A vinyl liner is replaced every 5 to 15 years. Published 2026 figures put a full job at about $5 per sq ft installed ($7 in premium markets) — from roughly $700 for an above-ground overlap liner to $6,500-$9,000 for a large or custom inground pool. Compare the quotes, then choose — you are never obligated.
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A vinyl liner is the waterproof skin of the pool, and Raleigh pools replace one every 5 to 15 years.
Almost every inground pool without a concrete or fibreglass finish is a vinyl-liner pool, and the liner is a consumable.
An inground liner is fabricated to your pool, not pulled off a shelf, so measurement quality decides the result.
Above-ground liners are the cheapest job in this niche and the one homeowners most often try themselves.
Not every liner problem needs a new liner, but the ones that cannot be repaired are usually the ones that get patched too long.
A new liner over a failing shell is money spent twice.
| Pool | Installed cost |
|---|---|
| Above-ground, full job | $700 - $2,500 |
| 16 x 32 inground (512 sq ft) | $2,100 - $3,000 |
| 20 x 40 inground (800 sq ft) | $3,000 - $5,500 |
| Standard rectangular with refill water | $4,000 - $6,500 |
| Large or custom with steps and ledges | $6,500 - $9,000 and up |
Roughly 40% of the job is labour ($1,000-$2,500 inground). Repairs found after drain-down commonly add $400-$2,000. Full cost guide.
If any of these sound familiar, you are not alone — get matched with a Raleigh installer who fixes it. Wake County soil is clay-heavy and drains slowly, so water held against the shell corrodes steel walls, floats liners and opens voids in the floor base.
A pool losing water is not automatically a liner problem.
A liner that lifts away from the walls, or a floor covered in wrinkles that were not there last season, is usually water behind the liner rather than a fault in the vinyl.
Fading and chalking are cosmetic until the vinyl starts losing its plasticiser, at which point the liner becomes brittle and leaks.
Rust on a pool wall is either a surface nuisance or the beginning of a structural failure, and from above the water you cannot tell which.
If the floor gives underfoot, you are feeling the base under the liner, not the liner itself.
A beaded liner locks into a track around the top of the wall.
Use our free tools to explore your options, then continue your research with the guides, comparisons and resources below.
Estimate an installed liner replacement from your pool size.
Turns your dimensions into the liner area to order and the refill gallons.
Test what you know before you compare quotes.
Beaded vs overlap, 20 vs 27 vs 30 mil, side by side.
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Common questions about pool liner replacement in Raleigh, NC.
Published 2026 figures: $2,100 to $3,000 for a standard 16 x 32 inground pool, $3,000 to $5,500 for a 20 x 40, and $6,500 to $9,000 and up for large or custom pools with steps and ledges. Above-ground pools run $700 to $2,500 for the full job. Add refill water ($60 to $350 on city supply) and any repairs found after drain-down.
Vinyl liners are generally replaced every 5 to 15 years. Overlap liners typically last 5 to 9 years, beaded liners 10 to 15. Sun exposure, chemistry and the quality of the original fit all move that range.
A liner-for-liner swap normally needs no permit in North Carolina. Replacing wall panels, changing the shell, adding or altering an underwater light, or doing equipotential bonding work requires a City of Raleigh permit and inspection.
Ordering takes 2 to 5 days for measurement and 5 to 15 days for fabrication or shipping. The on-site work is usually a few days: drain-down and removal, repairs, installation, then refill and balancing.
No. The liner is fitted to the shell and trimmed around the fittings, so the pool must be drained and refilled.
It depends where you are. Raleigh Water serves Raleigh, Wake Forest and Garner; Town of Cary Utilities serves Cary and Morrisville; Apex has its own water resources department; Durham runs its own water system. City supply costs $60 to $350, trucked water $400 to $900.
The pool liner questions Raleigh homeowners ask most.