If you move to Costa Rica and buy a home, you may end up having a swimming pool built. Many retirees yearn to have a swimming pool in the backyard of their dream home where there can take a cool dip, just relax, swim or even entertain friends. Getting a pool built in Costa Rica is not impossible but there are some things you need to know before undertaking a project of this type. By the way, piscina and alberca are the words for swimming pool in Spanish. Swimming pools are no longer a luxury reserved for the rich. Depending on the size, shape and fixtures a pool can be built in Costa Rica for between $15,000 to $30,000 dollars. Costs can be determined by the topography of the land and the amount of earth that has to be moved. The most popular shapes of pools are: rectangular, a kidney, figure eight and oval. If you want a small Jacuzzi as part of the pool, the cost will increase. The first thing you need to do is select a reliable and established company like Piscinas Aquarium or Piscinas Atlantik and get an estimated in writing. The most important factor is to choose a company that is registered with Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y Aquitectos (College of Engineers and Architects), with a history of swimming pool construction under its belt, and with its own work force (not subcontracted) to ensure the quality of your project. It is also of paramount importance to make sure the company offers at least a seven year guarantee. Once you select a company be sure to get a detailed breakdown of the costs and the estimated time of construction. The most common pool surface is vitrocéramica, a type of small vitreous (glassy) tile squares. The pool should have a good filtration system with a chlorinator, pump and in some cases a heater. Yes, you will need a heater in certain places in the Central Valley and at higher elevations because it gets down right cold at times making it necessary to heat you pool’s water. Near my home in Heredia there is a large unheated public pool and the water is freezing. If you live near the beach a heater will not be necessity. Once your pool is finished you’ll probably need a pool maintenance service to keep it in good shape. This type service is available in Costa Rica at a low cost. However, if you purchase the chemicals you can save money by doing the pool maintenance yourself.