New Pool info overload

[madwil]

My first pool was also an Intex, but the steel frame model- allowed full depth water, so 48 inch pool was really 48 inch water! the first was 18 foot, maybe 10k gallons; had one in Suffolk VA and in Le Grand IA- both came down in winter, and the one in IA moved 3 times around the yard!
The final place was a pain- built 1000 sq ft deck, and moved pool right next to it- but had about 5 foot drop in 20 ft, so lots of digging was required, and I think I spent more money on landscape rocks to prevent washout/erosion than I did on the pool itself...
Sold that house, and the new owners tore out the pool- don't think they ever figured it out, and just gave up!
Have a 30 ft ABG now, in new home, 2nd season opening soon!

[TMan]

I'm replacing my steel wall abg with aluminum wall. It really didn't matter that much to me but it may help since it is sunken 2.5' on oneside and 5' on the other. I'm not using the term 'buried' anymore because I'm not 'burying' any pool unless it's an inground or aluminum 'panel' designed to be inground. The bottom rails are resin, bottom caps resin, uprights steel I think. It has an expandable liner (for deep end; you'll learn the lingo soon enough). Pool was $4220 delivered and installation will be a bit past $2k. The excavation is already done, but on a generally level yard that shouldn't cost more than $1.5k. I have pump & filter so add $400 if you need that. Around $10-12k tops on a 16x32, even in Texas! My comments about name brand pricing and local pool store mark-up can be yours if you contact me off-forum. Remember that all pools in North America come out of a handful (3?) factories and the rest are imported from Japan/China. It's just what label is stuck on the box and where it's sold at; local pool store or dropped-shipped to your home. You *can* negotiate with your local pool dealer. Keep asking questions and make a decision when you're ready but don't overthink it. It's a bucket big enough for you to swim in.

[noahkid]

Caveats: My yard is nowhere near level. Not many places in Western PA are!! Also, about the country of origin - the only one I am sure of is the Wilkes pool as it is manufactured here in PA. Even to put a "donut" in my yard would take a fair amount of excavation.