Texas · Inground Pool Builders & Contractors · Updated 2026
Planning a permanent backyard pool? 24 inground pool builders in the Harlingen area, ranked by rating and review count, with what a fiberglass, gunite or vinyl liner pool costs installed in Harlingen this year. This page shows the top 20.
Ordered by customer rating and review count across the Harlingen area. Listings include the available rating, contact details and location; confirm current credentials and scope directly.
Companies in the second group are listed as pool builders; most build inground pools in at least one material — ask which types they install and how many they completed last year.
Planning a new pool as well? The Harlingen pool builders directory ranks all 43 builders in the area.
Installed prices in Harlingen run from $45,000–$70,000 for a mid-size vinyl liner pool to $75,000–$120,000 for a comparable gunite pool, with fiberglass in between at $58,000–$85,000. Decking, fencing and permits stack on top:
| Job | Typical Harlingen price |
|---|---|
| Vinyl liner pool, installed (about 16×32) | $45,000–$70,000 |
| Fiberglass pool, installed (about 14×30) | $58,000–$85,000 |
| Gunite / concrete pool, installed (about 16×32) | $75,000–$120,000 |
| Attached spa or spillover | $12,000–$35,000 |
| Decking and coping around the pool | $6,000–$20,000 |
| Safety fence and gates | $2,000–$6,000 |
| Permits, engineering, utility locates | $500–$3,500 |
| Typical all-in project with deck and fence | $70,000–$150,000+ |
| Ongoing upkeep (chemicals, power, service) | $1,200–$3,000 / year |
Texas pricing is close to the national baseline used for these estimates. Soil, access for excavation equipment, slope, utility relocation and the finish and feature package move a quote more than the pool's footprint does — compare itemized bids for the same size and type.
Fiberglass, gunite and vinyl bids are not comparable to each other — settle the type (or ask each builder to bid two), then compare like for like.
Harlingen market
4.4 average customer rating · 520 reviews · 24 companies · 10 specialists
See All on the Map →24 inground pool builders in the Harlingen area. 10 are listed as specialists for this work; the rest are pool builders that routinely handle it. The ranked companies average 4.4 stars across 520 customer reviews. PoolPad orders the list with a weighted score that combines customer rating and review count, so a long track record counts for more than a handful of scores.
Dirt decides budgets here. Blackland clay through Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin's east side, and San Antonio swells and shrinks enough to crack a shell that isn't properly engineered, while the Hill Country and much of Central Texas sits on limestone that turns excavation into a rock-hammer job. A builder who works your side of town prices it right the first time. Gunite dominates, and Texas practically invented the modern tanning ledge — expect beach entries, splash pads for kids, swim-up bars, and full outdoor kitchens. Fiberglass is growing fast in the suburbs for its speed, and plunge pools are having a moment on smaller urban lots.
For statewide rankings, city counts and Texas prices, see the Texas inground pool builders directory, or check the nearby cities below.
Get at least three itemized bids for the same type and size, visit finished pools that are a few years old, and read the warranty for the shell, the finish and the equipment separately. Ask how the company handles rock, groundwater and access problems once digging starts. Texas has no statewide license for swimming pool contractors, so contractor checks fall on you: confirm general liability and workers' comp certificates, and make sure a licensed electrician pulls the electrical permit. Cities and counties enforce their own pool permits and barrier or fence ordinances, and since the 2021 freeze most builders specify freeze protection on equipment.
Installed in Harlingen, TX, a mid-size vinyl liner pool typically runs $45,000–$70,000, a fiberglass pool $58,000–$85,000 and a gunite pool $75,000–$120,000. With decking, a fence and permits most complete projects land at $70,000–$150,000+. Texas pricing is close to the national baseline used for these estimates; the size, finish, features and site conditions move the number most.
There is no single best type. Fiberglass installs fastest and is the easiest to maintain but comes in fixed shapes; gunite can be any shape with any feature but costs more to build and to resurface later; vinyl liner has the lowest upfront price but needs a new liner every eight to twelve years. Match the type to your budget, your yard, how long you plan to stay and how much maintenance you want.
A fiberglass pool is often swimmable two to six weeks after excavation; a vinyl liner pool four to eight weeks; a gunite pool eight to sixteen weeks because the shell has to cure before tile, coping and the finish go on. Permitting adds two to eight weeks up front, and decking and landscaping follow the pool. Builders here work year-round; the spring rush books first.
Most residential pools are 3 to 6 feet with a deep end of 6 to 8 feet; diving depths of 8 feet or more need a longer pool and a larger excavation. Fiberglass shells are limited to the manufacturer's molds (commonly 6 to 8 feet), while gunite and vinyl liner pools can be built to almost any profile, including sport pools that are shallow at both ends.
The prime outdoor season in Harlingen runs March through October — roughly 7 months of comfortable unheated swimming — and pools stay open and running year-round rather than being winterized. Summers run 95–105° for weeks at a stretch, and most of the state swims from March into late October. Pools stay open and running through winter — the trade-off is that chlorine demand and evaporation in July and August are among the highest in the nation.
Natural Stone Pools 956 has the highest customer rating on this Harlingen list at 5 stars across 13 reviews. Premier Pools & Spas | Rio Grande Valley has the largest review count (94 reviews at 4.6 stars). PoolPad orders the list with a weighted score that combines customer rating and review count, so a long track record counts for more than a handful of scores.
Texas has no statewide license for swimming pool contractors, so contractor checks fall on you: confirm general liability and workers' comp certificates, and make sure a licensed electrician pulls the electrical permit. Cities and counties enforce their own pool permits and barrier or fence ordinances, and since the 2021 freeze most builders specify freeze protection on equipment.
Budget $1,200–$3,000 / year for chemicals, electricity and routine service, more for a heated pool or a weekly cleaning route. Fiberglass and vinyl surfaces use fewer chemicals than plaster; a variable-speed pump and an automatic cover cut running costs the most.
Check inground pool builders in cities near Harlingen, or open the Texas directory for every listed market in the state.
Claim your free PoolPad listing, check the pool types you build, and show Harlingen homeowners planning a new pool what you install.
