Financing your pool

Two of the lenders we work with are PoolLoan.net and HFS Financial. HFS Financial offers home improvement loans with fixed rates, no stage funding and no equity needed, which means your house is not the collateral and the money is not released in inspected draws. Rates and terms come from each lender, so ask them directly and compare the offers side by side.

Borrow for the finished backyard, not the shell. Our fiberglass packages start at $68,400 installed and run to $103,900 for the largest Liberty model. That is a complete, swimmable pool with Pentair equipment, a 4 ft concrete deck and the electrical hook-up at the equipment.

What sits outside it depends on your yard and your town: the barrier fence, more patio than the 4 ft wrap, the power run from your house panel to the equipment pad, hauling the dirt away, pumping water out of a wet dig, and upgrades like an automatic cover. We price those after the site visit and list them line by line, so you and the lender are looking at the same number. A small cushion on top is sensible in clay ground, where a dig can hit water or rock.

The common routes are an unsecured pool or home improvement loan, a home equity loan, a home equity line of credit, a cash-out refinance, or savings combined with one of those. The main difference is collateral. An unsecured loan is not tied to your house, usually moves faster and does not need an appraisal, but the rate tends to be higher. Home equity products are secured by your home, so the rate is often lower, but they bring appraisal and closing costs, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns that if you fall behind on a HELOC you could lose your home.

Timing matters too. Get pre-approved before the design is final. That way the design meeting is a choice between pools you can actually build, and you see the monthly payment early. A home equity loan also carries a federal three-day cancellation window after signing, per the Federal Trade Commission, and funds are not released until it closes. Spring is the busy season, so build that time into your plan.

Finally, check how the loan pays out against the build. A pool is built in stages, and some lenders release money in draws after each stage is checked while others pay the full amount at closing. Ask us for the payment schedule in writing and give it to your lender.

When a home improvement contract is signed in your home, Ohio's Home Solicitation Sales Act gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel, and the contract must say so. For home improvement work of $25,000 or more, Ohio law requires a written contract that includes the contractor's name and address, a description of the work, start and completion dates and the total estimated cost. Lenders usually ask for that same contract, so a complete one speeds things up. The Ohio Attorney General also warns against contracts that demand full payment before the work is done.

• Recent pay stubs, or two years of tax returns if you are self-employed.
• Your mortgage statement and a rough idea of your home's value, if you are borrowing against it.
• Our written quote or signed contract, with the payment schedule.
• Our business name and address.

Our guides go further: how to finance an inground pool in Ohio, pool loans versus home equity, the hidden costs worth budgeting for, and what a pool costs to own each year.