How Much to Charge for Pool Cleaning (Weekly Service Priced by the Month)

Most new pool techs copy the price on a competitor's door hanger. Then they notice the big pool under the oak tree takes twice as long and eats twice the chlorine for the same money. Here is a simple way to price pool cleaning so every stop on your route pays.

Start with what a stop costs you

Add up a normal month:

• Your pay (or your tech's wages and payroll taxes)
• Fuel, truck payment and insurance
• Chemicals: $20 to $40 per pool per month in Florida, more for big or shaded pools
• Equipment, test reagents, brushes, hoses
• Phone, software, marketing

Divide by the number of stops you make in a month. A solo tech with 70 weekly pools makes about 300 stops a month. If your monthly costs (including the pay you want) are $9,000, each stop costs $30. Your price has to be above that, with room for profit.

Price per visit, quote per month

Homeowners compare monthly prices, so that is what you quote. But build it from the visit:

• Base price per stop: covers the drive, the brush, the skim, the baskets and the test. In South Florida that is typically $30 to $35
• Size: add about $0.40 to $1 per thousand gallons above a small pool. A 15,000 gallon pool lands near $38 a visit; a 25,000 gallon pool near $42 to $45
• Monthly price: multiply by 4.33 visits. $38 x 4.33 is about $165 a month

Adjust for what makes a pool slow

• Trees and no screen: leaves mean more skimming, more vacuuming and fuller baskets. Add $15 to $30 a month
• Attached spa: add $15 to $25 a month
• Salt systems: less chlorine to carry, but the cell needs cleaning a few times a year. Price that as an extra
• Water features, big steps, dark plaster: more brushing time
• Chemicals not included: some companies quote "service only" for $20 to $30 less and bill chemicals separately. Most homeowners prefer one flat monthly price

Weekly vs every two weeks

Weekly accounts are your best customers: the water stays balanced and the stop is fast. Every two weeks often means a dirtier pool and a longer stop, so the per-visit price should be higher, not lower. Many companies only offer weekly service in summer. If you offer biweekly, charge 15 to 25 percent more per visit than weekly.

The extras most techs forget to charge for

• Filter cleaning: $95 to $175 per clean, two to four times a year
• Salt cell cleaning: $85 to $125
• Tile line cleaning: $150 to $300
• Green pool recovery: priced as its own job, see how to price a green pool cleanup
• Repairs and equipment: see how to price pump and filter repairs

Put these on your price list and your website, so the customer expects them.

A worked example

A homeowner in Weston calls about an 18,000 gallon pool with an attached spa, no screen, two palms and an oak over the deck. Build the price:

• Base stop: $32
• Size: 18 thousand gallons at $0.40 is about $7, so $39 a visit
• Monthly: $39 x 4.33 is about $169
• Spa: add $20 a month
• Trees and no screen: add $20 a month

Your quote: $209 a month, weekly, chemicals included, with filter cleaning at $125 three times a year. Compare that with the $150 you might have said on the spot. Over a year that is almost $700 more from one account, for work you were going to do anyway.

Raise prices once a year

Chemical prices move. Send a short note every January with the new monthly price, effective in 30 days. Most customers stay. The ones who leave were often your lowest-priced accounts.

Show your price online

When a homeowner can see "weekly service from $150 a month" on your website, the call is about the day you come, not the price. A pool service estimate calculator on your site lets them pick the pool size and see the monthly total, with your rates. Try the free pool service cost calculator to see how it works.