A used above ground pool on Facebook Marketplace can look like a steal: a 24′ round for a fraction of the price of a new one. Sometimes it works out. More often, the “free” or cheap pool ends up costing close to a new one by the time it’s taken down, moved, re-lined and rebuilt, with no warranty. Here’s how to tell the difference before you load up the trailer.

Step 1
The short answer

A used pool can make sense when it’s only a few years old, you can see it standing and full of water, you know the brand and model, and you have the skills, or the budget, to take it down and rebuild it properly. If any of those are missing, the savings usually disappear.

Step 2
The hidden costs

• You’ll need a new liner. A liner shrinks as soon as it’s drained, and it almost never fits again after it’s taken down and moved. Plan on a new one. See How Long Can You Leave a Pool Empty?
• The wall can be damaged in the move. A steel wall that gets kinked or creased while it’s rolled up and carried may not stand straight again.
• Parts go missing or break. Bolts, plates, bottom track pieces and top rail covers are easy to lose and can be hard to find for an older or discontinued model.
• Hidden rust. The bottom of the wall and the track are where rust starts, and you can’t see them on a pool that’s still standing.
• Old equipment. The pump and filter may be near the end of their life.
• A new base. The pool still needs a fresh dig, leveling, base material and cove, just like a new pool. See How to Level an Above Ground Pool.
• Finding an installer. Some installers won’t put up a used pool, and few will guarantee one. Ask before you buy.

Step 3
What to check before you buy

1. Brand, model and age. Look for the label on the wall or the skimmer area, and ask for the manual or receipt.
2. See it full. A pool that’s already down or in pieces hides most of its problems.
3. Walk the bottom of the wall and look for rust, holes, bulges or leaning uprights.
4. Check the top rails and ledges for cracks.
5. Measure it, including the wall height: 48″, 52″ or 54″. Advertised sizes are rounded, and frames differ between brands, so the real footprint may not match what you expect. See Why a Backyard Consultation Is Paramount.
6. Ask why they’re selling. “We’re moving” is a better answer than “it keeps leaking.”

Use our 7 Signs Your Liner Needs Replacing and How Long Do Pools Last? to judge what’s left in it.

Step 4
Taking it down

If you buy it, the takedown decides whether the pool is still usable:

• Photograph everything before you start, from every side, so you can see how it goes back together.
• Label and bag the parts by section, and keep all the hardware.
• Roll the wall carefully, never fold or bend it, and keep it off the ground so water can’t sit on it.
• Get help. A wall is heavy and awkward, and a gust of wind can bend it.
• Plan for the old liner and the seller’s yard. Agree up front who disposes of the old liner, base and debris.

See Above Ground Pool Removal: What to Expect for how a pool comes apart.

Step 5
Used vs. new

Once you add a new liner, base materials, hardware and labor, a used pool often costs much closer to a new one than it first seemed. Compare it honestly with a new pool, and see How to Buy the Perfect Above Ground Pool on Any Budget. Financing can also make a new pool easier to fit into your budget.