This topic of, “How much will a Pool Cleaning service cost?”, is among the top questions New and Existing homeowners have. In this last decade, spanning back a couple years prior to the housing crash in 2008, this question now has reached the collective minds of Real estate firms and Realtors, Property Management companies, and even Bank owned properties line of questioning in dealings with single-family homes with built-in swimming pools on the property.
Coming up with a price for a Pool Cleaning service is not, and should never be done, by thinking of a number and picking one out of the sky. A Pool professional is one that knows there are many variables which can either positively and negatively affect the price of the service. Typically, the price is based on a per-monthly basis, which on average there are 4 weeks of service provided per month. Now there are 4 months out of a calendar year which have 5 weeks (4 weeks 3 days to be exact), which depending on the day of your regular service, you will receive a 5th service in that longer month. Some companies (Company A) may charge for each week of service you receive in any given month and they do not give an average price for the whole month, while other companies (Company B) may give you a price for monthly service on average and may be creative with the extra service they render to their clients. They could take these extra 5th services a year to take a much-needed vacation with their families. I also want to point out that some pool companies may include chemical cost built in their monthly cost of the cleaning service, while other companies may give you a price for the cleaning service alone and bill separately for all the chemicals used that given month of service. Getting back to the variables for the cleaning cost, I will be giving the example for the average monthly charge and the variables Company B would typically look for and quote for the service (Let’s say Company B includes chemicals). I have determined 6 key variables you may encounter when searching for a Swimming Pool Service company to price out your specific pool requirements. The key variables are Pool Size and Shape, Pool Surroundings and Location, Amount of Chemicals, Time and Travel, Pool Knowledge, and Customer Service.
How Pool Size, Shape, and Service Plan Affect Cleaning Cost
The size and shape of the swimming pool are two of the most impactful key elements directly affecting the cost for the cleaning service. The size of the pool impacts and has a big effect on some other key variables such as the number of chemicals required, pool surroundings, time to service the pool, and knowledge. Length, width, and depth of the pool are how the professional determine the gallons of water in the pool. A certified pool company must also check if the pool has an attached spa and any included water features before determining the correct amount of chemicals needed to properly balance the water chemistry to ensure a safe and healthy swimming environment. The surrounding landscape plays a role into the chemical consumption of the pool, the time it takes to completely clean the pool from start to finish, and the knowledge to know how to adjust for each individual pool, size, and arising issue which may have occurred. Another consideration is the shape of the pool in regards to size. Some shapes of pools and size makes the task of properly servicing pool and reachability to all corners and angles in some instances extremely difficult to manage. There are different service plans to choose from to match your pool needs. There’s Full Service, Chemical Plus, Chem Brush, and even possibly Chemical only. Service plans vary from company to company. Ask for the differences and choose the plans that suit your needs.
How Pool Surroundings and Location Affect Cleaning Cost
The Landscape surrounding a pool can really transform any pool into a backyard oasis, but it’s also that landscaping that can make your pool a nightmare to clean, maintain and cost more money and time to service. Some swimming pools may have a screen enclosure surrounding the pool eliminating the amount of dirt and debris that may fall in and/or be blown in by the wind, leaf blowers, mowers etc. Having an enclosure may save you money on the service for some companies may take this type of pool and surroundings into consideration of price due to the cleanliness each visit and time savings they may encounter. I say this given the homeowner does not have interior plant life inside the enclosure and or the time of year which a pool with a cage on it may get blasted with small flies and bugs. I digress, these two outside pool styles surroundings can either positively give you a little relief in the wallet or drive the cost of the service higher than other pools in your neighborhood. The location placement of the pool on the property may also affect the service price. Some pools are located on large plots of land where they are located deep to one side or back portion of the land making the journey to the pool a laborious one. While other pool placement styles and connecting features to the pool make it very difficult to properly service in all sides. A tech may encounter a pool with a large rock waterfall or immensely tall long wall which he/she may not be able to climb over or hurdle. How about a pool with the edge of the pool cannot be accessed due to the proximity to the house or other obstacles because a pool may have been built in a small area or improperly placed.
Amount of Chemical Needed to Clean a Pool
As of most recent years, pool service companies have been dealt with and seen a hike in cost for every chemical needed to achieve a True Pool Balance. As I stated above, the chemical cost is directly affected by the size and landscape surrounding the pool. Each chemical needed to properly balance the water chemistry has its recommended levels which a trained certified pool technician should and must follow. There are 5 basic chemicals which are used to balance the pool water. These chemicals need to be adjusted on a weekly basis to ensure great water cleanliness, clarity, and smooth circulation of the filtration system. A properly balanced pool will ensure your pool equipment last longer and the interior finish of the pool to look good for years to come. It is critical for me to say that not all technicians are created and trained equally. I find it that not all companies extensively and continuously train their staff on proper water balancing techniques. The unknown fact is, most pool companies train their respected employees for two weeks, then they cut the cord and let them go. I can affirm that there is no way any person can learn this trade and all techniques in two weeks. The pool technicians’ main job is NOT to only clean the pool. A clean pool is important and is one of the weekly tasks we take in servicing the pool, but I truly believe that “Having A Blue Pool Doesn’t Mean You Have a Healthy Pool.” My company and I pride ourselves in proper water balancing techniques, problem-solving, and delivering an amazing water clarity experience that is unmatched. For years we have dedicated our focus to the education of proper techniques and problem solving for the clients and community where we serve. We know exactly the amounts of chemicals to add, or not to add, to the pool. Our company has even promised a True Pool Balance Guarantee. We a passionate about this, The right chemical, At the right amount, Every time.
Time and Travel
The time it takes a pool technician is a key factor to a pool companies bottom line. On any given pool route there may be the number of pools to clean per day anywhere from 12-25 per day. With an average cleaning time between 20-30 minutes each pool, given all is good and the pool is not experiencing any problems or excessively dirty, the time quickly adds up. Efficiency plays a big role in a service route, Professional pool companies take this seriously into consideration when estimating the time, the cost of chemicals and travel to the pool before the quote is given. Some companies may receive calls for service in areas which they may not have any to a moderate presence in and potentially charge a higher amount for this. The cost for manning a truck, gas, and maintenance of the truck, and time it may take to get to and from an account further away from closer accounts may spike the cost a bit. This is a great question to ask if your searching for a service provider, “Do you have any other homes you service in the neighborhood?”, “How many?”, “Could you provide references for those close neighboring homes?”.
Expert Knowledge of a Pool
One key point no one ever thinks of and overlooks is the hiring of a company with the most Pool Knowledge. Like any other trade or profession, the ones that get paid the most are the ones with the most knowledge and education. For some strange reason, this logic has skipped over the Pool Industry. I will state, “There is more to servicing a pool, than the cleaning of the pool.” Today’s swimming pools are more sophisticatedly built, modernly designed, and technologically advanced which the need to read, stay educated, attend manufacture workshops, training seminars, and continuing education courses is vitally important. The water balancing, pool servicing, problem-solving, and repair expertise is key to sustain these pools running efficiently for the life expectancy of the pool. Knowledge is power!
Customer Service
For years pool owners have stated that the customer service in the pool industry is and has been on the decline. With failed attempts to get into communications with the contractor or even receive a phone call in return is upsetting. Given that you even hired a Certified Swimming Pools Contractor, the list of unlicensed pool contractors in this business is a major factor to the decline in response and good customer service. I won’t even say great service, because the stigma is so bad I not want to offend anyone. This unlicensed activity affects the price, quality, service, and not to mention the huge liability they could cause leaving a homeowner in distress and shelling out loads of unnecessary money. Many of these, “Wanna Be’s”, don’t care for the type and amount of chemicals they add to the pool. I can definitively say they don’t even balance your pool with all the chemicals. The are the weekly Chlorine, Acid and Tablet adders and that’s all you’ll get for that amazing low price of $80.00 and below. The damage this does and health risk this presents is enormous. Why risk your families health and throw away your hard earned money for a service which they are not ethically servicing your pool the correct way, does not return phone calls, does not go above and beyond for you, can not trouble shoot and problem solve any issue, does not have the correct knowledge and to put matters worse is not even consistently coming to clean the pool. Great service matter to us here at Elite Swimming Pools, Inc. and we are determined to deliver an experience unmatched and seen in the pool industry.
To conclude this, I would like to leave you with some ranging prices you may encounter along your quest to find the pool service company best suited for you. The most popular service chosen by pool owners is the Full-Service package, which may range between $100.00 – $130.00 for a 15’ X 30’ pool or pool spa combo with a volume gallons range of 12,000 gallons to 15,000 gallons. Remember all the above variables. If you do come across a low bid for a pool cleaning service then ask yourself, and the company bidding for the service, “How well can they provide an adequate service?”, “Are they properly balancing my pool with all the necessary chemicals?”, “How are they able to provide this service at such a low cost?”, “Is this company a state and or county licensed swimming pool contractor?”, “Is the company insured?”, and possibly one of the biggest of all, “Can they provide me with GREAT Customer Service?”. I hope this article has assisted you down the path to find your pool service provider and given you some insight as to what is entailed in determining rates for weekly pool service. Thank you for reading this to its entirety.
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