Where you place the pool will affect cost by the addition of pipe runs with electrical, gas and water lines. Most companies or contractors will bid on a 30 foot run from the source to the equipment as their minimum. The source being where the gas, water and electrical meters are. Cost per foot after that may vary widely from contractor to contractor. Another run is the distance from the equipment to the pool. The closer the equipment is to the pool, the more efficient your pumps and heater will work. If your pump is too far from the pool, you may need an extra pump, called a booster pump. If your heater is too far from your pool or spa, it will result in a longer period of time to heat the spa due to the loss of heat through the pipes.
The home and fencing also affects cost through maintainence. A pool with a chainlink fence around it allows debris easier access to the pool. If the pool is quite a distance from the house, you would need to build the fence on all sides of the pool whereas if the pool was situated close to the house, only three sides of fencing is required. The house also acts as a very effective windbreak. Windbreaks helps keep the pool cleaner and prevents too much heat loss from the spa. It also makes for a more comfortable walk back into the house from the water.
If you plan on maintaining your own pool and your time is precious, then the simpler the shape is the less you have to do. Even with an automatic cleaning system along with automatic chemicalizing, some good old fashion personal care is still needed. With an auto-cleaner, if there are too many corners or loveseats, many spots will be missed. Some spots will need a regular hit with a pool brush but along with more detail in the pool, more spots will be missed. The best shapes for the least worry is a square, rectangular or oval / kidney shape. Few loveseats are recommended.
Even with an automatic chloinator, periodic test for water ph balance is needed. This allows you to re-adjust the chorinator for better efficiency and longer periods between tests. On the average, the water needs to be tested once a week during the cold, non-use months and twice a week during the warmer months. If the pool is use daily by a lot of people, especially childern, more frequent testing is recommended. Keeping the water balanced will also prevent deterioration of the plaster. Good maintainence will give your plaster job a 10 to 20 years life.
If safety is a major issue and the funds are available, then an automatic pool cover is a must. Again, design is most important here, as the only way for this is a rectangular shape. The pool cover runs on a track that can only move in a straight line forward or backwards, hence the need for a rectangular shape.
