What’s in an Inground Pool Package? The Full Checklist

Inground Pool Packages Explained: What’s Actually Included (and What Isn’t)

Quick answer: A complete inground fibreglass pool package from Swimming Pool Kits Direct includes the pool shell, a skimmer box, hydrostatic valve, pool returns, certified engineering drawings, delivery to your kerb, and your choice of equipment package: Signature from $4,699, Platinum from $8,289, or VIP My Pool Butler from $12,790. Installation trades, fencing and landscaping aren’t included, and that’s where comparing quotes gets tricky.

Article summary

• What comes with every SPKD inground pool package
• How Signature, Platinum and VIP compare
• What is not included in any pool package
• How to compare quotes side by side
• Which package suits which type of buyer

Ask three pool companies for a price and you’ll often get three numbers that can’t be compared. One includes a basic pump and nothing else. One includes equipment without naming a brand. One hides the equipment in an installation total.

Here’s what a proper inground pool package should include, so you can line your quotes up side by side.

What comes with every SPKD inground pool package

• The fibreglass pool shell. Australian-made, 100% fibreglass with no foam filling, and backed by a 25-year structural warranty.
• Skimmer box, hydrostatic valve and pool returns.
• Certified engineering drawings. You’ll need these for council or private certifier approval, and they’re included, not charged as an extra.
• Delivery to your kerb in the ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC.
• An equipment package sized to your pool, so you’re not guessing which pump or filter to buy.

For the current equipment packages, check our package page as well.

The three equipment packages compared

Prices vary based on delivery and sizing requirements. Check the live package page for your pool.

What isn’t included in any pool package?

These are the costs that make quotes look wildly different. No kit supplier includes them, and a turnkey quote bundles them in.

• Excavation and soil removal
• Crane hire to lift the shell into place
• Licensed plumbing and electrical connection
• Pool fencing and your approval or certification fees
• Paving, coping, decking and landscaping
• Heating. It’s optional and quoted separately to suit your pool size and usage. See Pool Heater Costs: What You Need to Know.

This is the myth-bust most people need to hear: DIY doesn’t mean you’re digging. You’re managing. You book those trades directly instead of paying a pool company’s margin on each one. Customers who manage their own build typically save $10,000 to $30,000 compared with a fully installed pool.

How do you compare inground pool package quotes?

• Ask for brands and model numbers. Quality pump isn’t a spec. Astral CTX 280C or Viron P320 variable speed is.
• Check whether the pump is single or variable speed. A variable speed pump costs more upfront and less to run.
• Confirm the engineering drawings are included. Some suppliers charge for them.
• Check whether delivery is included, and to where.
• Compare warranty terms, both the shell’s structural warranty and the equipment warranties.
• Line up exclusions. If one quote includes installation and another doesn’t, you’re not comparing packages, you’re comparing business models.

• Pro tip: Use the pool price calculator to get a package price for your model and state in under 60 seconds. Then put that next to any turnkey quote, and add local trade quotes on top to see the real gap.

Which inground pool package should you choose?

If you want every essential at the best price, go Signature. If you’ll run the pool a lot, or care about running costs and water feel, Platinum’s variable speed pump and low-salt mineral system are the step up most owners notice. If you’d rather have your water chemistry monitored and managed for you, VIP is built for that.

See My Pool Package Price

Related reading

• DIY vs Installed Fibreglass Pools in Australia
• How Much Do Fibreglass Pools Cost in Australia?
• View Our Pools Range

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