A $70,000 pool is a car-sized purchase attached to your house, and most Texas families finance at least part of it. Here are the real options, with the trade-offs stated plainly. (This is general information, not financial advice — talk to a lender or financial professional about your situation.)
Home equity loan or HELOC
Borrowing against home equity usually offers the lowest rates because the debt is secured by the house. A home equity loan gives a fixed lump sum at a fixed rate — predictable payments. A HELOC is a revolving line you draw as construction milestones come due, which matches how pool payments actually work. Two Texas specifics: state law caps total mortgage debt at 80% of your home's value, so you need meaningful equity; and because your house secures the loan, missed payments put the house itself at risk. Closing costs and appraisals apply, and funding can take several weeks — start early.
Unsecured pool loans
Personal loans marketed for pools (from lenders like the pool-lending specialists many builders partner with) fund fast — sometimes days — require no home equity, and don't touch your house. The trade-off is rate: unsecured money costs more, often meaningfully more, and the difference compounds over a 10–20 year term. Strong credit (mid-600s FICO and up) is typically required for the advertised terms.
Builder-arranged financing
Many Texas builders partner with lenders and can arrange financing during your consultation. Convenient, and sometimes competitive — but treat it like dealer financing on a car: get one outside quote from your own bank or credit union before signing, so you know whether the convenience is costing you.
Cash-out refinance
Replacing your whole mortgage with a bigger one only makes sense when the new rate is at or below your current one — otherwise you're repricing your entire house to buy a pool. In high-rate periods this is usually the worst option; in low-rate periods it can quietly be the best.
The payment-schedule warning
Whatever you borrow, keep the payout schedule tied to completed work — excavation, gunite, plumbing, plaster. Never let financing convenience talk you into paying large sums far ahead of construction progress; if a builder fails mid-project (it happens), money paid for work not yet done is what you lose.
Bottom line
Equity = cheapest but slower and house-secured. Unsecured = fastest but priciest. Builder financing = convenient, verify against an outside quote. And the cheapest pool loan is a smaller one: getting three competitive bids often saves more than any rate shopping. Compare builders by city in the directory.