Adding a custom pool and spa can completely change how your family uses the backyard, but it is also one of the larger investments you can make in an outdoor living space.

So, how much does a pool and spa cost in the Denver Metro area?

For 2026, homeowners planning a professionally built custom inground pool and integrated spa should often prepare for a six-figure project. A practical starting range for many custom pool and spa projects is approximately $100,000 to $200,000 or more, depending on size, construction method, site conditions, finishes, decking, equipment, and additional outdoor features.

More elaborate backyard environments can move well beyond that range.

Red Rock Outdoor Living helps Denver Metro homeowners look beyond the pool shell and plan the entire outdoor space, including the pool, spa, patio, landscaping, drainage, lighting, and entertaining areas.

What Is the Average Pool and Spa Cost in Denver Metro?

There is no single average pool and spa cost that applies to every property.

Current Denver market pricing places many inground pool projects around the six-figure level, with custom concrete pools, integrated spas, upgraded finishes, and complete outdoor living features increasing the total investment.

For early budgeting, homeowners might think about projects in broad categories:

These figures are planning ranges, not Red Rock Outdoor Living quotes. Property conditions, design decisions, engineering, access, finishes, and the amount of surrounding construction can significantly change the final number.

For an estimate based on your actual backyard, explore Red Rock Outdoor Living's custom pool and spa services.

What Determines the Cost to Build a Pool?

When homeowners ask how much does it cost to build a pool, the size of the swimming area is only one part of the answer.

Several major factors affect the final investment.

Pool Size and Shape

A larger pool requires more excavation, structural material, interior finish, plumbing, water, and surrounding construction.

Shape also matters.

A simple rectangular pool can often be more straightforward to build than a custom layout with curves, multiple depths, tanning ledges, raised walls, or specialty features.

Pool Construction Type

Fiberglass, vinyl, and concrete pools have different cost structures.

Custom concrete or shotcrete pools are commonly selected when homeowners want greater flexibility in:

• Pool dimensions
• Depth
• Shape
• Steps
• Seating
• Tanning ledges
• Integrated spas
• Custom water features

That customization can increase the cost of building a swimming pool, but it also allows the pool to be designed around the property rather than selecting from a limited number of standard shapes.

Adding an Integrated Spa

A spa adds another layer of construction and equipment.

The design may require additional plumbing, heating capacity, controls, jets, structural work, and finish materials.

A raised spa with a spillway into the pool can also cost more than a simpler configuration.

When comparing the average pool and spa cost, make sure you know whether the estimate actually includes the spa and its equipment.

Why Does Custom Pool Installation Price in Colorado Vary So Much?

Colorado creates construction conditions that can make pool projects different from those in warmer climates.

Excavation and Soil Conditions

Soil conditions influence excavation and structural planning.

Some Denver Metro properties may require additional engineering or preparation depending on soil movement, slope, groundwater, access, and the proposed pool structure.

This is one reason an online national pool calculator cannot provide a dependable custom pool installation price in Colorado.

Freeze and Winter Conditions

Pools in Colorado must be designed for a climate with freezing temperatures and significant seasonal changes.

Equipment location, plumbing, structural details, winterization considerations, decking, and drainage all need to be planned accordingly.

Equipment Access

A wide, open backyard with straightforward equipment access may be less complicated to build in than a property with narrow side yards, fences, retaining walls, steep grades, or completed neighboring landscapes.

Limited access can affect excavation, hauling, labor, and construction time.

What Is Included in Pool Builder Cost in Denver?

A low advertised pool price may not represent the complete backyard project.

When comparing pool builder cost in Denver, ask exactly what is included.

A comprehensive project may involve:

• Design and layout
• Excavation
• Structural pool construction
• Plumbing
• Electrical work
• Pool equipment
• Heating equipment
• Interior finish
• Coping
• Spa integration
• Permits
• Inspections
• Basic decking
• Startup and system testing

Other items may be priced separately depending on the contractor and project.

These can include landscaping, large patios, retaining walls, drainage improvements, fencing, lighting, outdoor kitchens, fire features, or extensive site restoration.

Comparing identical scopes is far more useful than comparing two bottom-line numbers.

How Much Does the Area Around the Pool Add to the Budget?

The pool is usually the focal point, but homeowners spend most of their time around the water rather than in it.

That makes the surrounding design an important part of the budget.

Pool Decking and Patios

A well-planned patio provides room for loungers, outdoor dining, walking paths, and entertaining.

The amount of decking, paver selection, installation pattern, grading, and base preparation will affect the total project cost.

Red Rock Outdoor Living can coordinate the pool with a custom paver patio so both elements feel like part of the same backyard design.

Landscaping

Planting helps soften hard pool surfaces and create privacy, shade, color, and a more finished appearance.

Trees, shrubs, turf, decorative rock, irrigation, and planting beds can all influence the total investment.

Working from a complete landscape design can help homeowners decide where their budget will make the biggest visual and functional difference.

Outdoor Living Features

A complete pool environment may also include:

• Outdoor kitchen
• Fire pit or fireplace
• Patio cover
• Landscape lighting
• Seat walls
• Retaining walls
• Artificial turf
• Outdoor structures

These features can move a project beyond the average pool and spa cost, but they can also make the backyard much more useful.

Should You Build the Pool First or Design the Whole Backyard First?

Design the whole backyard first whenever possible.

That does not mean every feature has to be installed at the same time.

A complete plan helps determine:

• Pool placement
• Spa orientation
• Patio size
• Drainage
• Utility routes
• Outdoor kitchen location
• Future structures
• Lawn and planting areas
• Walkways
• Lighting
• Privacy

This can prevent situations where a finished patio has to be removed for utility access or where a future structure does not fit because the pool was placed without considering the long-term layout.

Red Rock Outdoor Living focuses on this design-and-build approach for homeowners who want the backyard to function as one connected outdoor environment.

How Can You Control the Cost of Building a Swimming Pool?

Custom does not have to mean adding every possible upgrade.

A clear priority list can help keep the project focused.

Consider these strategies:

• Choose a practical pool size
• Keep the overall shape efficient
• Decide which features you will actually use
• Plan the complete backyard before construction
• Reserve space for future improvements
• Finalize materials early
• Address drainage and access before work begins
• Compare contractor estimates based on identical scopes

If the budget does not support everything at once, build from a master plan and phase selected landscape or outdoor living features later.

The important part is ensuring those future features are considered before the pool location and infrastructure become permanent.

Is a Custom Pool and Spa Worth It in Denver?

Value is personal.

For some homeowners, a pool becomes the center of summer recreation, family time, exercise, entertaining, and relaxation. An attached spa can extend the usefulness of the space into cooler parts of the year.

The best investment usually comes from building a pool that fits how you actually live rather than simply choosing the largest pool that fits the property.

You can browse Red Rock Outdoor Living's completed outdoor projects to see how pools, patios, landscaping, and other features can come together as part of a full backyard transformation.

Get a Custom Pool and Spa Estimate in Denver Metro

The most accurate answer to how much does a pool and spa cost comes from evaluating the actual property.

Red Rock Outdoor Living can consider the yard, access, layout, pool size, spa design, materials, hardscape, landscaping, and overall outdoor living goals before developing a project scope.

The company serves homeowners throughout Thornton and the Denver Metro area with custom outdoor design and construction.

You can also view local business information and customer feedback on the Red Rock Outdoor Living Google Business Profile.

Ready to move from online cost ranges to a plan for your property?

Request a free pool and backyard consultation with Red Rock Outdoor Living and start planning a custom outdoor space around your home, lifestyle, and budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does a Pool and Spa Cost in Denver Metro in 2026?

A custom inground pool and integrated spa can commonly require a budget of approximately $100,000 to $200,000 or more in the Denver Metro area. Large custom pools, difficult sites, premium finishes, extensive patios, landscaping, and other luxury outdoor features can push the complete project above $200,000.

What Is the Average Pool and Spa Cost?

The average varies widely because many published figures include pool-only projects rather than a complete custom pool and spa environment.

Denver-area inground pool pricing is commonly in the six figures for professionally built custom projects. Adding a spa, premium finishes, decking, landscaping, lighting, and outdoor living features increases the overall investment.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Pool Without a Spa?

Many Denver-area inground pool projects can fall roughly between $75,000 and $150,000 or more, depending on construction type, size, site conditions, and finish level. Fully custom concrete pools can exceed that range.

What Increases a Custom Pool Installation Price in Colorado?

Major cost factors include pool size, concrete construction, an integrated spa, excavation difficulty, soil conditions, engineering, limited equipment access, premium finishes, heating, automation, water features, decking, retaining walls, landscaping, and utility work.

Does Pool Builder Cost in Denver Include Landscaping?

Not always.

Some pool proposals focus primarily on the swimming pool, equipment, and required decking. Landscaping, paver patios, planting, lighting, walls, and other outdoor features may be separate.

Ask for an itemized project scope before comparing estimates so you understand exactly what each price includes.