As a pool owner, you want to maximize the time you have to spend enjoying your amazing recreational tool (your pool), so repairs and damages can really put a dent in your fun time. The key is to find a qualified pool repair company as quickly as possible so you can get back to enjoying that pool as often as you like. Before you hire the first company that pops up in an online search, though, make sure you ask these questions.
1: Are you licensed?
Most pool repair and installation companies must be licensed, either with a general contractor’s license that includes a swimming pool endorsement or a specific swimming pool contractor’s license. If they don’t have the right licensing, it can be a red flag that the company is not qualified or provides low quality work.
2: What’s your address?
National pool repair companies often have high turnover rates, and provide only minimal training to their new employees so they can get out into the field sooner. Your pool repair company needs to be a lot of things—chemist, plumber, engineer, and problem solver—so getting someone with little or no experience can have serious consequences, including additional damages to your pool that will require (more) repair. Local companies are more likely to have staff that have been employed for several years and will have more experience.
3: Do you belong to any trade organizations?
Membership in industry trade organizations says a lot about a pool repair company because it means they are willing to abide by a set of rules and ethics as set forth by the organization, and willing to have their company practices and customer relations analyzed, including having any problems reported. Plus trade organizations can offer continuing education, training, and development to keep employees, installers, and repair people updated on the latest industry trends.
4: Can I have some references?
Word-of-mouth advertising has long been the gold standard for evaluating a company’s effectiveness, but even if you don’t know anyone who has personally used the pool repair company in Salt Lake City, you should get referrals. Ask the company for a list of references (past clients) and call each one to ask questions about the quality and timeliness of the repairs, pricing, and the communication from the company. You can also ask for a portfolio that shows their work, although this is more useful in situations where you’re hiring a company to build you a new pool versus repairing your existing one.
Avoiding hiring the wrong pool repair contractor by taking some time to interview and get all your questions answered.