How a 100-Pool Route Becomes a $350K Exit
Route acquisition, builder partnerships, HOA contracts, and chemical automation. Building a sellable pool service business.
Most home service businesses are hard to sell. They are too dependent on the owner. Pool service is different. A tight route of 100 pools generating $15,000-$25,000 per month in recurring revenue can sell for $150,000-$350,000, sometimes more.
That is not a theoretical number. Pool routes sell on multiples of monthly revenue, typically 10-14x. A 100-pool route at $175/month average ($17,500 monthly) sells for $175,000-$245,000. Add in equipment repair revenue and the number climbs higher.
This exit potential changes how you should think about every decision in your pool service business. Every customer is not just $175/month. They are $1,750-$2,450 in business value. Every churned customer is not just lost revenue. It is lost equity.
The pool service operators who build the most valuable businesses focus on three things: route density, customer retention, and recurring revenue expansion. Here is how.
Route Density Is Everything
The difference between a profitable pool route and a break-even one is almost entirely geographic. A tech can service 15-20 pools per day on a tight route versus 8-10 pools scattered across town. Same labor cost, nearly double the revenue.
How to build density deliberately:
When you get a new customer, immediately door-hanger the 10-15 nearest homes that have pools. (You can spot pools on Google Maps satellite view or just drive the neighborhood.) Your message: "We service pools in your neighborhood every [day of week]. Neighbor rate: first month free when you sign an annual service agreement."
The "neighbor rate" works because it is honest: servicing a pool next door to an existing customer costs you almost nothing in additional drive time. That first free month is not a loss; it is the cheapest customer acquisition you will ever find.
Buy existing routes. When another pool tech retires or leaves the business, their customers need a new service provider. These acquisitions cost 10-14x monthly revenue but give you instant density. A $20,000 purchase of a 15-pool route in your existing area pays for itself in 12-15 months and adds permanent value to your business.
The COVID Pool Cliff: Your Timing Is Perfect
Between 2020 and 2022, millions of Americans installed pools. Backyards became the center of family life. Pool builders could not keep up with demand.
Those pools are now 3-6 years old. Equipment is starting to fail. Surfaces are showing wear. The homeowners who were excited about pool ownership in 2020 are now realizing how much maintenance a pool actually requires. Many are ready to hand it off to a professional.
This is the "COVID pool cliff," a wave of aging pools entering the service-intensive phase of their lifecycle. If you are building a pool service business right now, your timing is excellent. These are homeowners who already own pools but have not yet established a relationship with a service provider.
Target subdivisions built or renovated in 2019-2022. Door-hanger campaigns in these neighborhoods will reach frustrated DIY pool owners who are one green pool away from calling a professional.
The Reliability Moat
Ask pool owners what they want most from their pool company and the answer is almost always the same: show up when you say you will.
The most common complaint about pool services, by a wide margin, is "my pool guy just stopped showing up." Inconsistency is endemic to the industry. Techs get busy, routes get stretched, communication drops.
This is your competitive moat. Reliability alone differentiates you from half the market.
How to operationalize reliability:
Service the same customer on the same day, at roughly the same time, every week. Consistency builds trust.
Send a text when you arrive and when you leave. "Arrived at your pool. Will text when done." Takes 10 seconds. Makes the customer feel informed.
Leave a service card on the back door after every visit noting what you did: chemicals added, filter pressure, anything you observed. This is your paper trail, proof that you showed up and did the work.
If you cannot make a visit, communicate before the scheduled time. "Hi [name], I had an equipment emergency today and need to reschedule your service to tomorrow. I apologize for the change." That text takes 20 seconds and prevents the number-one reason customers fire their pool company.
Annual Contracts with Autopay: Cut Churn from 30% to 5%
Pool service without contracts runs 20-30% annual churn. A customer cancels for the winter, forgets to restart in spring, and hires whoever is running a flyer in their neighborhood.
Annual contracts with automatic payment drop churn to 5-10%. The customer commits to 12 months of service. Payment processes automatically each month. They never have to think about it.
Offer a genuine incentive for annual commitments: 10-15% off the monthly rate, priority scheduling, and a free pool opening in spring. The discount costs you $15-$25/month per customer but saves you $150-$300 in reacquisition cost when they would have otherwise churned.
Autopay is the real key. Customers who write checks or pay invoices monthly are making a conscious spending decision twelve times per year. Customers on autopay forget the charge exists. It becomes a utility bill, something that just happens. Cancellation requires effort, which most satisfied customers will not make.
Chemical Automation: The $1,500-$3,000 Upsell
Salt chlorine generators, automatic chemical feeders, and smart pool monitors are increasingly popular. Homeowners want to reduce chemical handling and simplify pool management. This is a natural upsell from your maintenance service.
A salt system installation runs $1,500-$3,000. Automatic chemical feeders cost $500-$1,200 installed. Smart monitors like pHin or Sutro run $300-$500. The margins on equipment installation are strong: 40-60% on parts plus labor.
More importantly, automation deepens the customer relationship. The homeowner who invested $2,500 in a salt system you installed is not switching pool companies. You are now their equipment expert, their chemical expert, and their maintenance provider. The lifetime value of that customer just doubled.
Position these upsells as professional recommendations during regular service: "Your chlorine demand has been climbing. It might be worth looking at a salt system. It would cut your chemical cost in half and I can install it in an afternoon." Consultative, not pushy. The customer trusts you because you have been showing up reliably every week.