Have you raised your rates this year to keep up with the rising costs of doing business?

According to the results of our most recent survey, most of our readers have.

At the beginning of every pool season, Service Industry News conducts a three-part survey that attempts to get the vitals on the pool service industry. We ask you, our readers, questions about billing practices and what you charge on average for weekly service. We ask what you charge for various repairs. And we ask about some of the costs of doing business.

This year, given the rather astonishing increases in the costs of doing business compared to pre-pandemic days, we asked our readers if they have raised their rates to keep up with inflation. We found that 74 percent of our readers answered yes: You have raised your rates. What’s more, we learned that you’ve raised rates by an average of about 9 percent, compared to what you charged for once-weekly service just last year.

The pool service industry has adjusted for inflation.

Inflation impacts various sectors of the economy, and swimming pool service professionals are no exception. As the cost of living rises, driven by factors such as increased prices for goods, labor, and utilities, swimming pool service providers must consider raising their rates to maintain their business’s financial health and service quality.

The cost of essential supplies like chemicals, equipment, and replacement parts, has escalated. These items are more expensive than before, and absorbing these costs without adjusting service rates can severely erode profit margins. For instance, pool chemicals such as chlorine and pH balancers have seen price hikes due to supply chain disruptions and increased production costs.

Labor costs have also risen. To attract and retain skilled workers, businesses must offer competitive wages that keep pace with inflation. Pool service professionals have simply been forced to raise their rates to cover the increased payroll expenses.

In our last edition of Service Industry News, we provided the results of a survey made available to thousands of service professionals across the country concerning monthly billing practices. As usual, we found that from coast to coast, average monthly billing varies by a lot. In Southern California, where the heavy survey response makes this data the most reliable, service techs charge an average of about $180 per month for once-weekly service. But weekly pool service is a lot pricier as we move to the East Coast, where, depending on their exact locations, service techs can ask for between $250 to more than $500 a month. But we also want to know how you price your repair charges. Here, the discrepancy isn’t quite as geographically dramatic, averaging out to about $125 per hour nationwide.

Installation, repair, and seasonal work charges are the focus of this edition of Service Industry News. For example, what do you charge to install a heater? What do you charge to chemically start up a freshly built pool? And for those in regions that experience appreciable winters, what do you charge to open and close pools for the season?

These questions and more were answered by the generous pool service professionals who responded to our 2024 labor survey.

Much thanks to all who took part, making it possible for the industry to get an idea of today’s regional trends.