This pool volume calculator works out how many litres your pool holds from its shape, size and depths. It is also a pool salt calculator: enter the salt level your chlorinator needs and your last test reading, and it gives the kilograms of salt to add. It then prices a pool service in your city.
Enter your pool's size, or tap a common pool to start.
Your measurements
Estimated cost, Australia
$80 to $180 typical $120
Your numbers
- Water surface area
- 32 m²
- Average depth
- 1.4 m
- Pool volume
- 44,800 litres (44.8 m³)
- Salt for 4,000 ppm
- 179 kg
| Price row | Quantity | Rate | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water chemistry balance (incl. chemicals) | 1 | $80 to $180 per visit | $80 to $180 |
Approvals and licences
Pick your city above to see the approval and licence rules in your state for this job.
Rates are the low, typical and high figures in our pool maintenance price guide, prices verified October 2026. An estimate only: get quotes to price your job.
Type the total on your quote to see how it compares with this estimate.
This job in 15 cities: typical $110 in Adelaide to $140 in Sydney
| City | Low to high | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | $74 to $165 | $110 |
| Geelong | $74 to $165 | $110 |
| Hobart | $72 to $160 | $110 |
| Newcastle | $76 to $170 | $115 |
| Sunshine Coast | $78 to $175 | $115 |
| Brisbane | $80 to $180 | $120 |
| Darwin | $80 to $180 | $120 |
| Gold Coast | $78 to $175 | $120 |
| Byron Bay | $84 to $190 | $125 |
| Melbourne | $84 to $190 | $125 |
| Perth | $84 to $190 | $125 |
| Canberra | $88 to $200 | $130 |
| Townsville | $86 to $195 | $130 |
| Wollongong | $86 to $195 | $130 |
| Sydney | $92 to $205 | $140 |
Each city is priced from the rows in its own guide, cheapest typical figure first.
Pool salt calculator: how much salt to add
Salt is measured in parts per million (ppm), so the salt to add is the litres in the pool multiplied by the rise in ppm, divided by 1,000,000. Every 10,000 litres needs 10 kg of salt to rise by 1,000 ppm. A test reading tells you where the pool is now; the chlorinator's manual tells you where it should be. These are the calculator's figures for common pools at AstralPool's recommended 4,000 ppm.
| Pool | Volume | Fresh fill | From 3,000 ppm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plunge pool, 4 m × 2.5 m | 14,000 litres | 56 kg | 14 kg |
| Family pool, 8 m × 4 m | 44,800 litres | 179 kg | 45 kg |
| Lap pool, 12 m × 3 m | 48,600 litres | 194 kg | 49 kg |
| Large pool, 10 m × 5 m | 75,000 litres | 300 kg | 75 kg |
How the calculation works
Volume is the water surface area multiplied by the average depth, which is halfway between the shallow end and the deep end. A rectangle's area is length × width, a round pool's is π × diameter² ÷ 4 and an oval's is π × length × width ÷ 4. One cubic metre is 1,000 litres. The example the calculator opens with is 8 m × 4 m, 1 m deep at one end and 1.8 m at the other: 32 m² at an average of 1.4 m, which is 44,800 litres (44.8 m³).
Salt. Salt level is measured in parts per million (ppm), so the kilograms of salt are the litres multiplied by the ppm you need to add, divided by 1,000,000. That is the arithmetic behind the manufacturers' own examples: AstralPool's Halo manual recommends 4,000 ppm and says a 50,000 litre pool will require 200 kg of salt to get there. The example pool needs 179 kg. If you already have salt in the water, enter your test reading and the calculator works out only the salt to add.
Which salt level? Use the figure in your chlorinator's manual. AstralPool recommends 4,000 ppm for its Halo chlorinator and 1,500 ppm for its low-salt Halo Pure; Davey's EcoSalt range is 4,500 to 6,000 ppm, or 2,500 ppm for its above-ground models.
Cost is the row for the service you pick from our pool maintenance guide for your city, plus a pool fence compliance check if you tick it.
Source for the figures that are not prices: AstralPool (Halo chlorinator manual) (the recommended salt level); AstralPool (Halo Pure manual) (the recommended salt level for a low-salt chlorinator); Davey (EcoSalt chlorinator manual) (the recommended salt range), checked October 2026.
Litres and salt for common pool sizes
Salt for a fresh fill at 4,000 ppm.
| Pool | Size | Volume | Salt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plunge pool | 4 m × 2.5 m, 1.4 to 1.4 m deep | 14,000 litres | 56 kg |
| Small pool | 6 m × 3 m, 1 to 1.6 m deep | 23,400 litres | 94 kg |
| Family pool | 8 m × 4 m, 1 to 1.8 m deep | 44,800 litres | 179 kg |
| Lap pool | 12 m × 3 m, 1.2 to 1.5 m deep | 48,600 litres | 194 kg |
| Large pool | 10 m × 5 m, 1 to 2 m deep | 75,000 litres | 300 kg |
Pool Maintenance rates the calculator uses
These are the national figures from our pool maintenance price guide. Pick a city in the calculator and it switches to the same rows from that city's guide.
| Price row | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water chemistry balance (incl. chemicals) | $80 | $120 | $180 per visit |
| One-off pool clean | $100 | $200 | $350 per visit |
| Green pool recovery | $300 | $550 | $800 per job |
| Salt chlorinator cell | $400 | $650 | $1,000 installed |
| Pre-season pool service (full clean, filter + salt cell clean, equipment check; chemicals extra) | $150 | $220 | $400 per visit |
| Pool resurfacing (pebblecrete) | $5,000 | $10,000 | $18,000 total |
| Pool fence compliance check | $150 | $200 | $300 per visit |
Pool Maintenance prices by city
SydneyMelbourneBrisbanePerthAdelaideGold CoastCanberraHobartDarwinNewcastleGeelongSunshine CoastTownsvilleWollongongByron Bay
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out how many litres are in my pool?
Multiply the water surface area by the average depth to get cubic metres, then multiply by 1,000. A pool 8 m × 4 m that is 1 m deep at one end and 1.8 m at the other averages 1.4 m and holds 44,800 litres.
How do I work out the volume of a round pool?
Multiply π by the diameter squared and divide by 4 for the area, then multiply by the depth. Choose the round shape in the calculator and enter the diameter and depth.
What salt level should my pool be?
The level your chlorinator's manual gives. AstralPool recommends 4,000 ppm for its Halo chlorinator, which shows a low salt warning below 3,000 ppm, and 1,500 ppm for the low-salt Halo Pure. Davey's EcoSalt range is 4,500 to 6,000 ppm.
How much does a pool service cost?
Our national pool maintenance guide lists a water chemistry balance at $80 to $180 per visit, a one-off pool clean at $100 to $350 and green pool recovery at $300 to $800. Choose your city in the calculator to use that city's figures.
How much does a salt chlorinator cell cost?
Our national guide lists a salt chlorinator cell at $400 to $1,000 installed, with $650 typical.
How much pool salt do I need?
Multiply the litres in your pool by the ppm you need to add and divide by 1,000,000. Freshly filled, a 50,000 litre pool needs 200 kg to reach 4,000 ppm, the same as the example in AstralPool's Halo manual. Test the water first and add only the difference.
An estimate is a starting point. Get quotes from local pool maintenance businesses to price your job.
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