Pool Surface Area Calculator
Calculate the horizontal water surface area of a rectangular, circular, oval or kidney-shaped swimming pool.
Choose your pool shape, enter the dimensions and calculate the surface area in square metres, square feet and square yards. Metric and US units are both supported.
Calculate pool surface area
Enter the dimensions of the water surface rather than the outside dimensions of the pool structure.
Pool surface area
- Square metres
- 32.00 m²
- Square feet
- 344.45 ft²
- Square yards
- 38.27 yd²
- Pool shape
- Rectangular
- Calculation method
- Length × width
Calculation
8 m × 4 m = 32.00 m²
How to use the pool surface area calculator
- Choose whether you want to use Metric or US units.
- Select the pool shape that most closely matches your pool.
- Enter the required pool dimensions measured at the water surface.
- Select Calculate to see the pool surface area.
The calculator reports the result in square metres, square feet and square yards regardless of which unit system you use for the input dimensions.
Pool surface area formulas
The calculation used depends on the shape of the pool.
Rectangular pool
Where L is length and W is width.
Circular pool
The radius r is half the pool diameter.
Oval or elliptical pool
This treats the pool as an ellipse using its overall length and width.
Kidney-shaped pool
This provides an approximate area for a typical kidney-shaped pool.
Pool surface area examples
Rectangular pool example
A rectangular pool is 8 metres long and 4 metres wide.
The water surface area is 32 square metres.
Circular pool example
A circular pool has a diameter of 6 metres, giving a radius of 3 metres.
The pool surface area is approximately 28.27 square metres.
Oval pool example
An oval pool is 10 metres long and 5 metres wide.
The surface area is approximately 39.27 square metres.
Why pool surface area matters
Pool surface area is different from pool volume. Surface area measures the horizontal area of water exposed at the top of the pool, while pool volume measures the amount of water contained in the pool.
Surface area can be useful when estimating pool-cover size, evaporation, heat loss, solar heating requirements and other calculations that depend on the exposed water surface. A larger exposed water surface can also result in greater evaporation.
For further information about the relationship between pool size, surface area and evaporation, see the U.S. EPA WaterSense guidance on pool water efficiency .
What about irregular-shaped pools?
Pools with free-form outlines may not closely match a rectangle, circle, oval or kidney shape. For a better estimate, divide the pool into several simple shapes, calculate each area separately and add the results together.
For highly irregular outlines, a coordinate-based area method can provide a more accurate estimate. If you can plot points around the pool perimeter, use the Irregular Polygon Area Calculator to calculate the enclosed area from those coordinates.
Important calculation notes
This calculator estimates the horizontal water surface area only. It does not calculate pool volume or the surface area of the pool walls and floor.
Kidney-shaped pool calculations are approximate because actual kidney pool geometry varies between designs.
Frequently asked questions
Is pool surface area the same as pool volume?
No. Surface area measures the area across the top of the water, while volume measures how much water the pool holds.
Should I measure the inside or outside dimensions?
Measure the dimensions of the water surface. Using the outside dimensions of the pool structure can overestimate the actual water surface area.
How accurate is the kidney-shaped pool calculation?
It is an estimate. Kidney-shaped pools vary considerably in their curves and proportions, so two pools with the same overall length and width can have different surface areas.
Can I use feet instead of metres?
Yes. Select US units and enter the dimensions in feet. The calculator will show the resulting area in square feet, square metres and square yards.
Can this calculator tell me how much water my pool holds?
No. Pool volume also depends on water depth. This calculator is specifically for the horizontal water surface area.