Eight questions to ask any pool service

1. Is the monthly price the whole bill, or do chemicals cost extra?

   A low base rate with chemicals, delivery or trip charges added on top is how a monthly bill ends up larger than the quote.

   Sullivan’s answerOne fixed monthly price set by pool size, $275 a month for a small pool, $300 a month for a medium pool and $325 a month for a large pool. Routine balancing chemicals are included.

2. Will the same technician come each week, on the same day?

   A technician who knows the pool notices when something has changed since last week. With a different person each visit, nobody carries that memory from one week to the next.

   Sullivan’s answerYes. We run fixed weekly routes, so the same technician comes back on the same weekday.

3. What will I see after each visit?

   Without a record you cannot tell whether the work was done, which is the complaint behind "charged for a visit that didn’t happen".

   Sullivan’s answerA written note after every visit: what was done, what was added, and anything that needs attention.

4. Is there a contract, and how do I stop?

   Long terms and cancellation fees are how a bad fit becomes an expensive one.

   Sullivan’s answerWeekly service is ongoing rather than a fixed term, and you can stop it.

5. What is not included, and how is it priced?

   A flat fee is only believable when the company says plainly what sits outside it.

   Sullivan’s answerNot in the monthly price: filter cleaning, repairs, replacement equipment, one-time recovery, such as a green pool. Filter cleaning is $150 a cleaning. Repairs are quoted and approved before any work starts.

6. How do you decide which price tier my pool is?

   If the tier is decided after the first bill, the published price means little.

   Sullivan’s answerBy pool size alone. Send the dimensions and we’ll confirm the tier before service starts.

7. Do I need to be home for each visit?

   Gate codes, keys and dogs are where a weekly service quietly goes wrong.

   Sullivan’s answerNo. We need agreed gate access and pets secured away from the work area.

8. Are you insured, and licensed for equipment work?

   Equipment work can involve electrical and gas connections. Any company should be able to send its certificate of insurance, and the license number for any licensed work, on request.

   Ask for proofAsk every company, including us, to send the documents before the first visit.

The full price list is on pricing, and what a weekly visit covers is on weekly pool cleaning.