Editor’s note: This is our 47^th annual report on the state of the Canadian pool industry, including statistical information and market analysis. The information is based on building permit records for pools, with an overview of new pool permits across Canada and in Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). National totals include permits issued across all municipalities. CMA totals represent permits issued only within major urban centres and therefore represent a subset of the national totals.

The Canadian residential pool industry recorded a noticeable increase in permit activity in 2025, reflecting renewed construction momentum following the market adjustment that occurred after the pandemic-era surge in backyard investment.

Nationwide, 14,149 pool permits were issued in 2025, up from 11,471 in 2024, representing a 23.3 per cent year-over-year increase.

Although demand remains below the exceptional levels recorded during the height of the pandemic boom, the latest permit data suggests the industry may be entering a period of more stable growth after several years of volatility.

This increase occurred despite a construction environment shaped by several broader economic pressures. Elevated borrowing costs, continued inflation in construction materials, and ongoing labour shortages across the skilled trades have created challenges across much of the residential construction sector. In addition, renewed trade tensions and the potential for U.S. tariffs affecting certain construction materials have contributed to uncertainty within parts of the building industry.

Even with these pressures influencing the broader construction market, residential pool permits increased in 2025, suggesting homeowners continue to prioritize outdoor living investments. Backyard improvements—including pools—remain among the most visible ways households invest in their homes and lifestyles.

Viewed within a longer historical context, the Canadian pool industry over the past decade can be understood in three distinct phases: a period of relative stability through much of the 2010s, an extraordinary expansion during the pandemic between 2020 and 2022, and a subsequent transition toward a more sustainable baseline beginning in 2023.

During the pandemic years, residential pool construction experienced a once-in-a-generation surge. Stay-at-home living patterns, travel restrictions, and increased discretionary spending on outdoor spaces drove unprecedented demand for backyard improvements across much of North America.

In many markets, pool builders experienced record installation volumes as homeowners accelerated renovation projects that might otherwise have occurred gradually over several years.

As pandemic conditions eased, permit activity across Canada began to moderate from those historic peaks. This shift does not necessarily indicate declining interest in residential pools; rather, it reflects a normalization of demand following a period of unusually strong construction activity.

In several Ontario markets—including London, Barrie, Hamilton, and Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo—permit activity rose far above historical averages during the pandemic years. The data suggests a portion of the demand that would normally have occurred gradually over several years was instead compressed into a much shorter period, effectively pulling forward future construction activity.

As a result, permit totals in some Ontario markets have moderated in the years since the pandemic peak, not necessarily because demand has disappeared, but because many projects that might otherwise have occurred later were completed earlier during the pandemic surge.

Even after this adjustment, the Canadian pool industry continues to operate at construction levels that exceed those of much of the previous decade.

Data note

This report uses two datasets derived from building permit records.

• National totals include pool permits issued across all municipalities in Canada.
• Census metropolitan area (CMA) totals include permits issued only within CMAs (Canada’s largest urban centres).

CMA figures, therefore, represent a subset of national permits and are used to illustrate urban construction trends.

National overview

Pool permit registrations increased in 2025 compared with the previous year, signalling renewed activity as the Canadian pool industry continues to adjust after the extraordinary expansion during the pandemic years.

Historically, residential pool construction has sometimes continued to grow even when broader economic indicators weaken. Pools often act as discretionary lifestyle investments linked to homeownership and outdoor living, helping demand persist even during periods of economic uncertainty.

While the latest increase shows improving market momentum, the broader trend still reflects the industry’s shift from an overheated pandemic market towards a more sustainable baseline.

Between 2020 and 2022, the Canadian pool industry experienced a once-in-a-generation expansion driven by stay-at-home living and discretionary spending on outdoor spaces. Residential pool construction surged across many parts of the country as homeowners invested heavily in backyard amenities.

Since then, the industry has been transitioning from an overheated pandemic market to a more sustainable baseline. Even with the correction that followed those peak years, Canada continues to build more residential pools than it did through much of the 2010s, highlighting the lasting influence of pandemic-era backyard investment.

In many ways, the pandemic expansion accelerated a trend that was already forming in the late 2010s, when permit activity was slowly rising across various Canadian markets.

Seasonality

Pool permits continue to demonstrate the highly seasonal nature of residential pool construction in Canada.

Permit activity typically begins slowly during winter months, accelerates through early spring, and reaches peak construction levels between May and August, when the majority of installations occur.

This compressed construction window shapes many operational realities for pool builders. Labour planning, equipment logistics, installation scheduling, and cash flow are all concentrated within a relatively short portion of the year.

Early-season permit activity can also serve as an indicator of construction momentum heading into the installation season. Over many years, stronger permit registrations between January and April have preceded stronger annual permit totals, suggesting that early planning activity often reflects homeowner confidence as the spring construction period approaches.

Weather conditions may also help explain some of the seasonal permit activity recorded in 2025. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the winter of 2024–2025 ranked as the fifth warmest on record, with national temperatures approximately 3.7 C (38.6 F) above the historical average. Spring temperatures also remained above normal, averaging about 1.3 C (34.3 F) above the long-term baseline, while the summer of 2025 ranked as the 11^th warmest since national records began in 1948. Warmer winter and spring conditions can allow planning and permitting activity to begin earlier in the year, while periods of heavy precipitation or storms during the summer construction season can disrupt installation schedules in some markets.²

Weather variability continues to affect the timing of pool construction across Canada, often causing permit activity to shift earlier or later within the limited spring and summer construction period. Despite annual variations in permit totals, this seasonal pattern has stayed consistent throughout the decade.

Urban concentration

Pool permit activity in Canada has become increasingly concentrated in major metropolitan markets.

While national totals include permits issued across all municipalities, a significant portion of construction activity occurs within Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs).

CMA permit totals increased from 8,595 permits in 2024 to 10,022 permits in 2025, reflecting continued growth in pool construction activity within Canada’s largest urban regions.

Over the past decade, many of the highest permit totals have consistently originated from metropolitan markets such as:

• Montreal
• Quebec City
• Sherbrooke
• Toronto
• Ottawa

Even during the pandemic, much of the strongest growth occurred in major population centres rather than in rural areas.

This pattern suggests demand for residential pools is increasingly tied to urban backyard living, where smaller lot sizes and higher population density may encourage homeowners to invest in private outdoor recreation spaces.

Regional data

National permit totals give a broad view of the market, but regional comparisons show how unevenly pool construction is spread across Canada.

Large metropolitan areas tend to generate steady permit activity year after year. At the same time, smaller markets often experience more fluctuations because minor changes in the number of projects can lead to significant percentage shifts.

This pattern is reflected in the year-over-year changes recorded across several CMAs in 2025.

Regional permit data in 2025 shows that construction activity remained heavily concentrated in eastern Canada, particularly in Quebec. Together, Atlantic Canada and Quebec accounted for the majority of residential pool permits issued nationwide, reflecting the continued strength of Quebec’s pool market and steady activity across several Atlantic municipalities.

Due largely to population size and housing density, Ontario and Quebec remain the country’s largest regions for residential pool installations and, as a result, tend to experience the most noticeable fluctuations in permit activity from year to year. In 2025, Quebec recorded a significant year-over-year increase in pool permits, while Ontario experienced a modest decline as several metropolitan markets adjusted following the surge in residential pool construction during the pandemic years.

Across Canada’s CMAs, permit activity also reflected this uneven regional distribution. Several municipalities in Quebec and Atlantic Canada recorded notable increases in 2025, while some markets in Ontario and western Canada experienced smaller changes in permit activity compared with the previous year.

The data also reinforces the growing concentration of residential pool construction within major metropolitan areas. Many of the largest year-over-year increases occurred in CMAs such as Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières. At the same time, several Ontario cities recorded moderate declines as construction levels stabilized after the pandemic boom.

(See the chart “Building Permits Issued for Pools in Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) 2015–2025” on page 14 for details on specific municipalities.)

Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada pool permits continue to represent a relatively small share of national construction activity, but several municipalities recorded notable year-over-year increases in 2025.

Across the region, Newfoundland and Labrador recorded 36 permits in 2025, up from 20 in 2024, while Nova Scotia increased from 23 to 47 permits, and New Brunswick rose from 78 to 111 permits.

Several Atlantic cities experienced particularly strong increases. St. John’s recorded 34 permits in 2025 compared with 17 in 2024, while Fredericton increased from 22 permits to 47 permits year over year.

Although total permit volumes remain smaller than those of Canada’s largest provinces, these increases suggest stronger residential pool construction activity across several Atlantic municipalities in 2025.

Quebec

Quebec pool permits continue to dominate the Canadian residential pool market. In 2025, the province issued 11,594 pool permits, up from 8,850 in 2024. This represents an increase of 2,744 permits. The change equals approximately 31 per cent year-over-year.

Several Quebec metropolitan areas recorded noticeable increases in permit activity. Quebec City increased from 988 permits in 2024 to 1,186 permits in 2025, while Sherbrooke rose from 496 permits to 557 permits, and Trois-Rivières increased from 183 permits to 219 permits.

Montreal remained the largest individual market in the country with 5,316 permits in 2025, up from 4,311 in 2024, demonstrating the continued strength of the province’s largest urban pool construction market.

These patterns reinforce Quebec’s position as the central driver of residential pool construction in Canada.

Quebec has consistently led the country in residential pool construction for many years, accounting for the majority of permits issued nationwide. Several factors may help explain the province’s sustained dominance, including fencing laws, a strong backyard pool culture, urban density patterns, and municipal permitting requirements that may more reliably reflect installations in official statistics.

Ontario

Ontario pool permits remain the second-largest provincial contributor to national pool construction activity. In 2025, the province issued 1,667 pool permits, down from 1,784 in 2024, representing a decrease of 117 permits, or 6.6 per cent year over year.

Several municipalities recorded lower permit activity compared with the previous year. London declined from 182 permits in 2024 to 157 in 2025, while Hamilton decreased from 99 to 80, and Windsor declined from 253 to 240.

Ontario’s flattening permit activity after 2022 appears to reflect a demand acceleration effect during the pandemic. Several metropolitan markets—including London, Barrie, Hamilton, and Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo—experienced unusually large increases in permit activity between 2020 and 2022, as residential construction surged amid homeowners’ investment in backyard living spaces.

In many of these cities, permit activity during the pandemic rose far above historical averages. The dataset suggests that a portion of the demand that would normally have occurred gradually over several years was instead compressed into a shorter window, as homeowners accelerated renovation and pool construction projects.

As a result, permit activity in Ontario has moderated in the years since the pandemic peak, not necessarily because demand disappeared, but because some future projects were effectively built earlier than expected.

Prairies

Prairie province pool permits remain comparatively modest relative to Canada’s largest markets but showed several year-over-year increases in 2025.

Manitoba recorded 153 permits in 2025, up from 123 in 2024, while Saskatchewan increased from 26 to 31 year over year. Alberta recorded 96 permits in 2025, down from 106 in 2024.

In Manitoba, Winnipeg increased from 99 permits in 2024 to 125 in 2025, ranking among the largest increases among Prairie metropolitan areas.

In Saskatchewan, Regina increased from seven to 16 permits, while Saskatoon recorded 14 permits, down from 18 the previous year, reflecting the region’s typical year-to-year variability.

Since total permit volumes remain relatively small, even modest changes in project activity can produce noticeable shifts in annual totals across the
Prairie provinces.

British Columbia

British Columbia pool permits continue to represent an important regional market within the national industry.

The province recorded 409 permits in 2025, down from 454 in 2024, a decline of 45 permits year over year.

Several municipalities recorded noticeable changes in permit activity. Kelowna declined from 178 permits in 2024 to 151 in 2025, while Kamloops increased from 12 to 18.

Vancouver, one of the province’s largest markets, recorded 113 permits in 2025, up from 109 in 2024, reflecting relatively stable construction activity in the metropolitan area.

Although overall provincial permit totals declined slightly, several municipalities continued to show steady residential pool construction activity.

Long-term perspective

Viewed over the past decade, the Canadian pool industry can be understood in three distinct phases:

• Relative stability through much of the 2010s
• Extraordinary expansion between 2020 and 2022
• A transition toward a more sustainable baseline beginning in 2023

Historically, the Canadian pool industry has tended to experience relatively short growth cycles. Earlier permit data show that the longest sustained streak of year-over-year permit growth in the past two decades has been three consecutive years, indicating the market generally expands in bursts rather than through extended periods of uninterrupted growth.

The increase recorded in 2025 suggests the industry may be entering a period of steadier growth following the post-pandemic adjustment. Although construction levels are no longer at the exceptional pace seen during the pandemic surge, demand remains strong relative to earlier years. Even after declining from those peak levels, Canada continues to build more residential pools than it did through much of the previous decade.

At the same time, the data highlights a market increasingly shaped by several structural forces:

• urban residential living patterns
• strong seasonal construction cycles
• growing concentration of activity in major metropolitan regions

These factors are likely to remain defining characteristics of the Canadian residential pool market in the years ahead.

Looking forward, broader economic and geopolitical developments may also influence construction activity heading into the 2026 season. Continued uncertainty surrounding potential U.S. tariffs on certain construction materials could affect equipment pricing and supply chains across the pool industry. At the same time, geopolitical tensions and conflict in the Middle East—including the ongoing situation involving Iran—have contributed to volatility in global oil markets, which can translate into higher gasoline and transportation costs. Rising fuel costs can affect multiple aspects of pool construction, including material delivery, service travel, and overall project expenses.

Taken together, the permit data suggest the Canadian pool industry is entering a period of stabilization after several years of extraordinary volatility. While construction levels have moderated from the unprecedented surge during the pandemic boom, permit totals remain elevated compared with much of the previous decade. As the market continues to normalize, the industry appears increasingly influenced by seasonal construction dynamics, the growing concentration of activity in urban markets, and the sustained strength of Quebec’s residential pool sector—while also navigating the broader economic uncertainties that may shape the market in the years ahead.

Notes

¹ Refer to Statistics Canada. Table 34-10-0292-01 Building permits, by type of structure and type of work (x 1,000). For more details.

² See Environment and Climate Change Canada. Canadian Climate Trends and Variations Bulletins: Winter 2024–2025, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025. For more.

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