Employees of Holiday Pools and Spas use a crane to lift a fiberglass shell onto a trailer for an installation. Courtesy photo

The beginning of spring usually brings with it warmer days, perfect for taking a dip in the pool.

The damp, cool weather to kick off the season, however, has been creating havoc for area swimming pool dealers.

Randy Colyer, owner of Greenwood Pools and Spas, said wet and rainy weather doesn’t make people “excited” to go swimming, leading to slower business all around.

“The weather has been killing us; we can’t get things done,” Colyer said. “We are a weather-dependent business, (so) we need hot weather when people want to swim.”

Greenwood isn’t alone. Holiday Pools and Spas has had to delay projects and construction for multiple customers due to the weather, according to owner Mark Glova.

The wet ground does not allow for much work to be done, even when one or two dry days interrupt a storm spell.

“The rain and cold have really delayed construction on both in-ground and above-ground pools,” Glova said. “Customers don’t always realize that just because it’s sunny one day out of five rainy ones, it doesn’t mean it’s dry enough to work. Draining a pool to replace a liner when the ground is saturated can actually cause the pool to flood or shift.”

Owner Jessica Rhodes of Rhodes Pools and Patios, Altoona, said the wet weather hasn’t impacted her business.

“As of right now, the spring weather has not had a negative impact on our installations and service work. We prepare ourselves every year for a damp spring and schedule our installations accordingly,” Rhodes said.

Local dealers are hoping sales pick up once the weather improves.

Nationally, both in-ground residential pool construction and above ground pool installations declined in 2024, according to Pkdata Inc.’s 2024 U.S. Residential Swimming Pool Market Report.

In 2024, new in-ground residential pool construction marked its third consecutive year of decline, with values falling to just half of the peak levels in 2021 and dipping 20% below pre-pandemic figures.

Above-ground pool installations saw a slight decline in 2024, continuing a three-year downward trend following the pandemic-driven surge. While sales have returned to pre-pandemic levels, they remain slightly elevated compared to sales in those years, according to the Pkdata report.

However, local dealers said they did OK in 2024.

“In 2024, our sales had increased from the previous year. For 2025, we expect sales to be the same or potentially increase,” Rhodes said.

“Sales were steady last year — what I’d call “normal.” Nothing too surprising, either up or down. That said, 2025 has started off slower than usual, but I’m very optimistic that once the sun finally comes out, our phones will start ringing off the hook again,” Glova said.

Colyer said sales were “pretty good” in 2024, as above-ground and in-ground pools and spas did well.

Dealers are not yet certain about the impact of recent tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

“It is too early to tell, most of what we do is pretty local, we had already bought for this year. We will have to wait and see what happens,” Colyer said.

“Thus far, the tariffs have only had a negative impact on automatic cover pricing. All other items which we purchase have not been affected enough for our company to raise prices,” Rhodes said.

Glova said he has seen some price increases on certain items, but not across the board.

“Thankfully, all of our hot tubs and fiberglass pools are made in the USA, so those lines have remained fairly stable in terms of pricing,” he said.

According to Pkdata, in 2024, concrete pools dominated new construction, accounting for over half of all installations (55%-57%). Vinyl pools comprised roughly a quarter of the market (25%-27%), while fiberglass pools represented less than 20% (17%-19%).

Glova said swim spas and fiberglass pools are their fastest-growing segments — not just here, but across the country.

“Swim spas offer 12 months of usage versus five months for a traditional pool. It’s like having a hot tub in winter and a pool in summer, with water temps from 80 to 104 degrees,” Glova said.

He also said fiberglass in-ground pools are also booming because people are paying more attention to the total cost of ownership, which has gradually risen over recent years.

In 2024, the average price of a new inground residential pool rose by about 12%, surpassing $82,000. Over the last 10 years, average pool costs have more than doubled. Higher raw materials, equipment and labor expenses primarily have driven this rise.

The average retail price of a residential above ground pool increased by approximately 7.3% in 2024, exceeding $4,400, according to Pkdata.

Dealers said there is still time to get a pool for this summer.

“This is actually the first season since Kara and I bought the business that we’re not completely booked. But that’s changing quickly,” Glova said.

Rhodes said there are still some openings on her schedule.

“We are not fully booked for the year, as we do install all year long,” Rhodes said. “As long as the weather permits, our installers are working.”

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.