Cost to Fill a Pool by Size: 5,000 to 40,000 Gallon Table

The cost to fill a pool with water comes down to how many tanker loads it takes or, if you use a hose, what your utility charges. A 10,000-gallon pool is usually 2 tanker loads, a 20,000-gallon pool 3 to 4, and a 30,000-gallon pool 4 to 5. The load count is what sets the delivered price, and your quote gives the exact figure. On city water, a hose costs your utility's rate per 1,000 gallons times the pool's volume in thousands.

The table below runs eight pool sizes through both methods, so you can find your row and skip the math.

How to read the table

The gallons column counts the water in the pool, measured to where the water line sits. A 24 ft round pool with a 52-inch wall holds about 13,600 gallons at 4 feet of water, which may not match the capacity printed on the box. The pool gallons chart lists the standard sizes at real water depth.

The hose column is a formula you fill in. R is your utility's rate per 1,000 gallons, which you'll find on your last bill. We don't print a national rate because rates vary widely between utilities. If yours bills sewer on metered water, the real cost can roughly double unless you ask for a sewer credit for the pool fill before you start. The water bill guide covers how to ask.

The loads column shows two numbers because the tankers used for pool fills carry anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 gallons. Divide the gallons by the truck size and round up to get the count. A partial load often costs about the same as a full one, so the rounding matters.

The loads column is the number that drives the delivered price, and your quote turns it into one exact figure. Our page on pricing per load explains what moves it.

Cost by pool size

Read the loads column as a spread: the low count is the bigger truck and the high count the smaller one. If your utility bills sewer on water use and won't credit a pool fill, add sewer to the hose column.

Worked examples: 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 gallons

10,000 gallons is about what a 21 ft round above-ground pool holds at 4 feet of water. By hose it costs 10 x R, plus sewer if it's billed, and it takes 17 to 33 hours. By truck it is 2 loads on either truck size.

20,000 gallons fits a 16 x 32 ft in-ground pool averaging a little over 5 feet deep. By hose it's 20 x R and 33 to 67 hours. By truck it's 3 loads on an 8,000-gallon tanker or 4 on a 6,000. Our in-ground pool fill page explains how we confirm the load count before the price goes out.

30,000 gallons is a 20 x 40 ft pool averaging 5 feet. By hose it's 30 x R and 50 to 100 hours, which stretches to roughly four to eight days if the hose only runs in daylight. By truck it's 4 or 5 loads.

Why two pools of the same size can cost very different amounts

Two pools of the same size in the same ZIP code can get different prices, and the difference is rarely the water itself.

After the number of loads, the next factor is distance from the water source. Every load is a round trip between your driveway and the hauler's water source, often a hydrant meter or bulk water station, so distance counts once per load.

Hose reach comes next. The first 300 feet of hose from where the truck parks are included, a longer run adds a hose charge, shown in your quote before you book.

Timing and water type play a part too. Peak spring weekends and same-day requests can cost more than a flexible weekday, and potable water for a cistern can cost more than pool water.

The full cost guide covers hydrant meters, well fills and the other costs that come on top of the water.

Above-ground pools: 1 to 3 loads

Many above-ground pools hold 5,000 to 15,000 gallons, which is one or two loads on an 8,000-gallon truck and up to three on a 6,000. Each extra load adds to the delivered price, so the load count is the number to check in your quote.

A 15 ft round pool at 4 feet of water is about 5,300 gallons, one load on any truck. A 24 ft round is about 13,600 gallons, which is two loads on an 8,000-gallon truck and three on a 6,000. The size to watch is the 18 ft round. At 7,600 gallons it fits in a single 8,000-gallon load but needs two trips from a 6,000. Your quote states the number of loads for your pool, so you know before you book.

When the size pushes you from 3 loads to 4

The load count jumps at fixed points. On 8,000-gallon trucks those fall at 8,000, 16,000, 24,000 and 32,000 gallons, and on 6,000-gallon trucks at 6,000, 12,000, 18,000, 24,000 and 30,000. Any pool between 18,000 and 24,000 gallons is 3 loads on the big truck and 4 on the small one.

Two habits keep you on the right side of a jump. First, measure depth to the water line instead of the top of the wall. On a 24 ft round pool, 4 inches of wall above the water is about 1,100 gallons. Second, use the true average depth for an in-ground pool, which is lower than the simple average when the deep end is a small hopper.

If the pool needs less water than estimated, loads not yet dispatched when it is full are not charged. If it needs more, extra loads are billed at the quoted per-load price, and we ask before sending one. The cheapest way to fill a pool guide runs this decision for each pool size and water source.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to fill a 20,000 gallon pool?

By tanker it's 3 to 4 loads, and the load count sets the delivered price in your quote. By hose on city water it is 20 times your rate per 1,000 gallons, plus sewer where it's billed, and 33 to 67 hours of running water.

How much does it cost to fill a 15,000 gallon pool?

On an 8,000-gallon truck it's two loads and on a 6,000 it's three. By hose, it's 15 times your rate per 1,000 gallons and 25 to 50 hours.

How much does it cost to fill a 10,000 gallon pool?

It's two loads on either truck size. A hose costs 10 times your rate per 1,000 gallons and takes 17 to 33 hours.

Does the delivered price include the water?

Yes. The delivered price in your quote covers the water and the delivery, including the first 300 feet of hose from where the truck parks. Potable water for a cistern can cost more, and a longer hose run adds a hose charge. Both show in the quote before you book.

Found your row? Send us the ZIP and the gallons and we'll send one exact delivered price, usually within 1 to 2 business hours. Start my quote.