space for installation.

Cost: Swim spas are generally more affordable than building a traditional pool, considering the construction, maintenance, and heating costs. They also have a lower environmental impact due to their smaller size.

Fitness vs. Recreation: If your primary goal is fitness and swimming, a swim spa with its adjustable current is ideal. On the other hand, if you seek a larger space for recreational activities and entertainment, a traditional pool might be a better choice.

Maintenance: Swim spas typically require less maintenance compared to traditional pools. The smaller water volume and advanced filtration systems make it easier to clean and maintain water quality.

Seasonality: If you’re interested in having backyard entertainment year round, a swim spa is capable of being used 12 months a year. In New Jersey, a pool is typically open for 4-5 months out of the year.

By considering these factors and your personal preferences, you can make an informed decision on whether a swim spa or a traditional pool is the right choice for you and your lifestyle.

Cost Of Swim Spas: $7,000 - $70,000

Just like hot tubs, there are a wide range of manufacturers and brands of swim spas. This is a great starting point to begin your swim spa shopping. Doing your research on brands is crucial in the beginning stage of your swim spa experience. Just like hot tubs, there are swim spa brands that are focused on providing the cheapest swim spa possible. These swim spas may have low upfront costs. However, lifetime costs will run you more in the first year than the price of a quality swim spa. Not to mention, the overall experience is truly going to disappoint & all that preparation you did for your delivery is going to waste. On the other hand, there are brands priced higher and truly focus on the quality, design, and overall experience. Deciding on the type of experience you want with your swim spa is important in this stage shopping.

Tip: Keep in mind where you are purchasing your swim spa from. Purchasing from a local swim spa dealer has tons of benefits from best in class servicing, one on one consulting, full service delivery & installation, negotiable pricing, and conveniently located for fast quality service. Purchasing online can have it’s perks, but the relationship, quality of service, delivery, and overall experience is not comparable to that of a local specialty swim spa store.

Similar to hot tubs, most swim spa brands have different levels or tiers of swim spas, entry level, premium level, and luxury level swim spas. Each tier is going to vary in features, sizes, structure, and type of swim current. Likewise, each brand is going to differentiate their levels or tiers of swim spas different than the next. So, we recommend finding a couple brands that you like & then researching deeper into the details.

Imported inexpensive brands: $7,000 – $12,000

Entry Level & Midrange Swim Spas: $25,000 – $40,000

Premium Larger Swim Spas: $40,000 – $70,000

Cost Of Installation

Foundation $1,000+

A swim spa needs a solid foundation, preferably a concrete slab that’s 3-5 inches thick (ask the brands sales rep for exact recommendation). If you already have a concrete slab that fits the specifications needed, your installation cost will be significantly less expensive. Foundations can run around $1,000+.

Electrical $500 – $2,500

No matter the brand or model you choose, your swim spa will need to be hooked up electrically. Most, if not all, swim spas run solely off electricity. This is the most efficient and safest power option for a swim spa. Your electrical costs will vary greatly based on how much amperage you have/need, how far your electrical panel is from where you are installing your swim spa electrical box, and the type of installation you want (under ground or above ground). These costs can range anywhere from around $500 – $2,500+.

Backyard Design $800 – $2,500

Deciding on how you want your swim spa hangout area to look in your backyard is something you want to discuss with your wellness consultant or sales rep along with a general contractor. Some households simply want their swim spa installed on their concrete slab & are fine with just a set of steps to get in and out of the swim spa. Other households are looking to incorporate their swim spa with an entire backyard design. This can include a deck surround, building their swim spa into the ground, or other design ideas. These costs, again, will vary greatly depending on what your idea is. Overall, you’re looking at costs from $800 – $2,500+ from simple up to complex design.

Swim Spa Maintenance Costs

When considering how much a swim spa costs, you want to look at life long costs of maintaining a swim spa to prepare your annual budget. These costs include electrical costs, water care maintenance costs, and servicing costs. Let’s take a look at the maintenance cost of swim spas below.

Electrical costs $50-$100/mo

This is something you really want to do your due diligence when researching different brands. Inexpensive swim spas and plunge pools can cost you up to $800 per month to run continuously because of poor or lack of insulation, poor quality of heaters & pumps, and major design flaws. Reputable well known brands will run anywhere from $50 – $100 a month for everyday regular swim spa use.

Tip: If going with an energy efficient reputable brand, keep your swim spa up to temperature to keep your operation costs down. Turning your temperature up and down will cause the heater and pumps to run more often.

Water Care Maintenance Costs $15 – $50/mo

Water care maintenance costs are often overlooked when shopping for a swim spa. You’ll need to regularly purchase chemicals like chlorine, oxidizer, pH & alkalinity adjusting chemicals, mineral cartridges, and other miscellaneous items. To keep your maintenance costs low, you want to make sure your swim spa has an efficient sanitation & filtration system. Sanitation systems such as an ozone system are efficient for swim spas & will keep your monthly water care costs down by keeping the water clean and sanitized with minimal chlorine. Your filtration system should have more than 1 filter & more than 1 area of filtration.

Tip: Our Endless Pools Swim Spas feature the ozone sanitation system which kills bacteria in the water. They also have a 4 filter filtration system keeping your water clean & clear.

Servicing costs $5-$10/mo

Hopefully you never run into an issue, or have minor wear and tear over the years of your swim spa ownership experience. However, sometimes the unexpected happens. Every dealership is different in their service call charges. So, we recommend allocating $5-10 per month to save for the unexpected.

Take The Plunge

Investing in a swim spa is a decision that can bring countless hours of enjoyment and wellness to your life. By understanding the factors influencing swim spa costs and exploring the different price ranges available, you are better equipped to find a swim spa that suits both your needs and budget. Remember to consider the long-term costs and do thorough research to make an informed purchase decision. Now, dive into the world of swim spas and discover the perfect one for you!