Skill: afrexai-cto/afrexai-pool-service (version 1.0.0)

# Pool Service & Maintenance Operations Run a pool service business with real numbers — routing, chemical pricing, equipment repair margins, licensing, and growth from solo tech to multi-crew operation. ## What This Covers ### Service Pricing & Packages - **Weekly maintenance**: $125-200/month residential, $300-800/month commercial - **Chemical-only service**: $80-120/month (lower margin, good entry point) - **Green-to-clean**: $250-500 one-time (high margin, fast cash) - **Opening/closing** (seasonal markets): $200-350 per service - **Equipment repair**: $85-150/hour labor + 30-50% parts markup - **Pool remodel/resurface**: $5,000-15,000+ (subcontract or in-house) - **Target**: 60%+ gross margin on recurring maintenance, 70%+ on repairs ### Chemical Management - **Chlorine (liquid)**: $3-5/gallon, use 1-2 gal/week per pool - **Tabs (trichlor)**: $80-120/bucket (50lb), 1-3 tabs/week per pool - **Muriatic acid**: $8-12/gallon, 0.5-1 gal/month per pool - **Chemical cost per pool**: $30-60/month (keep under 25% of service price) - **Buy wholesale**: Pool Corp (POOL), SCP Distributors, local co-ops - **Water chemistry targets**: pH 7.2-7.6, chlorine 1-3 ppm, alkalinity 80-120 ppm, CYA 30-50 ppm - **Salt pools**: check cell, maintain 2,700-3,400 ppm salt, clean cell quarterly ### Route Optimization - **Solo operator target**: 15-20 pools/day, 5 days/week = 75-100 accounts - **Time per pool**: 15-25 minutes (maintenance), 45-90 minutes (repair) - **Drive time**: cluster routes by neighborhood, max 10 min between stops - **Revenue per truck**: $9,000-16,000/month at 80 accounts × $125-200 - **Seasonal adjustment**: weekly in summer, biweekly in winter (warm climates stay weekly) - **Route density**: 8+ pools within 3-mile radius = profitable cluster ### Equipment & Startup - **Truck setup**: $3,000-5,000 (tank, chemical rack, hose reel, tool storage) - **Test kit**: Taylor K-2006 ($80) or digital LaMotte ($300+) - **Basic tools**: pole, net, brush, vacuum head, leaf canister — $500-800 - **Chemical inventory**: $500-1,000 starting stock - **Total startup**: $8,000-15,000 (truck + tools + chemicals + insurance + licensing) - **Used truck**: $15,000-25,000 for reliable work vehicle ### Licensing & Compliance - **CPO (Certified Pool Operator)**: required in most states for commercial, $300-400 exam - **State contractor license**: varies — FL requires CPC license, CA requires C-53, TX requires registration - **EPA compliance**: chemical storage, disposal, SDS sheets on every truck - **Insurance**: GL $500K-1M ($1,200-2,500/year), commercial auto ($1,500-3,000/year), workers comp when hiring - **Health department**: commercial pools require weekly logs, some states require licensed operator of record ### Hiring & Crew Scaling - **First hire**: at 80-100 accounts (you're maxed solo) - **Tech pay**: $15-22/hour (entry), $20-30/hour (experienced/CPO certified) - **Revenue per tech**: cover 60-80 pools/week = $8,000-14,000/month revenue - **Target labor cost**: 30-35% of service revenue - **Training**: 2-4 weeks ride-along, water chemistry test before solo routes - **Retention**: pay CPO certification, performance bonuses on upsells, route ownership pride ### Growth Playbook **Stage 1: Solo Operator (0-80 accounts, $0-$16K/month)** - Door-to-door in target neighborhoods, Nextdoor posts, Google Business profile - Focus on route density — say no to far-flung pools - Master chemistry and speed, build 5-star Google reviews **Stage 2: First Crew (80-200 accounts, $16K-$36K/month)** - Hire first tech, hand off densest route - Add repair services (pump, filter, heater) for 2-3x margins - Start commercial accounts (HOAs, apartments, hotels) **Stage 3: Multi-Crew (200-500 accounts, $36K-$90K/month)** - 3-5 trucks on road, office/dispatch person - Pool remodel partnerships or in-house resurface crew - Equipment sales (Pentair, Hayward dealer) - Recurring revenue from chemical delivery subscriptions **Stage 4: Market Leader (500+ accounts, $90K+/month)** - Acquire competitor routes ($1,000-1,500 per account is standard) - Franchise or expand to adjacent markets - Automated billing, route optimization software (Skimmer, ServiceTitan) - Sell chemical delivery subscription boxes direct to DIY pool owners ### Key Metrics - **Customer acquisition cost**: $50-150 (door-to-door is cheapest) - **Lifetime value**: $1,500-2,400/year × 3-5 year retention = $4,500-12,000 - **Monthly churn**: target under 3% (seasonal markets higher) - **Revenue per account**: track monthly, flag any under $100 - **Chemical cost ratio**: keep under 25% of service revenue - **Callbacks**: track per tech, target under 5% (water quality complaints) ## When to Use This Skill - Starting or scaling a pool service company - Pricing new services or restructuring packages - Optimizing routes and crew assignments - Evaluating acquisition targets (buying routes) - Planning seasonal staffing and chemical purchasing ## About AfrexAI Built by AfrexAI — we build AI agents that run business operations autonomously. **More industry operations skills**: https://afrexai-cto.github.io/context-packs/ **Free AI Revenue Calculator**: https://afrexai-cto.github.io/ai-revenue-calculator/ **Agent Setup Wizard**: https://afrexai-cto.github.io/agent-setup/

path: README.md
content: # Pool Service & Maintenance Operations

Real numbers for running a pool service business — chemical costs, route optimization, crew scaling, licensing by state, and growth from solo tech to 500+ accounts.

Covers weekly maintenance pricing ($125-200/month residential), chemical management (chlorine, acid, salt systems), equipment repair margins (70%+), CPO certification, and a 4-stage growth playbook.

**$6B+ US pool service industry. 70,000+ service companies. 5.7M+ in-ground residential pools.**

## What's Inside

- Service pricing tiers (maintenance, repair, remodel, seasonal)
- Chemical cost breakdowns and wholesale sourcing
- Route optimization targets (15-20 pools/day, cluster by neighborhood)
- Licensing requirements (CPO, state contractor, EPA, health department)
- Hiring benchmarks and crew economics
- Growth playbook: solo → first crew → multi-crew → market leader
- Acquisition math ($1,000-1,500 per account for buying routes)

## Use With

Give this skill to your AI agent (Claude, OpenClaw, GPT) alongside your business data for operational planning, pricing analysis, route optimization, and growth strategy.

## More from AfrexAI

- [Industry Context Packs](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/context-packs/) — $47 deep-dive packs for 10+ industries
- [AI Revenue Calculator](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/ai-revenue-calculator/) — Find where AI saves you money
- [Agent Setup Wizard](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/agent-setup/) — Configure your AI agent in 5 minutes


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