Salt water pool vs chlorine
On average you'll pay $1,000 to switch to salt, according to Angi's cost guide. From then on, figure salt will run you $150 to $400 each year. Expect to spend $700 to $1,100 on a replacement cell once yours gives out.
What sets a salt pool apart?
Pour the pool salt into the deep end, brush it around and give it time to dissolve. From there, water passes through a cell on the return line that turns salt into sanitizer.
There's a downside to that process. According to SC Coastal Pools, the cell produces sodium hydroxide as well. Every hour the cell runs, your pH climbs because of it.
How costs stack up?
Converting over to salt will set you back $750 to $1,750. Of that total, the generator takes the largest share. Across 2026 the average job came out to $1,000.
Salt top-offs cost $150 to $400 each year. According to the EIA table, residential power in the US averages 18.31 cents per kilowatt hour.
The plates inside the cell wear out as well. Per River Pools and Spas, a new salt cell goes for $700 to $1,100.
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Typical conversion | $750 to $1,750 |
| National average | $1,000 |
| Above ground pool | $500 to $1,500 |
| In-ground pool | $1,000 to $2,500 |
| Pool salt, 40 lb bag | $11.99 |
The conversion figures are Angi's survey of what owners paid. The bag price is the one Leslie's lists.
How the work stacks up?
Topping off the salt level will be part of your routine. That adds up to $150 to $400 a year.
Keep an eye on your pH. Each hour the cell is running, it pushes that number higher.
Upsides and downsides
The good news: sanitizer gets made right in your plumbing. No more stashing smelly tablets in the shed or hauling heavy jugs home in your trunk.
The bad news: converting costs $750 to $1,750 upfront, plus $700 to $1,100 once the cell fails. While the cell is running, your pH keeps slowly rising too.
Questions people bring to the counter
What downsides come with salt water pools?
Converting runs $750 to $1,750 at the start, plus $700 to $1,100 once the salt cell wears out. Plan for another $150 to $400 in salt refills on top of that every year. Last, your pH rises with each hour the cell operates.
Which costs less, a salt water pool or a chlorine pool?
In 2026, switching to salt averaged $1,000, with the generator as the priciest part. From then on, salt runs $150 to $400 per year and a new cell costs $700 to $1,100. Power for the pump and cell adds up too, at an average of 18.31 cents per kilowatt hour across the US.
Does a saltwater pool take a lot of upkeep?
Salt goes in once in a while. Expect $150 to $400 yearly for that. pH is the larger task you face. Sodium hydroxide comes out of the cell, so pH goes up for every hour it runs.
Saltwater pool or chlorinated pool, which one wins?
Salt takes $750 to $1,750 to get going. Down the road, a replacement cell costs $700 to $1,100. pH keeps drifting higher on top of that. Think over those costs before switching.