With the coronavirus outbreak threatening to cancel some vacation plans again, some in the region are investing in at-home leisure upgrades like in-ground pool construction.

Demand has been high during the pandemic, leading to a gush of sales and plenty of backorders to dive into, reports Katie Park for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

The increased business is welcome but comes at a bad time.

Pool construction supplies are short nationwide, affected by spikes in weather-related pool repairs across the U.S. And the scarcity of materials lengthens pool contractors’ waitlists. 

Anthony & Sylvan Pools in Doylestown reports a backlog of “…hundreds waiting at any given time,” according to Tom Casey, VP of Sales. 

Construction among Anthony & Sylvan Pool customers can become elaborate. Gone are the rubber-lined, aluminum-skinned circular pools stuffed with sunburnt baby boomers. Customers now upgrade their in-ground oases with architecture like pergolas and outdoor kitchens. 

 Such projects, Casey said, can run up to a half-million dollars. 

“COVID restrictions have thrust a bunch of people into that space where they weren’t there before. People still don’t feel quite confident in taking some of those vacations and are still inquiring in great numbers about backyard swimming pools,” he concluded. 

For more on the region’s in-ground pool market, float over to The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

This video news story from February describes in more detail the booming pool construction business.