It’s the hottest stretch of the summer, and the best seat in the neighborhood is a metal tub in someone’s backyard. Not a hot tub. Not an inflatable kiddie pool. A galvanized steel trough, the same kind ranchers use to water their cattle, now filled with cool water and a few people holding cold drinks.
These pools have a name: stock tank pools. They started as a clever workaround for people who wanted to cool off without spending a small fortune. A traditional in-ground pool can start around $25,000. A stock tank pool costs a fraction of that, fits in a small yard and can be running by the weekend.
The timing helps too. More people are staying in the homes they have and putting money into them instead. Home pros expected over half of homeowners to spend more on renovations this year than last, with backyard and indoor-outdoor living near the top of the list. An affordable pool you can set up yourself lands right in the middle of that.
Why a livestock trough became the pool of the summer
Stock tank pools are compact, they cost far less than the real thing, and most can be leveled and filled in an afternoon. They also have a rustic, farmhouse look that photographs well, which is a big part of why they spread online…