Answers

In the Houston Metro Area our customers expierience an annual cost of about 1,500-2,000,  this includes electrical, gas, and chemicals.  

These numbers represent an average sized pool, average spa usage, and properly maintained pool chemistry.

I work with a lot of pool guys and also have a pool   On an anual contract you should expect to pay 2500-3500 to open, close and maintain your pool for the year. 

There are so many variables that will affect the overall costs of maintenance, chemicals, etc.  For starters, where you live makes a difference in how many months of the year that the pool will be operational and energy costs will vary from region to region.  

Another factor to consider is if you will rely on a pool services company to open and close your pool annually or if you will be doing some of these services on your own.  The cost to open and close a pool is determined by the size of the pool.  In addition, many companies (including ours) offer discounts on pool chemicals if purchased in February, March, or April.  This can save customers a lot of money.  

In general, figure your annual costs could range from $500 to $4,000 depending on what services, i.e., openings/closings, weekly maintenance, repair, chemicals, etc. that will be used compared to how much you plan on doing yourself.

Your pool builder should be able to give you a fairly accurate assessment when you get to the final design stage.