We sell and install semi-inground pools in Massachusetts. Our go-to pool for strength and reliability is the Aquasport 52. I don’t have a sales staff, so you deal with me or one of my master builders. We will answer all your questions and make communication our first priority by giving you our personal cell phones. Below are a few 2026 case studies: pool, equipment and installation came in between about $14,000 and $17,000 before the fence, electrician, patio and water. Real invoices from real jobs.
Where I install: within about an hour and a half of Winchendon, Massachusetts. How to start: text me the size you’re thinking and I’ll ballpark it. If we’re in the same ballpark, I come out and look at the yard. Form at the bottom of the page if you’d rather write.
Why hire us to install it
- This is what we do. I’ve never heard of another pool company that actually specializes in semi-inground pool installation. We install more Aquasport 52 pools than any other pool.
- 40+ years, thousands of pools. I’m the installer other installers call when an Aquasport 52 job went wrong.
- No salespeople. You deal with the installer from the first text to the last day on site.
- We pull the permit. We’re registered with the state as a Home Improvement Contractor (#191300) and insured, and the town checks both before it issues a permit. You’re covered.
- You get my cell the day you sign. Questions during the build go to me, not a front desk.
- We don’t disappear when the water’s in. You get a check-in after the build and instructions on running your pool, so you’re not guessing at the equipment.
What a semi-inground pool cost in Massachusetts this year: three real jobs
Every yard is different, which is why I do a site visit before I give a final number. But these are actual 2026 invoices, not a range I made up.
1. Dudley, MA: Aquasport 52, 21 ft round
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Aquasport 52 21 ft round kit with liner | $7,139 |
| Speck E71 variable speed pump + 120 sq ft cartridge filter | $825 |
| King drop-in step | $705 |
| Excavation, stone dust base, sand bottom, patio block, equipment pad, setup and plumbing | $5,000 |
| Bonding kit | $219 |
| Inground skimmer | included |
| Massachusetts sales tax, 6.25% on the pool and equipment only | $555.50 |
| Invoice total | $14,443.50 |
Here’s me on site in Dudley going through this invoice line by line:
Watch the build: Dudley Aquasport 52 build on YouTube.
2. Upton, MA: Aquasport 52, 12×20 oval
Kit with the inground skimmer and Outlook liner, 120 sq ft cartridge filter with a Speck E71 pump, excavation, installation and backfill. The homeowner kept the excavated dirt on the property, so there was no trucking cost, and he went without steps. He’s building a deck around the whole pool, which is also his barrier, so the finished picture is coming.
Total: $16,548.81
Watch the build: Upton Aquasport 52 build and temporary fence on YouTube.
3. Leominster, MA: Aquasport 52, 15×24 oval
She bought the pool from me two years before it went in. The permit is what took two years, and that is one reason I pull the permits myself now. The homeowner did her own backfill and hired her own landscaper and patio installer, so my part was the installation only: excavation, stone dust base, sand pool bottom, patio block under the pool and the equipment pad, setup and plumbing.
My part: $6,400
Watch the build on YouTube: Leominster semi-inground install, part 1 and part 2.
Look at the spread. Two complete jobs landed between $14,000 and $17,000, and a homeowner who handled her own backfill and patio paid $6,400 for the installation. That’s why a single “average cost” number is useless. The full breakdown, line by line, is in the semi-inground pool cost guide.
What’s not in those numbers
I’d rather you have your eyes wide open than find this out later.
- Barrier. Massachusetts code wants a 48 inch barrier around the pool. If your yard is already fenced, like the Dudley yard was, you’re done. If not, you need a fence, or a deck around the whole pool with a gate, which is what the Upton homeowner is building. Budget at least $5,500 if a fence has to go in.
- Electrical service and bonding labor. Your electrician. The bonding kit itself comes from me.
- Water to fill the pool.
- Building permit. I pull it. I need a plot plan of your property to draw the pool on, and the permit fee is yours. Before we dig, Dig Safe gets called. That’s required and free. If a utility wants to come out and mark lines, you meet them, since it’s your property.
- Patio, landscaping and dirt removal. If the dirt can stay on your property it costs nothing. If it has to go, trucking and disposal usually run $1,500 to $2,500.
- Ledge or water in the hole. With the Aquasport 52 we can usually set the pool higher instead of blasting. Ledge removal is the one surprise that gets expensive.
Why I install the Aquasport 52 for semi-inground
No cement collar required. Almost every other semi-inground and inground pool needs a concrete collar poured around the base of the wall. The Aquasport 52 does not. It is engineered as an inground pool and the owner’s manual carries a Massachusetts professional engineer’s stamp (manual update issued June 24, 2026, to 780 CMR 10th edition, IRC 2021 and ISPSC 2021). That is the paper your building inspector asks for. Skipping the collar saves about $2,000 to $2,500 in concrete and labor on every job.
Bury it as deep as you like. Every one of the 16 sizes can go semi-inground or fully inground. The wall is interlocking aluminum panels, and there is no stronger pool wall. I have never had one fail.
The engineer’s stamp is the key to a legal permit. The Aquasport 52 and the Fox Ultimate are not the only pools engineered for semi-inground use, but they are the best two. The only other two are the Radiant and a knock-off of the Radiant. See my Radiant review and the Danvers pool-in-a-pool job on YouTube before you buy one. I install the Fox Ultimate too. It’s a steel-wall pool that needs a concrete collar and at least 18 inches of burial. Which one fits your yard: the buyers guide compares the two.
- Three sizes must go in the ground. The 24 ft round, 15×30 oval and 17×32 oval have to be buried at least 1 foot. Every other size can sit fully above ground if you want it to.
- Constant depth, 52 inches. No deep end. If you want a deep end, a tanning ledge or a custom shape, you want a fiberglass pool, and I install those too.
- Inground skimmer. The manufacturer’s inground skimmer is a $279 upgrade, and I now recommend it on every semi-inground install. It lets you change the liner years from now without digging.
- Salt. Salt systems void the Aquasport 30-year wall warranty. I won’t put one on an Aquasport 52.
- We install more Aquasport 52 pools than any other pool. MGK Pools is an authorized Aquasport 52 dealer and installer and Massachusetts’ Aquasport 52 specialist, shipping nationwide direct from the factory.
Model details and every size: the Aquasport 52. Prices and packages: Aquasport 52 pools for sale.
How the installation goes
- Site visit. I look at access for the excavator, the slope, where the water will drain, and whether we’re likely to hit ledge or groundwater. We set the benchmark: where the top of the pool finishes, so water always runs away from it.
- Permit. You get me a plot plan. I draw the pool on it, send my insurance certificates to the town, and pull the permit. Dig Safe gets called before the dig.
- Dig and base. Excavation, stone dust base, patio block under the uprights, sand bottom. Your dirt stays on your property if you can use it.
- Build. Wall, liner, skimmer, plumbing and equipment. Usually about 3 days when the weather cooperates.
- Fill, then backfill. The pool is at least half full before anything goes back against the wall. Crushed stone backfill if a patio or slab is going on top.
- Your part. Electrician, barrier, patio and landscaping, in that order. Then the check-in and your operating instructions.
Want the depth math, dig sizes and backfill details? They’re in the semi-inground pool buyers guide.
How I work
We are a very small company and there are no salespeople. You deal with the installer. We like to date a little before we commit to meeting up: text or email me what size you’re thinking and I’ll get you a ballpark. If we’re in the same ballpark, I come out and look at the yard, and we dial it in from there.
When you’re ready, you put down half the cost of the pool kit to get on the schedule. The rest of the kit is due when it’s on your property, and the installation is due when the pool is built. Spring fills up fast. If you want a pool next summer, order it this winter.
Text me what size you’re thinking: 978-710-8667. Text gets the fastest answer. Or use the form below and I’ll get back to you.
Want a number first? Price a semi-inground Aquasport 52 for your yard, or build the whole kit in the Package Builder.
Questions I get every week
Can the Aquasport 52 go fully in the ground?
Yes, at any depth. No collar, no slurry. Leave the top rail high enough to pitch water away from the pool.
Do I need a fence for a semi-inground pool in Massachusetts?
You need a 48 inch barrier. A fenced yard does it. So does a deck around the whole pool with a gate. The building inspector decides what counts for your finished grade, and that’s part of what the permit is for.
Can it have a deep end?
No. The Aquasport 52 is a constant 52 inches. I call the shallow-end-plus-deep-end layout the old paradigm in pools: a narrow deep end that rarely gets used. If you want one, look at fiberglass.
What if you hit ledge or water?
Ledge is the expensive surprise. With the Aquasport 52 we can usually set the pool higher and build there instead of blasting. Water in the hole is manageable as long as the pool water stays higher than the groundwater.
Do you pull the permit?
Yes. I pull the building permit, with your help. I need a plot plan of the property, which a surveyor draws up if you don’t have one, and I draw the pool on it to scale. My liability and workers’ comp certificates go to the town. The permit fee is yours. Dig Safe gets called before we dig, which is required and free. If a utility company wants to schedule a visit to mark their lines, you handle that appointment, since it’s your property and your schedule.
Can I buy the kit and do the install myself?
Yes. I ship Aquasport 52 kits nationwide and I coach homeowners through their builds every day. Start with the semi-inground pool buyers guide and the semi-inground pool kits.
How far ahead do I need to book?
Pool and install take about 3 days, but spring books up by the time the ground thaws. Order over the winter for a spring or early summer build.
Related: pool installation services and prices · semi-inground pool cost guide · Aquasport Pools, the manufacturer