Fiberglass
Quick to install and easy to keep clean. What to know about a light shell on wet ground.
Learn more →
Know the number before the sales visit
Inground Pool Builders in Lake Charles, LA
Pick a pool type, a size and the extras you want, and see a sourced price range. Then, if you like, one local builder visits and gives you a firm quote. It costs you nothing.
- Ask about the water table before you sign
- Sourced price ranges, dated
- One builder visits, not five
A backyard pool dig under way.
The 60-second cost estimator
What would your pool cost?
Make a few selections for a ballpark installed cost. No contact information needed.
Simple by design
Here's how it works.
From a rough number to a real quote, without filling your phone with sales calls.
STEP 01
Price it
Choose fiberglass, vinyl or gunite, a size and any extras. A price range appears right away.
STEP 02
Send your request
Add your town and a few notes about the yard. About a minute.
STEP 03
One local builder calls
One licensed local builder looks at your request, visits the yard and quotes.
One request. One local company. We never sell your details to a list.
Straightforward pricing
What does a pool cost in Lake Charles?
Local builders don't post prices, so we built these ranges for the pool itself from current cost guides and local permit values.
| Pool type | Pool only, small to large | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl liner | $38,000–95,000 | Cheapest to build; liner replaced every several years |
| Fiberglass | $50,000–115,000 | Fastest install; lightest shell on a wet lot |
| Gunite / concrete | $58,000–140,000 | Any shape; most local builders work in gunite |
| Deck, fence and permit | +$9,000–27,000 | Most yards need all three |
Our estimates from This Old House, River Pools and Fixr (2025–2026), checked against Lake Charles permit values, November 2026. Spa, heat and enclosure are extra.
Find your fit
Pick the pool that fits your yard.
Wet ground, hurricane season and a long swim season shape the choice here.
Gunite
Any shape, spa and sun shelf. How the build goes and what it costs.
Learn more →Water table
Why pools here get relief valves, and why you never drain one yourself.
Learn more →Permits & fences
City, Sulphur or parish: which office, and the barrier rule.
Learn more →Built for Southwest Louisiana
Wet winters, long summers, real storms.
Prairie soils around Lake Charles can hold water within a foot or two of the surface all winter, and Laura showed what 130 mph winds do to a backyard. Good builders plan for both: pumping during the dig, a relief valve in the drain, and a pool you leave full when a storm comes. Read about the water table.
Your next step
Get one firm quote.
Ready for an actual price? Tell us what you're considering. We'll send your request to one local, insured builder, not a marketplace of salespeople.
No cost to request a quote
Your details go to one builder
No obligation to hire
Lake Charles Pool Builders is a referral service, not the company doing the work. We may be paid by the builder if we refer your project. You pay us nothing.
Request received. Thank you!
One local builder will reach out within 1 business day.
Keep an eye on your preferred contact method.
Before you build
Permits, fences & licenses
Permits: the city Permit Center on Pujo Street inside Lake Charles; Sulphur and the other towns have their own; Moss Bluff and Carlyss go through the parish.
Fences: any pool over 24 in deep needs a code barrier in the city, usually at least 4 ft with a self-latching gate.
Licenses: pool jobs over $7,500 need a state pool classification. Check it before the deposit.
Read the full guide →Good questions
Frequently asked questions.
What does an inground pool cost in Lake Charles?
For the pool itself, plan on roughly $38,000–60,000 for a small vinyl liner pool, $50,000–92,000 for fiberglass and $58,000–140,000 for gunite, by size. A deck, fence and permit usually add $9,000–27,000. Sabine's custom gunite permits in 2022–23 were valued at about $72,000–118,000 (BuildZoom).
Which type of pool is cheapest to build?
Vinyl liner, up front. Over 20 years the gap narrows, because a liner is replaced every several years and gunite needs new plaster every decade or so. Fiberglass costs more on day one and least to keep up (This Old House).
Fiberglass or gunite: which suits Southwest Louisiana better?
Both are built here. Gunite fits any shape and is what most local builders do. Fiberglass goes in faster and its smooth gelcoat resists algae in our heat, but it's the lightest shell, so it needs the most care on a wet lot. Shell sizes top out around 16 by 40 ft.
Is the water table a problem for pools around Lake Charles?
It's the main local risk. Common prairie soils here, such as Crowley and Mowata, hold water within about 0–2 ft of the surface from December to April (USDA). Builders pump the hole while they dig and fit a hydrostatic relief valve, and an empty pool can float.
What is a hydrostatic relief valve?
A spring valve in the main drain that opens when groundwater pressure under the pool beats the pressure of the water inside, letting some in rather than lifting the shell. The trade press calls it cheap insurance, but "not a cure-all" (Aqua Magazine).
Can I drain my pool myself?
Don't, here. With groundwater this high, an emptied shell, especially fiberglass, can pop up out of the ground (Shotcrete, 2025). Ask your builder before lowering the water more than a foot.
Should I drain the pool before a hurricane?
No. UF/IFAS Extension says keep it full through the storm, take loose furniture inside (never into the pool) and run the pump while power lasts (UF/IFAS, 2024). After the storm, let the yard drain before lowering the level.
Do I need a permit for a pool in Lake Charles?
Yes. In the city it's the Permit Center at 326 Pujo St, (337) 491-1294, with separate electrical and plumbing permits (City of Lake Charles). Sulphur, Westlake and the other towns have their own offices; Moss Bluff and Carlyss go through the parish. Your builder normally pulls them.