Washington County issued 576 pool permits in 12 months

Paragon Pools’ new market report says Washington County issued 576 residential pool permits in the year ended July 31, 2026, alongside 2,992 new single-family home permits. The data points to steady demand for backyard pools across the St. George area, with permit activity strongest in spring and concentrated in St. George, Washington City and Hurricane.

Why it matters: - Washington County’s pool-permit pace shows how quickly backyard development is tracking homebuilding across the St. George metro area. - The report says there was about one pool permit for every five new-home permits, a ratio that matters to homeowners, builders and real estate agents watching local demand. - The findings also give a public snapshot of where pool construction is clustering and how declared project values are trending.

What happened: - Paragon Pools released the 2026 St. George Pool Market Report on Sept. 17, 2026. - The report says Washington County jurisdictions issued 576 residential swimming pool permits in the 12 months ending July 31, 2026. - Countywide new single-family home permits totaled 2,992 over the same period. - The report compiles permit data from every Washington County jurisdiction to measure how many pools are being built, where they are being built and at what declared value.

The details: - Licensed contractors pulled about 93% of the 576 pool permits, while owner-builders accounted for the remaining 7%. - The city of St. George issued 263 pool permits, or 46% of the county total. - Washington City issued 132 pool permits. - Hurricane issued 81 pool permits. - Ivins issued 60 pool permits. - Santa Clara issued 22 pool permits. - The remaining 18 permits were spread across unincorporated Washington County, La Verkin, Toquerville and Springdale. - The Ledges of St. George led all master-planned communities with 31 pool permits across its phases. - The Estates and Reserve at Old Farm had 15 pool permits. - Finley Farms in Washington City had 13 pool permits. - Entrada at Snow Canyon had 9 pool permits. - Desert Color had 8 pool permits. - Forty-two percent of permits declared a value of $100,000 or more. - Six percent declared $150,000 or more. - The median declared value was $90,000. - Declared values are reported on permit applications for fee purposes and typically understate finished project cost once decking, shade structures, outdoor kitchens and landscaping are added. - March 2026 was the busiest month with 61 pool permits. - February was the slowest month with 31 pool permits. - May through July 2026 produced 140 pool permits, down from 158 in May through July 2025. - That late-spring period was down about 11% year over year, in line with the slowdown in new-home starts. - No single builder dominated the market. - 103 different contractors pulled at least one pool permit during the year, including pool builders, production home builders and landscape contractors. - The full report includes a month-by-month chart and breakdowns by city and community. - The report is published at the full report and will be updated quarterly at the same address.

Between the lines: - The numbers suggest pool construction remains broadly distributed across multiple builders and jurisdictions rather than concentrated in one dominant firm. - The gap between declared permit value and finished cost means the reported figures likely capture only part of the true spend on many backyards. - The year-over-year cooling in late-spring permits hints that pool demand is softening as housing starts slow.

What's next: - Paragon Pools says the report will be updated quarterly at the same web address. - Future updates should show whether spring 2026 was a peak or part of a longer local slowdown. - The monthly and community-level breakdowns may help signal where pool demand is shifting next.

The bottom line: - Washington County is still building pools at a brisk clip, but the latest report shows a market tied closely to the pace of new home construction.