Vinyl and fiberglass installations haven’t always gotten the credit they deserve.
In post-COVID America, though, changing demographics and an uncertain economy have helped elevate these pools to a smart, scalable and even desirable option for today’s buyers. And for some homeowners, it’s that or no pool.
“Where I’m at, there aren’t a lot of gunite pools, because those companies don’t want to do one for less than $250,000,” says Nathan Mattox, owner of Mattox Residential Services, a pool contractor in Augusta County, Va., who also does home remodeling work. “You can get a vinyl pool with customized options for a very reasonable price.”
“During COVID, we were just taking contracts, rather than working for them. Cost really wasn’t an issue,” adds Eddie Snyder, owner of Snyder Pools, a third-generation pool installer in Westminster, Mass. “The past couple years have been more back to normal, and we’re fighting for every contract, fine-tuning every price point, because people are doing their due diligence again. They’re getting multiple quotes, and we’re asking, ‘What can we do to win your business?’”
Snyder Pools seems to have found an answer to that question. Last year, the company began offering “plunge packages,” which emphasize the value of a compact and versatile vinyl or fiberglass plunge pool, particularly for budget-conscious homeowners with small backyards or in urban environments.
“It’s an inclusive package for consumers who are a little tighter with money right now,” Snyder says. “Obviously, it comes in at a lower price point to begin with, and then we’re able to couple that with lots of inclusions to complete the package. I think it’s just beneficial, in a lot of customers’ eyes, to have that one final price for everything.”
Snyder Pools sold 10 plunge packages in all of 2025; by mid-March this year, the company was on track to do at least that many — giving new life, once again, to the age-old package pool.
VINYL VS. FIBERGLASS
Back in 2014, this magazine wrote that “traditionally, the common knock against package pools has been that they’re essentially cheaper versions of their concrete counterparts. In response, proponents of vinyl-liner pools have promoted technical advancements, saying they now compete with concrete even in the high-end custom marketplace.”
Indeed, vinyl-liner pools have evolved to include such amenities as tanning ledges, waterfalls and custom shapes previously only feasible with concrete pools. It’s gotten to the point that some casual observers may not even notice the differences between an elaborate package pool and a gunite one.
“For the money, you can get a lot more with vinyl. Vinyl offers pretty much endless possibilities and shapes and sizes and configurations,” Mattox says. “But some people have their minds set on fiberglass, and that’s fine, too. [Fiberglass pools] go in a lot quicker and easier, but you can’t change the look of a fiberglass pool like you can with a new liner in a vinyl pool. You’re also going to pay a lot more for a fiberglass pool that’s 8 feet deep if you want a diving board.”
Recently, Mattox helped convince a customer who fell in love with a specific fiberglass pool shape that he could install a vinyl-liner pool with that design. “I was like, ‘Sure, we can make anything,’” he says. “I sent the shape of the fiberglass pool to my representative at Hydra Pools, who sent it to the engineering department, which said they could build it.”
Other customers have ordered an inground pool kit from a pool warehouse and run into some trouble. “The pool warehouse says its DIY, until the customer gets it and realizes it’s too much, and we’ve been called in to help with those,” Mattox says. “In at least one case, they ordered the pool kit and then asked us to install it. But they paid more for the kit than what I would have charged.”
While Mattox favors vinyl, fiberglass pools have emerged as an appealing alternative — especially for homeowners who value ease of installation and maintenance.
The difference in install time between a vinyl-liner pool and a fiberglass pool — two days vs seven to 10 days, respectively, according to Snyder Pools — is a big reason why 90% of the package pools that the company installs are fiberglass. “People really like the durability of fiberglass,” says Jessica France, who oversees operations and inground pool sales. “You never have to replace the liner, so there’s that long-term cost of ownership.”
Vinyl pools provide amenities like this tanning ledge for customers looking for a higher-end pool without plaster surfaces.
‘THIS OPENS UP MORE BUSINESS FOR US’
Snyder’s plunge packages include the Milan and Enchantment fiberglass models from Latham Pool, as well as Latham’s vinyl-lined Calypso Series. With dimensions no larger than 9.1 feet by 17.5 feet and depths of less than 5 feet, the pools are small but some have full-width stairs and tanning ledges. They also are attracting new buyers.
“This opens up more business for us closer to the city,” France says (Westminster is about 50 miles northwest of Boston). “People closer to the city just don’t have the land, and the big vinyl pools — 20-by-40s or even 16-by-40s — just aren’t an option for them. Being able to fit an inground pool in their smaller backyard is super enticing now to a whole new market of customers.”
“Most people can afford an aboveground pool, but as we all know, it’s not as attractive, and it doesn’t last long,” adds Snyder, noting that a smaller inground pool with a smaller footprint also means lower electrical, maintenance and upkeep costs.
The majority of the company’s initial plunge package customers are older adults looking for a backyard upgrade to entice their grandchildren to visit more, according to Snyder and France, while also allowing the new pool owners to “to get in, cool off and chill out.”
Snyder Pools built this small fiberglass vessel to neatly accommodate space constraints in a suburban Massachusetts home.Photo this page courtesy Snyder Pools
COST ADJUSTMENTS
As with most pool projects, the price tag for a package pool can increase exponentially with the inclusion of everything from heating units to automatic covers, and installers can easily add deck work and other poolside amenities to any contract.
The key, according to Mattox, is making sure customers know exactly what they’re paying for upfront. In addition to explaining the pros and cons of both vinyl-liner and fiberglass pools, he asks about a buyer’s budget and explains what work he subs out — such as decks and landscaping.
“Every builder is a little different,” Snyder says. “Some builders already do a lot of additional work in-house. It’s a lot easier for somebody like that to transition to package pools, if they don’t already offer them. But for companies like us that work with electrical and patio subs, it’s good to nail down a set price with those subs. That way, you can rely on that price point when you’re offering a package pool. Because you’re basically guaranteeing those subs work.”
This year looks to be a further extension of an impressive run for fiberglass and vinyl. As Mattox, Snyder and France can attest, it might be the best ever.
“It’s a happy sale,” France says. “We’re not selling tires or something else that people don’t love spending money on, right?”
It's really what surrounds the vessel — not the surface material — that gives it a luxurious or bland feel. Here, the elements being added to surround a vinyl vessel will combine to produce a unique, charming and functional pool.
This article first appeared in the May 2026 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
