Full Service Pool Routine: What Pros Actually Do

Running a profitable pool service route is about intention, not intensity. Many of us overwork simple stops and underprice complex ones, creating long days and thin margins. The solution starts with service tiers. Chemical-only suits clients who can net, brush, and empty baskets but don’t want to manage dosing or water balance. Step up to chemicals plus skim and baskets for light debris pools, then add brushing for a noticeable upgrade in clarity and algae prevention. Full service remains the premium tier: brush, skim, vacuum, and tile care. Clear tiers set clear expectations, prevent scope creep, and let you scale with employees while preserving quality and consistency.

A reliable weekly workflow anchors every tier, even chemical-only. Begin with a visual scan: look for cloudy water, surface sheen, clogged skimmers, or unusual debris. Head to the pad, power the system if needed, and inspect for leaks, air in the pump, irregular pressure, and valve issues. This habit catches failures early and avoids emergency callbacks. When you move to cleaning, reduce glare with a light soap-and-water spritz or a surface cleaner to gather debris at the edges. Skim twice to dislodge tile debris and floaters before any vacuuming. For tile, choose cleaners wisely—acid-based products work fast but require careful handling near plaster and decking. A clip-on tile brush keeps workflow efficient and your pole setup simple.

Vacuuming deserves a strategy, not a reflex. Define “when needed” in your service agreement to avoid the expectation of a full vacuum every week. Vacuum systems like Riptide, Bottom Feeder, and VacDaddy excel for leaves and missed dirt without the hassle of hoses. If a pool has a suction or pressure cleaner, spot vacuuming with the cleaner hose can be both effective and fast. Avoid pushing dirt to the main drain or brushing everything to the deep end; it leaves suspended dust that resettles after you’re gone. When the pool shows heavy dust or there’s no automatic cleaner, commit to a proper vacuum. The goal is simple: leave no visible debris and never count on the cleaner to finish the job later.

Brushing is your quiet profit saver. A thorough brush routine, done every visit, disrupts biofilms and keeps microalgae from anchoring. Brush walls, steps, benches, and waterline. Use poly or poly-stainless blends on plaster and pebble finishes, and stick to nylon on vinyl and fiberglass to avoid damage. Reserve pure stainless for tough plaster or pebble surfaces only. Brush after vacuuming to polish the finish and catch leftovers, not before, which stirs dust and forces you to wait for it to settle. This sequence tightens your workflow and elevates the pool’s appearance without extra chemical spend.

Finally, protect your margins with time caps and size-based pricing. A 10–15k gallon pool should rarely exceed 20–25 minutes in normal conditions. Windstorms, trimming days, and leaf dumps require a published time limit in your service agreement; clean to the cap and communicate a recovery plan. Larger markets like Texas with 35–50k gallon pools need higher rates and more time per stop—charge for volume and debris reality, not a flat rate fantasy. Equip employees with fast tools, standardize the order of operations, and reinforce the rule: never leave visible debris. When your tiers, agreements, and timing align, you work less, deliver better results, and grow a route that pays what the labor is worth.