About this episode
Flat monthly pool service pricing sounds simple until trichlor tablets jump in cost, gas hits $6+ a gallon, and you realize you’re absorbing every surprise the market throws at you. I walk through a smarter, more flexible approach: tiered pool service packages that protect your profit while staying clear and fair for customers. If you’ve been hesitant to change your pool service rates, this is the roadmap I’d use to modernize pricing without blowing up your route. We get specific about what belongs in a base service rate versus what should be billed separately. I explain why many pros still include a predictable maintenance dose of liquid chlorine and muriatic acid, but stop bundling expensive consumables like 3-inch trichlor tablets. You’ll hear a practical way to roll out tablet charges over one to two years, including how to handle customers who will push back and how to keep communication simple. From there, we build real tiered service levels you can sell: chemical-only pool service, chemical-only plus basket checks, and upgraded tiers that add skimming and brushing while leaving vacuuming as an on-demand upcharge. I also cover add-on revenue that keeps you protected when inflation spikes, including filter cleaning fees and salt cell cleaning for saltwater pools. The goal is a pool maintenance business model where each pool pays for what it truly needs, your invoices stay defensible, and your margins stop getting squeezed. If you want more pool service business tips like this, subscribe, share the show with a pool pro friend, and leave a review so more techs can find it.• why standard rate service with all chemicals included no longer pencils out• how to pass on 3-inch trichlor tablet costs over one to two years• deciding between itemized billing and a stable monthly maintenance dose• why filter cleaning should usually be a separate line item• tiered service levels from chemical-only to near full service• how to upsell filter cleans on chemical-only accounts• when to charge for shock, vacuuming, and salt cell cleaning• usSend us Fan MailSupport the Pool Guy Podcast Show Sponsors! HASA https://bit.ly/HASAThe Bottom Feeder. Save $100 with Code: DVB100https://store.thebottomfeeder.com/Try Skimmer FREE for 30 days:https://getskimmer.com/poolguy Get UPA Liability Insurance $64 a month! https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBAPool Guy Coaching: https://bit.ly/40wFE6ySupport the showThanks for listening, and I hope you find the Podcast helpful! For other free resources to further help you:Visit my Website: https://www.swimmingpoollearning.comWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SPLPodcast Site: https://the-pool-guy-podcast-show.onpodium.com/UPA General Liability Insurance Application: https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBAPool Guy Coaching GroupJoin an exclusive network of Pool Service Technicians to access the industry’s leading commercial general liability insurance program. Protect your business. Premium is $64 per month per member (additional $40 for employees and ICs)$59 per month for Pool Guy coaching Members - join here! https://www.patreon.com/poolguycoachingLimits are $1,000,000 in occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate - Per member limits [ $1,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 aggregate available for $75 per month ]$50,000 in HazMat Coverage - clean up on-site or over-the-roadAcid Wash Coverage - Full Limits