Hiring a pool cleaning service? What to consider before you do.

Pools are extremely common in California. It’s no surprise given how enjoyable it can be to spend the day at the pool.

But whether you have a backyard pool or a commercial facility, your pool needs to be in tip-top shape before anyone can dive in. You need a reliable pool service company that knows how to properly maintain your pool while keeping it clean and safe. 

Choosing the right commercial and residential pool service company should not be taken lightly – there are certain things they must have if they’re going to provide professional care for your aquatic paradise. 
So let's break down the basics of what you should look for when selecting a qualified company for your pool service needs.

What features and services should you look for?

When choosing a pool service company, you should make sure you’re finding one that is reputable and provides the services that you need. Here are some of the things we think you should look for.

Initial on-site consultations

When you are looking at different companies to partner with for pool upkeep and maintenance, be sure to choose a service provider that offers a consultation.

This provides you the opportunity to not only get acquainted with the team’s skills and specialization but also ask any questions you may have first hand. It also allows the service provider the opportunity to understand your pool's setup, needs, and your desired outcomes.

If a provider skips this step, appears unprofessional, or seems rushed or hurried during the consult, that should be a red flag that they may also be rushed and hurried during your weekly service and/or whenever you have a question or concern in the future.

Transparent service reports and communication

Ask potential companies if they provide detailed reports of the services they perform including any findings, chemical readings, dosages, and more. You should also request to review a recent sample of one sent to verify what is included. Service reports can be incredibly helpful in understanding what is being done to your pool and why as it relates to water chemistry, billing, service completeness, problems that may arise, and more.

If a service provider isn’t tracking this information on visits to your pool at all, that should be concerning for you for many reasons. If they are tracking this information but will not provide it to you, you may find yourself wondering why.

Consistent, reliable professional service

Pools require regular maintenance to stay in good shape.

Look for a company that consistently shows up on time and provides helpful advice about how to improve the health of your pool. Weekly service visits (or more) to your pool are ideal if you wish to stay ahead of any potential issues. Company pool technicians should be uniformed, courteous, and professional. To ensure high quality staff that have your best interests in mind, they should be paid well by the hour or salary (not based on the number of pools they visit in a day) and have backup staff available to ensure coverage when anything unexpected happens.

Time spent at pool

Many pool service companies will skip or shorten various pool services for customers with clean or clean looking pools (i.e. skip brushing, skip skimming, etc). This may be due to low quality staff, improper incentivization tactics, or a variety of other reasons. We already discussed the importance of high quality staff above. Many service companies incentivize staff to spend less time at each pool to allow more customers to be serviced in a single day.

Ask the service provider what tasks are performed on each visit, how long they expect to spend at your pool per visit, how they ensure tasks are performed (and performed correctly), and more. Be sure the company you hire is spending consistent quality time at your pool on each appointment.

What questions should you ask your pool service company?

When searching for a pool service, not everything might be obvious from the outset. Make sure to ask questions so you’re familiar with the company and service you’ve chosen

Is your pool service company insured?

Pools and maintenance come with risks. The company is also performing a service on your property. So if your pool service company isn’t insured, you run the risk of being liable if there’s an accident.

Most reputable pool service companies are insured, so if a potential company is unwilling to disclose their insurance status, it should be a red flag.

Are employees licensed and certified?

Not only do you want experienced professionals to keep your pool sparkling, but you also want peace of mind knowing your pool is in the hands of a team who won’t cut corners.

Before signing on with any company, make sure to ask if their employees are licensed and certified – this will ensure each technician has the proper training and tools to take care of any issue that arises. 

Are employees and staff trustworthy?

Are they background checked, reference checked, trained and certified? Are they paid the appropriate rates to ensure qualified, professional staff? Are they incentivized to care for your pool properly or to visit as many pools as possible? These are important qualities to look out for that can ensure the reliability of their service.

How are employees incentivized?

Many companies encourage their employees to end appointments early, squeeze in multiple clients, and cut corners where they can. Is there a guarantee for time spent on-site? Is every cleaning service performed on every visit regardless of the appearance of the pool? Will more time be spent if needed?

What kind of equipment is being used and how is it maintained?

The equipment used to service your pool can be an indication of how well your pool will be cleaned. Is the service a professional operation or simply someone with a pole?

Low-quality or improperly maintained equipment also runs the risk of damaging your pool. It's important you choose a company that has equipment that is in good working order. Additionally, be sure they practice proper equipment hygiene - the last thing you want is cross contamination of bacteria, algae, or worse from someone else’s pool to compromise the health of your pool. If a company doesn’t properly care for their own equipment and personnel, this should be a red flag that they may treat your pool, property, and equipment the same way.

Choose Clean Wave Pools for your pool service

Clean Wave Pools is a leading pool cleaning, service, and maintenance company in the Vacaville, Dixon, and Davis, CA areas.

Offering premium-level services for residential and commercial pools, Clean Wave Pools has everything you’re looking for in a pool service company. With reliable, dependable, high quality work and consistent 5-star reviews, you can trust Clean Wave Pool with all of your pool cleaning service needs.

What makes Clean Wave Pools unique?

Licensed, bonded, ensured, and certified: Feel confident you’re in good hands. Our entire staff is trained and certified. If the unexpected happens, we’re covered so you aren’t left with expensive and time consuming repairs.

Direct contact: Easily speak to qualified personnel about your pool and services whenever you have a question or concern. Feedback is encouraged and dealt with in a timely manner.

Transparent communication: Get a full report via email or text after every visit detailing your readings, dosages, services performed, attention items, photos, and more. Receive proactive communication about service updates, items of concern at your pool, and more.

Cost efficiency: All of our pool cleaning services are charged in a base rate plus chemical usage model. This lowers your costs, not only in times of lower usage and colder weather, but also if you invested in a salt water system, a high quality pool sweep/robot, or keep your pool and property clean and free of debris. You only pay for what your pool needs.

No long-term contracts: We're confident in the pool cleaning services we provide, so why would we require a long-term commitment? Change, adjust, or cancel service plans whenever you like, as often as you like.

Consistent and Thorough: We show up, period. Our premium pool service in Vacaville, Dixon, and Davis includes a 30+ minute visit to your Dixon pool each week. Our staff is paid well by the hour, not based on the number of customers served, allowing them to focus on the quality of their work, not quantity.

Trustworthy, trained staff: We guarantee our staff to be trusted, professional and thorough. Each employee is background and reference checked, screened, and paid well to ensure the highest quality service. They are uniformed, professional, and incentivized to focus on the quality of their work at your pool, not quantity. We happily provide customer references & recommendations on request.


Our pool cleaning services will exceed your expectations and we go the extra mile to do so. Contact us today at Clean Wave Pools to ensure high quality pool service that goes above and beyond.