How Much Does It Cost To Build A Water Slide

Pool Slides: What'south Possible, Who Can Build It and What Information technology Volition Toll

These slippery slopes volition make a splash and offer an exhilarating ride that'south the stuff of childhood dreams

Matt Clawson

February 26, 2015

Houzz contributor. Realtor, Dwelling builder, projection consultant, and author. Loves sensible way.

More than

I was recently meeting with clients to discuss a rear chiliad landscape plan, and their 7-twelvemonth-old son was sitting in. To proceed him busy, they cued upward Houzz on their iPad and let the boy'south imagination run wild through a photograph search. What was he looking at? Pool slides, of course.

The child in me got my mind racing, too. Who doesn't love a good h2o slide? But while a slide is every kid's fantasy, it's the adults who will be the ones with a lot to consider before incorporating a slide into their pool project.

Hither's a wait at what you'll want to know before you decide to build your own pool slide.

The X, Y and Z: From an applied science perspective, at that place are 3 factors to consider in a puddle slide. We can call them simply X, Y and Z.

Ten = Elevation (starting bespeak)
Y = Finish Bespeak (splashdown)
Z = Shape (where the fun is)

How do we arrive at our elevation (X) and endpoint (Y)? If you are edifice into a sloping hillside, information technology tin can exist rather easy to determine both. In other cases, as in the photo here, the "hill" is a man-fabricated structure, often covered in rock-similar precast concrete or existent stone veneer.

The shape (Z) is how X and Y are connected, and it can exist a short, swift shoot or a long, looping ride.

Surface options: The principal surface options include prefabricated polyethylene or fiberglass chutes, both of which are constructed offsite. Polyethylene is considered a superior surface, but it costs more than than fiberglass.

Custom slide surfaces for slides constructed onsite include tile, smooth, molded physical and pebbles. The latter are footing and covered in wax resin for protection.

This lovely example shows a 1-inch by ane-inch

mosaic tile

surface.

Whom to hire: This is a job for an experienced

professional pool contractor

, oft working in conjunction with the home'due south landscape architect, contractor and subcontractors. Hard and fast rules are difficult to come past, then y'all truly are in need of someone experienced, who has done information technology successfully many times before. At that place are just countless factors, including drainage, structural support, aesthetic finishes and slide operation that must be properly thought out by a professional.

Toll: The range in cost is broad. A simple, prefabricated slide with ladder might be installed for $4,000, while some of the tantalizing slides shown here could hands superlative $100,000.

Another cost factor to consider is insurance. Similarly to how insurance companies view diving boards and trampolines, they also look at slides unfavorably. You lot may need to purchase a carve up liability policy to properly protect yourself, which can cost as much as an additional $i,000 per twelvemonth. Exist sure to talk to your insurance agent to mitigate adventure.

Adults tin play also: Why should kids take all the fun? The example here is an entertaining wonderland, with a jaw-dropping

firepit

that'south nicely distanced from all the squeals and splashes from the slide.