Iowa · Local Pros · Updated 2026
35 pool builders serve the Des Moines area. This page shows the top 19, ordered by a weighted mix of customer rating and review count, with local cost guidance for planning your shortlist.
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Ordered by customer rating and review count across the Des Moines area. Listings include the available rating, contact details, and location; confirm current credentials and scope directly.
Need the full market? The nationwide pool builder finder maps all 35 companies serving the Des Moines area and lets you search by address or sort by distance.
Typical inground pool projects in Des Moines run $45,000–$140,000+ installed, with many landing near $72,000. Iowa pricing is close to the national baseline used for these estimates. Use the pool type as a starting point:
| Pool type | Installed in Des Moines |
|---|---|
| Vinyl liner | $40k–$65k |
| Fiberglass | $50k–$90k |
| Gunite / concrete | $62k–$125k |
| Typical Des Moines project | $72,000 |
Treat these as planning numbers, then get three itemized bids against the same scope. Quotes for an identical pool can land 20% apart in one city; compare decking, barrier fencing, electrical runs, drainage, permits, and yard repair before comparing the bottom line.
The inground pool cost guide covers common line items, and the pool loan calculator shows what the financed portion does to the monthly payment.
Discuss these Iowa conditions before a builder finalizes the price and schedule:
Bring a few reference photos and a rough must-have list to each site visit so builders quote the same target. Browse pool design ideas and pool shapes; to search farther out, use the Iowa pool builders guide or the nationwide finder.
Ask for decking, drainage, shade, lighting, and outdoor-kitchen work as separate options while access is still open.
Des Moines market
4.7 average customer rating · 831 reviews · 35 companies
See All on the Map →Des Moines has 35 pool building companies, from design-build firms that include landscaping to specialists in renovations and equipment upgrades. The ranked list averages 4.7 stars across 831 customer reviews. Because the score weighs rating and review count together, a 4.8 backed by hundreds of reviews can sit above a 5.0 backed by three.
Des Moines and its suburbs lead Iowa's pool market, with Cedar Rapids–Iowa City and the Quad Cities adding steady volume. Vinyl and fiberglass carry much of the work, supported by flat lots and costs near the national baseline. For statewide rankings, city counts, and Iowa pricing, see the Iowa pool builders directory.
Ask about experience with Des Moines soil, access, drainage, and permit offices, then check completed projects in the pool type you want: gunite, fiberglass, or vinyl liner. Confirm current licensing where required and insurance with the issuing source. The contract should spell out materials, allowances, exclusions, timeline, change-order pricing, payment milestones, and warranty responsibility. Compare at least three itemized bids against the same scope.
Most inground pool projects in Des Moines, IA run $45,000 to $140,000+ installed, with typical projects landing around $72,000. By build type: vinyl liner $40k–$65k, fiberglass $50k–$90k, and gunite/concrete $62k–$125k. Rich Iowa soils dig easily but hold moisture — drainage and compacted backfill are the quality separators — and frost-depth plumbing is standard. Flat lots and friendly access keep installed costs reasonable by national standards. Request itemized quotes from at least three builders to price your site and scope.
Most inground pool projects in Des Moines take 8–16 weeks from permit approval to completion. Weather, inspections, material availability, access, and design complexity can extend the schedule. Ask each bidder to separate permit lead time from construction time and identify the milestones that control payments.
Use the customer rating and review count to narrow the 19 builders listed here, then inspect recent projects and reviews. Confirm current licensing where required, insurance, permit responsibility, warranties, and payment milestones. Give at least three builders the same project brief so their itemized quotes are comparable.
Yes — Des Moines and most municipalities in Iowa require building permits for swimming pool construction, covering structural, electrical, and plumbing inspections plus barrier/fencing requirements. Most builders listed here handle the permitting process as part of the project — confirm it in writing, along with who schedules each inspection.
The outdoor season in Des Moines runs June through early September — about 3 months unheated, and most owners add a heater to stretch both shoulders. A full professional winterization each fall protects plumbing and equipment through the freeze. June through early September unheated, hot and humid at the peak. Winters freeze deep and stay frozen — full winterization with a snow-rated cover is simply how pools live here.
Better Builders has the highest customer rating in this Des Moines list at 5 stars across 151 reviews. Swimming Pool Supply Co has the largest review count (336 reviews at 4.7 stars). The directory order uses rating and review count together, so the highest star average is not always the number-one result.
Iowa registers contractors at the state level — verify registration and insurance certificates. Pool permits and residential-code barrier requirements (fencing, self-latching gates) run through your city or county building office, with metro suburbs the most structured about inspections.
Rich Iowa soils dig easily but hold moisture — drainage and compacted backfill are the quality separators — and frost-depth plumbing is standard. Flat lots and friendly access keep installed costs reasonable by national standards. Vinyl liner leads with fiberglass growing fast; heaters and automatic covers are common because the season is short. Simple rectangles with generous patios fit both budgets and entertaining.
Check pool builders in cities near Des Moines, or open the Iowa directory for every listed market in the state.
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