The Truth About Chem Costs and Pool Service Rates

Pool pros feel the squeeze every time they restock chlorine, acid, or algaecide, and the numbers tell a clear story. Over the past decade, typical consumer inflation hovered around 35%, but core pool chemicals surged 100 to 160%, with most of that jump landing in the last five years. Prices spiked during the pandemic as supply chains fractured and a major U.S. trichlor producer suffered a catastrophic fire, sending tablets to record highs and pulling liquid chlorine and cal-hypo up with them. Today’s prices have softened from the peak but settled far above 2016 norms, and the structural drivers—transport costs, regulatory overhead, payroll, and regional disparities—keep a floor under costs that will not vanish. Waiting for a rollback only delays the hard choices every service business must make.

The first decision is philosophical but urgent: stop absorbing chemical costs. For years, many routes bundled tabs, shock, and even specialty products into a flat monthly rate, and it worked while chlorine hovered near a buck fifty a gallon and tabs were under a hundred a bucket. That world is gone. Treat tablets as a separate line item, ideally billed as a one-time 50‑pound bucket at the start of the season, or meet hesitant customers halfway by subsidizing the first bucket and transitioning to full pass-through thereafter. Shock should be billed when used, especially when the cause traces to equipment failure, timers, parties, or spa-mode mishaps. Specialty chemicals—enzymes, phosphate removers, algaecides, mineral cartridges—belong in a clear seasonal fee or itemized as delivered. This change protects margins, brings pricing in line with usage, and keeps “problem pools” from sinking healthy accounts.

Once chemicals are unbundled, build a pricing rhythm that keeps you ahead of creeping costs. Small annual increases beat rare, jarring jumps, especially in price-sensitive markets where a leap of $20 can trigger cancellations but $10 slides through with little friction. Use simple math to frame the decision: raising an 80‑pool route by $10 yields $800 per month; even with one or two cancellations, you net ahead and open capacity for better-fit clients. Pair this with a plain-language letter that points to hard facts—chlorine up triple digits since 2019, fuel and payroll rising, regulations adding overhead—so customers connect the dots. People see increases everywhere from fast food to insurance; they grasp that service companies cannot absorb inflation indefinitely. Clear, steady communication builds trust and prevents surprise.

Execution matters. Start the season with a short rate review, list your chemicals policy, and provide options: tablet purchase upfront, or a midway plan where you discount the first bucket. Post visible pricing for shock events and specialty chems, and set expectations for party cleanups, filter failures, and off-cycle visits. Keep a log of usage by account to spot pools that overconsume tablets or need equipment upgrades, and recommend changes that lower long-term chemical demand, such as improving circulation windows or addressing chronic phosphate loads. Most importantly, track your gross margin at the route and account level. When inputs rise 10% year over year, nudge rates to match and reassess quarterly. This discipline won’t make chlorine cheaper, but it will keep your business resilient when others stall.