How to Start a Pool Cleaning Business? A Step-by-step Guide
by Ankita Tripathy Starting a Business Published on: 12 July 2022 Last Updated on: 08 January 2025
Pool cleaning and pool care enterprises have shown themselves to be dependable business prospects, particularly in nations with significant discretionary income. Swimming pools in the house made a significant comeback in 2020. According to the Washington Post, “the number of additional in-ground home pools nationwide increased 21% in 2020 compared to 2019.”
When you understand the procedure, launching a pool cleaning business is simple. Along with that, you can prepare a pool cleaning business for sale. So if you are also interested in running a pool cleaning business, then you have arrived at the right place. Keep reading the guide till the end.
What is a Pool Cleaning Business?
Let’s see what the pool cleaning business plan involves.
Pool cleaning entails much more than simply skimming trash from the water. It entails checking the chemical levels and, if necessary, applying chemicals to inhibit bacteria development. It entails emptying all baskets designed to capture garbage.
Pool cleaners come to clients’ homes or companies to examine and modify the chemical balance of the water. In addition, they also ensure that the compressors, pumps, motors, and filters, are working fine by inspecting and cleaning the skimmers.
Well, pool cleaning is not a do-it-yourself venture. Cleaners should be educated in their field, either via an apprenticeship with a renowned practitioner or through formal schooling. A working understanding of ecologically friendly materials. For instance, you have to be aware of chlorine substitutes. This can help your pool cleaning business stand out from the competition.
It is essential to determine whether there are any minimum standards for pool cleaners in the locations where you intend to work.
How Much Does A Pool Cleaner Make?
Pool cleaning experts earn between $50 to $60 every hour. You may make up to $200, believe it or not. As per the reports of SpringBoard Pool Route Brokers (2019), it’s because they also fix equipment. So, if you learn certain technical skills in addition to cleaning, your pool cleaning company’s profit potential is fairly high.
Advantages of a Pool Cleaning Business
A pool cleaning business is advantageous for a number of genuine reasons. Knowing the benefits will help you to understand “how profitable is a pool cleaning business.”
The positive sides are as follows:
- You may work outside.
- You can begin part-time.
- To begin started, you don’t need a significant sum of money.
- The task is physically demanding, which might help you stay in shape.
- You are not required to maintain a professional dress code. Board shorts and a T-shirt are appropriate.
Disadvantages of a Pool Cleaning Business
While the advantages seem to be pretty effective, the Pool cleaning business is characterized by some disadvantages too. These are as follows:
- Some pool cleaning agents are hazardous to your health. Non-toxic alternatives, on the other hand, are becoming more readily available.
- Long-term exposure to the sun on a daily basis can be threatening to health.
- Pool cleaning is a seasonal industry in some specific locations where winter mostly prevails. So you may need to find an alternative job during the off-season.
Bonus Point
You may think you will remain unemployed in the off-season such as winter. However, jobs are available in many establishments, like hotels and indoor pools. In this way, you may be able to keep enough employment to get through the winter.
Things You Need to Start the Pool Cleaning Business
Here is everything you need to have in order to kickstart the pool cleaning business. Take a quick look:
Certificates: Obtain any necessary experience or certifications, particularly if your state requires them.
Business Structure: Establish your business model, for example, an LLC. You’ll also have to choose a company name.
Business Plan: Write what you will provide, the market to whom you will sell it, how you will fund your new venture, and any other elements required to develop a business plan.
Marketing Strategy: Who is your target audience, and how will you reach out to them about your pool company?
Start-up Funds: If you don’t have all the products and machinery you’ll need to start your firm, you’ll have to acquire funds to purchase them.
Business Registration: Get one if your city or county requires one.
Insurance: Your jurisdiction may additionally require you to be fingerprinted and bonded.
Swimming Know-how: If you fall into the water, you must be able to save yourself.
Physical stamina and energy are required for effective pool cleaning.
Business Cards Or Brochures: These can be distributed at pool supply businesses in your region.
A Prepared Presentation: While you can hand out business cards, having a prepared proposal to present to your potential clients can increase your chances of being hired.
Off-Season Trends of Pool Cleaning Business Success
Summer is typically the peak season for pool-clearing businesses to get more clients and generate revenue. However, other off-seasons, like the wintertime, can be a bit of a hard time for the pool cleaners. But there are ways to diversify the revenue potential. Use these off-season profit strategies to gain more out of your pool cleaning service.
Upselling and Cross-Selling Services
Cleaning doesn’t have to be the only thing that helps you earn money from your pool cleaning service. There are other ways to upsell your services. You can bring several additional values to the table to keep the customer connected with you even during the off-season. Here are common ways to upsell a cleaning service business.
- You can sell pool covers to keep the pool protected from dust and dirt.
- Pool heater installation services can also work. Your clients can also use the pool in the winter season and year-round with the pool heating systems.
Diversify Your Pool Cleaning Services
Since pool cleaning services are seasonal businesses, it always helps to think through your options for diversification. Some pool owners also keep indoor pools or spas to use during off-seasons. These pools and spas can be used during any time of the year. That’s why they also require regular cleaning and maintenance. Businesses can offer maintenance services for these types of pools to maintain a steady stream of revenue.
You can also offer pool winterizing services where you offer maintenance services to keep the pool away from damage during winter.
Pool Maintenance Education
Here’s a way to attract your regular customers. Offer training and education on how to keep pools clean without relying on a service provider. You can teach lessons related to common pool troubleshooting. Some pool owners are always interested in learning more about their pools and how they make the most out of the pool they have. This is the best opportunity to turn their interest into a profitable revenue source for your pool cleaning business.
Create Content
Some pool cleaning businesses only clean pools during the seasons and stay inactive when there are no more clients. Some of them use inactive time to create content. Keep creating content about pool cleaning techniques. You can also find fun ideas to make your content entertaining. Your pool cleaning business can also make money from creating content.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
We believe after going through this article, you have got a basic understanding of the pool cleaning business. We also know when you are thinking about starting a pool cleaning business, you might have a number of queries and doubts.
Do let us know about them, and we will come up with a solution as soon as possible. Till then, here are some questions that a lot of people ask. Knowing the answers might help you.
A swimming pool service tech is sometimes commonly known as a pool cleaner. He/she is a skilled tradesman who cleans swimming pools and fixes key pool machinery such as pumps, motors, and filters.
The pool cleaning should occur on a regular basis. Otherwise, it may cause a variety of accidents, ailments, and infections. Keeping your pool clean is simply one of many aspects of swimming pool upkeep. To maintain your pool clean and uncontaminated, get it cleaned at least once a week.
Cleaning your pool might take somewhere between one to four hours, depending on its size and frequency of usage. Clearing green pool water might take 3 to 4 days, or even longer, based on your filtration and chlorinator.
The pool cleaning business is not hard actually, but you have to know a lot of things. To begin, the professional needs a substantial amount of information. You’ll need to study cleaning chemicals, pH levels, suitable maintenance equipment, and other topics.
Summary
That’s all about how to start a pool cleaning business. So, if you have been already thinking about this business plan, I hope this guide has given you enough insights regarding this. So, what are you waiting for? Start your business plan and pitches and get ready to begin your new career. Wishing you all the best.
Any question coming across your mind? Please do let us know in the comment area below.
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