A Warning For Pool Owners In 2021
SwimmingPoolSteve.com is user-supported. In order to keep this resource about pools and spas available for free to all readers I earn commissions for purchases made through links on this page. For more information see the full disclaimer page. By using this website you are agreeing to the terms and conditions.
With the 2021 swimming season fast approaching you can pretty much count on things being crazy this year if the 2020 season was any indication. With travel plans permanently on hold for many people due to Covid-19 we are certain to see an investment in the home from people who would normally spend that money elsewhere or perhaps not at all. While some people may be more inclined to travel in 2021 than in 2020 the total amount being spent on travel is down massively. As someone who has been actively connected to the swimming pool industry since 1991 I can attest to the competition we face for the disposable income of home owners. When I am selling a new pool installation project I am not just bidding against other pool companies I am selling against travel plans, sports cars, boats, plastic surgery, home renovations, expensive hobbies...having a swimming pool is a huge luxury and a major commitment to permanently altering your home and permanently tying you to regular maintenance schedules since the pool will need to be operated and maintained every year whether you use it or not.
If you want to spend next summer away from home travelling then who is going to be taking care of your pool while you are gone? A new pool is a major expense, and a major luxury, and home owners often decide to allocate their money to other things. Often they even decide to just not spend the money. Unstable employment or economy outlook will destroy what could otherwise be a busy pool season. When financial disaster is on the table as a potential for the near future I often joke that pool builders and yacht sales people take the worst hits as these are the very first things people stop buying when money stability is in question. So what is going to make 2021 so unique versus other years for swimming pool owners? Quite a but actually.
Backlog of uncompleted work from 2020 - First and foremost the 2020 swimming pool season was insane. It was, by far, the busiest year on record for us pool professionals. We were declared to be essential workers early in the pandemic partly due to aggressive campaigning by a few notable pool industry leaders. This was not to protect the work and income of pool workers, but to protect the public in general. Most pool owners have absolutely no idea how insidious bacterial infections and parasites can be and most pool owners will never know someone to die or become seriously ill from poorly maintained pool water. On the flip side almost every pool industry veteran knows of first hand stories about illness and death relating to poor water quality. In short, poor water quality accounts for more annual human death than any other cause globally.
It would have been a massive mistake to allow pools to fester and this would have surely increased the incidents related to water borne illness drastically during a time when most hospital facilities were stretched beyond capacity. Pool workers by and large were able to keep operating, at least as far as maintenance goes. New construction and major renovation however were stopped or at least delayed in most areas which caused a natural backlog of the regular work orders. When you add to this the fact that people stuck at home were looking to renovate or rejuvenate old dilapidated pools in record numbers, the end result is simple. There are a lot of pool owners who wanted or needed work done in 2020 and they were not able or not willing to have the work done. Now with the prospect of another travel-free summer on the table again pool owners are out in record numbers looking for contractors to fill the void.
Shortage of equipment and materials - The wait time for integral swimming pool equipment was "permanent backorder" for most of 2020 including most models of pool heaters that went on a major run early into the pandemic. Since this time almost a year ago the manufacturing and global shipping logistics have been disrupted continuously. Even places which have been less impacted by the pandemic are affected in one way or another due to supply of raw material as well as ability to ship goods. There is even a global shortage of steel shipping containers being reported. Demand is so high that containers are being shipped empty to buyers in different countries which is something that rarely happens. It is likely that supply of both raw and finished goods would be noticeable in other industries as well however most industries are down right now and the demand for goods and materials is lower than normal. This is certainly not true for the pool industry where things are moving at breakneck speed to try to keep up with pool owners who need work and new equipment. I know of pool builders still waiting on pool kits that were due in the fall of 2020.
Without any timelines being provided by production, pool builders are finding it impossible to schedule work with any reasonable sense of accurate timeline. There is also information from manufacturers and suppliers coming out weekly providing updates about price increases (like to steel, nearly 20% since fall 2020). Limited stock runs are being announced for above ground pool liners, trichlor chlorine pucks, heaters again, and spring 2021 is when the Department of Energy mandate comes into effect requiring a certain efficiency standard for new filtration pumps. It is reasonable to assume that 2021 will have product and equipment shortages and delays due to increased buying and inconsistent supply chains and interrupted manufacturing around the globe. The fact that manufacturers are aware of the potential problems and working on them this far in advance is actually a good sign and the reason why I am not specifically worried about the pool equipment as much as I am worried about inexperienced companies picking up the spillover demand for pool work.
Shortage of skilled labor - My largest concern for pool owners is the shortage of skilled labor, perhaps phrased another way as an overabundance of swimming pool installation and renovation contracts available. I definitely think that the 2021 pool season will have some bumps in the road from backorder equipment or other temporary delays or shortages but these are all hurdles that will not hurt pool owners...only inconvenience them. If your kids have to swim in water that makes their lips turn blue because you can not get your hands on a heater first thing in the spring, well, trust me the kids don't even notice the cold water. Tell them they can't go swimming because the water is too cold and just watch what happens. Mom and dad on the other hand might find 72 degree Fahrenheit water to be a little too brisk for enjoyment. What I am worried about is any time there is an overabundance of work available you will start to see new pool companies open by the dozen in every town and city.
Largely there are no regulations for pool builders, renovators or service workers. Obviously some areas have more strict laws than others, and you will have to judge for yourself what your local climate is like, but I can tell you that where I live my wife could open a pool building company tomorrow and start bidding on your job by the end of the week. She is smart and a really hard worker but doesn't know the first thing about building pools so her quote might be a little higher or lower than the other quotes you get. Scary stuff. More than anything in the 2021 season I want pool owners to be on guard against inexperienced hands working on their pools. Experienced and established workers are largely booked up. This is not to say there are no good workers to hire, just that you must be more aware and on guard than normal against the potential that someone is overselling their abilities to you. It will be very important to get references this year for any pool work that you are looking to have done. Fortunately I wrote a resource last year for helping home owners to understand more about how to ask for references in a way that really gets you the information that you want to know. More than ever it would be a very good idea to read this resource I wrote about How to hire a pool contractor.
I cannot possibly count how many companies I have watched rise and fall within the pool industry over the past 30 years. In many of the cases the eventual demise of the company is a foregone conclusion from my eyes because I know the person or I am able to judge the level of their skill relative to the projects they are pursuing. It is uncountable the number of times I have heard someone say that they sell pumps or change liners but they want to start building pools because that is where the money is. Nothing wrong with reaching for the stars but the only way to build pools is to, you know, start building pools. I was building pools every day for years as my daily job before I took on my first build under my own company banner. However there is a way that less experienced people can still get the job done, so to speak, which is by hiring subcontractors to complete the stages of the work to be completed.
It is another conversation entirely whether subcontractors are going to lower the quality of the build. I would argue yes, but I would be willing to accept the argument that a skilled general contractor could efficiently and effectively oversee a crew of subcontractors. I could do it so I assume there are many others that probably could as well but it is only through experience that I am able to do this. I think an important distinction should be that subcontractors are acceptable if you, the general contractor, have enough experience and skill to step in and do that job, any job, yourself if need be. I think if you are a pool contractor that uses subcontractors because that is the only way the job could get done this opens the door to potential disaster. I know from my personal although limited experience with subcontractors on my jobsites that I had to watch over their work very carefully. Seldom would a subcontractor do work to my standards of quality without having to be explicitly instructed as to what I expect to see. Then I would stand there and watch it happen.
Hey, Leo Tolstoy, that is an impressive wall of words you have constructed there but can you lay a short summary on me here?
SPS - You bet. If you own a pool and you want some work done this year you had better be shopping early in the year, and you need to manage your expectations for things like timelines. Nobody will be able to provide you with 100% accurate timelines as supply issues can easily interrupt the efficient flow of work. Most especially I would warn pool owners and prospective pool owners to interview and vet their potential contractors carefully. There will be a lot of new companies popping up to meet increased demand, especially when the pandemic has so many people out of work or short on money. The pool industry will attract people without the requisite experience since there is no barrier to entry in most areas of Canada and the USA. No matter how badly you want to be swimming this summer it is not worth hiring the wrong person. Not every new pool company is out to rob you or provide sub quality work, but as the owner of the house and the pool you must protect your own interests when there is increased risk. Any person who you look to hire should be able to display that they have experience with the exact service you are looking for.
Top content from www.SwimmingPoolSteve.com
Pool and spa chemistry crash course
New pool owner guide
The Swimming Pool Steve blog
Have a question - ask Steve
Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool and spa specialist from Ontario Canada. With over 10,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the 2018 Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Endorsed Brands From Swimming Pool Steve
The following links and products are to affiliates of the Swimming Pool Steve website. These are brands, products and services hand selected by Steve for endorsement. Please note that these endorsements can include monetary compensation, affiliate links and referral fees to Swimming Pool Steve, however there is zero additional cost to you should you use one of these products or services. Income generated from these links helps to keep this pool and spa resource available for everyone. To have your product or service considered for listing here as an endorsed brand email SwimmingPoolSteve@gmail.com.
Amazon Disclosure Statement - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
www.ClearComfort.com
Clear Comfort's patented hydroxyl-based advanced oxidation systems (AOP) represent the pinnacle of water care technology available to pool and spa owners. To put a complex technology simply, if you are looking for the best possible water care system for your pool or spa then you are looking for a Clear Comfort AOP system.
- Swimming Pool Steve
www.PoolPartsToGo.com
New Black + Decker variable speed pumps are available online from www.PoolPartsToGo.com and they are a drop in replacement for many popular pump models including Pentair Superflo and Hayward Super Pumps. With an adjustable platform base, union connections included and a very strong warranty these pumps offer an impressive value to pool owners.
- Swimming Pool Steve
www.PoolSupplyWarehouse.com
Pool Supply Warehouse has a large stock of swimming pool equipment, chemicals, maintenance items and consumables needed for caring for your swimming pool. They offer fast shipping and by shopping with this retailer you are helping to support Swimming Pool Steve directly.
- Swimming Pool Steve
www.PoolSuppliesCanada.ca
When it comes to ordering pool and spa supplies online in Canada www.PoolSuppliesCanada.ca is by far the best option. They carry everything from chemicals to replacement pumps to entire pool kits, with free shipping options and more "in stock" items than any other Canadian online retailer.
- Swimming Pool Steve