This is the full story of our backyard pool build: the dig, the chaos, the dogs, and our real pool cost in Wilmington NC, down to the dollar. 💸
I’ve been a pool girl since day one
Before we get to dirt and excavators, a little proof that this pool was always my destiny. That’s baby me in a yellow baby pool in Grandma and Granddad’s backyard, living my absolute best life. Some people are mountain people. I have always, always been a water girl. Now, let’s dig in!
Confession: The “before” was already gorgeous
Here’s the part that surprises people. Our backyard was already beautiful when we bought this house. The previous owners did an amazing job, mature landscaping, sweet little garden gates, established beds, and honestly, we didn’t rip out much of what they’d planted. We kept nearly all of it.
The one exception: a loud, obnoxious, take-over-the-world wisteria… While beautiful, wisteria and I aren’t friends, so there was absolutely no keeping it.
So if the yard wasn’t the problem, why dig it all up? Simple: we didn’t have our own pool yet. We were golf-carting over to the neighborhood pool almost every single day. Which meant leaving before dark, every time, and leaving the dogs at home, every time. After enough $35 pizzas delivered poolside and one too many evenings cut short right when they got good, I may have justified an entire pool build on late-night swims and finally letting the goldens get in the water too. 🐾
I’m a REALTOR® – I spend my days walking buyers through other people’s dreams. But I kept picturing string lights, zero curfew, and the whole family (dogs included) still out there after dark. So we did the thing. We decided to build a pool.
Spoiler: it got a LOT messier before it got beautiful. 😅
Dig day (a.k.a. the day I was way too excited)
Here’s the thing: I did NOT question dig day for one single second. I was PUMPED. I love a good project, and watching an excavator turn part of our yard into a genuine dirt crater felt like Christmas morning. Piles of dirt taller than me. A giant hole where grass used to be. Gravel everywhere. I walked the site every single day, and on the days I wanted a better view, I would watch from the roof.
The actual worst part of the whole build had nothing to do with mess or mud – it was having a crew of strangers show up right outside our bedroom window at 8 am to get started. We installed real curtains almost immediately after that. Lesson learned.
This is the stage where you have to trust the process. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it does not look like a magazine. But every great transformation – a pool, a fixer-upper, a whole home – starts with a version that would never make the “after” photo. (There’s a real estate lesson in there, and I’ll come back to it.)
Building the bones
Then, slowly, the shape appeared. Rebar cages. Wooden forms. The gunite crew spraying the shell of the pool right there in the ground, sculpting steps and benches out of what looked like wet concrete magic.
Seeing the actual outline of the pool – the deep end, the spa, the sun shelf – was the first “oh my gosh, this feels REAL” moment.
The part they don’t put on Pinterest
Here’s my favorite behind-the-scenes detail: at one point the whole equipment plan lived as a hand-drawn sketch – heat pump, filter, pump, “should we run conduit here?” scribbled in the margin.
I love this stuff. Because it’s the honest version of every project: the pretty reveal is built on a hundred unglamorous decisions about pipes and pumps and where the conduit goes. The same is true of buying a house – the dreamy part rides on top of inspections, financing, and a lot of little decisions nobody Instagrams.
The moment it felt like ours
In the middle of all the concrete and chaos, you still need to have a little fun. Dream, get out there and play in your pool before it’s even filled. This was baby Goosie, by the way – before we even had Maple Bacon Pancake. 🐾
That photo is one of my favorites of the whole build. A dusty concrete box, no water in sight, and it already felt like summer.
Finishes, and finally… water
Then came the finishes that make you gasp: the stacked-stone waterfall wall, the pebble interior going on by hand, the tile. And then – water. Actual, sparkling water.
Here’s a fun fact nobody tells you until you’ve done this: filled does not mean swimmable. The plaster needs time to cure, and it’s genuinely fragile during that window – something as small as a dog’s nails could scratch or damage the finish. So for a few weeks, we just looked at it, admired it, and waited (not so patiently).
From dirt crater to this. Five months from dig day to fill day, and worth every muddy, questionable-looking week (plus the wait for the plaster to cure).
Our Real Pool Cost in Wilmington NC (For the Numbers Nerds)
Hi, it’s me. I’m the numbers nerd. 🤓 Here’s what our backyard pool project actually cost, all in, pulled straight from the contracts and invoices.
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Pool & spa (incl. auto cover, chiller & upgrades) | $165,942 |
| Hardscape & landscaping (Thorpe Landscapes) | $80,871 |
| Pergola (Big Timber) | $13,700 |
| Storage shed (Cape Fear Shed) | $10,900 |
| Furniture & finishes | $1,500 |
| Total | $272,913 |
Pool & spa: $165,942. The signed pool contract was $127,369. Change orders added about $38,500 on top of that: an automatic safety cover, a pool chiller to cool the water down in peak summer, a tile and coping upgrade, extra fill dirt, and more electrical and trenching than the original scope covered. Our robotic cleaner, Squidward, came free as a promo, and he’s been worth every penny of that $0.
Hardscape & landscaping: $80,871. Thorpe Landscapes handled everything around the water: the 1,257-square-foot paver deck, the retaining wall, the outdoor shower, fencing and gates, sod, pinestraw, and the footing for the pergola.
Pergola: $13,700. Our Big Timber pergola came through Costco, and their crew delivered and assembled the entire thing in one day. Wild.
Storage shed: $10,900. Cape Fear Shed built our shed on site as a stick build. Not pre-constructed and delivered. Painted it to match the house (HOA required).
Furniture & finishes: $1,500.
Worth every penny for us, but it’s exactly why I tell clients to budget for the whole outdoor living picture, not just the hole in the ground. The pool contract is only part of the story. Change orders and everything around the water add up fast.
And now? We actually live in it
Here’s the real payoff – the part the invoices don’t show.
My best little buddies living their best lives, and bringing me so much joy at the same time. Priceless.
Late-night after-dinner drinks that lead you to riding on a giant chicken float, bottle of wine in hand, in a dress, well after dark. Because no curfew, remember? Priceless.
And then there’s Goose, who is completely convinced that Squidward – our robotic pool cleaner – is drowning and needs to be rescued. Every. Single. Time. Priceless…
No closing time, no pool rules, no leaving the dogs at home. That’s what we built this for.
Okay, the REALTOR® in me has to say it: does a pool add value?
I get asked this all the time, so here’s the honest, not-a-financial-advisor answer.
A pool is not a guaranteed dollar-for-dollar return – nationally, it’s usually a lifestyle investment first and a resale bump second. But here in coastal southeastern North Carolina, the math leans friendlier than in a lot of the country. Our long warm season, outdoor-living culture, and buyer pool (pun intended 🐟) mean a well-built, well-maintained pool can genuinely widen your buyer appeal – especially in the right neighborhood and price band.
A few things I’d tell any homeowner thinking about it:
- Build for your life first. If resale is your only reason, there are usually better dollar-for-dollar upgrades. Build a pool because you’ll use it.
- Neighborhood matters. A pool reads very differently to buyers in one Wilmington-area community versus another. Comps tell the real story.
- Maintenance and safety sell. Clean equipment records, fencing, and a pool that’s clearly cared for do a lot of quiet work when it’s time to list.
- It’s part of a bigger outdoor-living picture. A pool sitting by itself in an empty backyard with a 2-foot concrete pad around it hits completely differently to a buyer than that same pool surrounded by 1,200 square feet of paver patio, a covered hangout space, or an outdoor kitchen. Buyers here fall for the whole backyard – shade, seating, flow – not just the water.
If you’re weighing a pool (or any big reno) and wondering how it’d playout when you eventually sell, that’s exactly the kind of thing I love to talk through (my guide to selling a house in Wilmington covers what buyers here actually pay for) – no pressure, no jargon, just real numbers for your specific street.
The real takeaway
Every transformation has an ugly middle. The dirt-crater stage isn’t a sign something’s wrong – it’s the proof something’s happening. Whether it’s a backyard, a fixer-upper, or finally buying that first home between the river and the sea, the mess is part of the magic.
Ours went from dirt to dream. I’d love to help you picture yours.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a pool in Wilmington NC?
Our all-in backyard pool project in Wilmington came to $272,913, pulled straight from our contracts and invoices. That breaks down to $165,942 for the pool and spa, $80,871 for hardscape and landscaping, $13,700 for the pergola, $10,900 for the storage shed, and $1,500 for furniture and finishes. It’s our project’s real total, not an estimate for yours.
Why did our pool cost more than the signed pool contract?
Change orders. Our signed pool contract was $127,369, and change orders added about $38,500: an automatic safety cover, a pool chiller, a tile and coping upgrade, extra fill dirt, and more electrical and trenching than the original scope covered. Budget for the whole outdoor living picture, not just the pool contract.
How long does it take to build an inground pool in Wilmington?
Our build took five months from dig day to fill day. Filled does not mean swimmable, though: the plaster needs time to cure and is fragile during that window, so we waited a few more weeks before anyone got in.
Does a pool add value to a home in Wilmington NC?
A pool is not a guaranteed dollar-for-dollar return; nationally it’s usually a lifestyle investment first and a resale bump second. In coastal southeastern North Carolina, the long warm season and outdoor-living culture mean a well-built, well-maintained pool can widen buyer appeal in the right neighborhood and price band. Comps for your specific area tell the real story.
Do I need HOA approval to build a pool in Wilmington?
Check before you dig. Our HOA required architectural approval before our pool went in, and it required our storage shed to be painted to match the house. A pool can also change your homeowners insurance coverage, so review that too.
Keep exploring
Love a good before-and-after? Take a peek at our 1970s rancher glow-up. Thinking about adding a pool yourself? Check what your HOA covers and requires before you dig (ours needed architectural approval first), and get a handle on homeowners insurance in Wilmington, since a pool can change your coverage.
Dreaming about your own slice of the coast? Let’s find your home between the river and the sea.
Tabetha Klein, REALTOR® | Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Tabetha Klein, REALTOR® | Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · 910-983-8963 · www.makingilmhome.com. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
