Free printable
Pool Inspection Checklist
Check a home pool's barriers, drain covers, surfaces, deck, equipment, electrical and water, and mark each item OK, fix or not applicable. It suits a home purchase, the start of a season, or a service company taking on a new account.
Free, no sign-up. Leave it blank to print an empty sheet.
Pool Inspection Checklist
Barriers and gates
- A fence or barrier separates the pool from the house and yard on every side
- Gates close and latch on their own, and open outward from the pool
- Latches are high enough to be out of a small child's reach
- Doors and windows that open onto the pool area have alarms or locks where required
- Nothing near the fence that a child could climb, such as furniture or equipment
- Safety cover or pool alarm in place and working, if the pool has one
Drains and suction
- Main drain covers present, screwed down, uncracked and marked as compliant
- Skimmer lids and weirs in place and undamaged
- Return fittings and wall fittings intact
- Entrapment protection on the pump, such as a safety vacuum release, where required
Shell and surfaces
- Finish free of cracks, hollow spots, rough patches and staining
- Tile line intact, with no loose or missing tiles
- Coping secure, with no cracks or gaps at the joint with the deck
- Steps, benches and ledges intact
- Vinyl liner free of tears, wrinkles and fading (vinyl pools)
- Water level steady, with no sign of a leak
Deck and surroundings
- Deck free of trip hazards, lifted sections and wide cracks
- Expansion joint between deck and coping sealed
- Deck drains carry water away from the pool
- Ladders and handrails secure
- Diving board or slide secure, with the clearance its maker requires
Equipment
- Pump primes, runs quietly and doesn't leak
- Motor runs without overheating or tripping the breaker
- Filter holds pressure, and the gauge works
- Valves turn freely
- Heater lights and shuts off normally (if fitted)
- Salt cell or chlorinator producing chlorine (if fitted)
- Timer or automation set and working
- Visible plumbing free of leaks and cracks
Electrical and lighting
- GFCI protection on the pool light and equipment trips and resets
- Pool light works, with an intact lens and no water in the fixture
- Bonding wire visible and connected at the equipment, where it can be seen
- No extension cords or exposed wiring near the water
- Overhead wires well clear of the pool and deck
Water
- Water clear enough to see the main drain
- Free chlorine and pH in range
- No algae on the walls, steps or in corners
- No scale at the tile line
Who it is for
A Condition and Safety Check for Home Pools
This checklist is built for residential pools: the inspection a pool service company does when it takes on a new account, the check a buyer wants before closing on a house with a pool, and the walk round a homeowner does at the start of a season. It works through the pool the way an inspector does, starting with what keeps people safe and moving on to what keeps the pool working.
Public and commercial pools, such as those at apartments, hotels and community associations, are inspected by the local health department against its own form. This list covers many of the same safety items, but it isn't a substitute for that inspection, for a code inspection on a new pool, or for a licensed electrician.
What matters most
The Items to Get Right First
Barriers come first because drowning is one of the leading causes of death for young children, and a gate that doesn't close and latch on its own defeats the whole fence. Check every gate by opening it fully and letting go.
Drain covers come next. A missing, cracked or loose cover over a suction outlet can trap a swimmer against it. Compliant covers carry a marking for the standard they meet, and many carry an expiry date, because sunlight and chemicals make the plastic brittle.
Electrical faults are rare but serious. Press the test button on each GFCI and make sure it trips and resets, look for water inside the pool light, and keep cords and extension leads away from the water. Anything doubtful about bonding or wiring is a job for a licensed electrician.
After the inspection
Turning the Checklist Into a Plan
Sort the items marked fix into two groups: safety items that need dealing with before anyone swims, and condition items that can be quoted and scheduled. A service company taking on a new account can attach the sheet to the first quote, so the customer sees why a repair is on it.
Test the water as part of the inspection and write the readings on the pool log sheet. If you don't know the pool's size, the pool volume calculator works it out from the dimensions, and every chemical dose depends on it.
For pool service companies
Keep these records without the clipboard
A paper log works until somebody else needs to read it. In Pool Runs the technician logs readings and works through the service checklist on their phone at the pool, and each visit lands in the customer's service history and report without anyone typing it up later.
- Readings, doses and checklists saved against each pool, with the saturation index for every visit
- A mobile app that works offline in a backyard with no signal
- Chemicals and parts tracked on every truck and in the shop
Try Pool Runs free
Free for 30 days, month to month, with white-glove onboarding to move your customers in.
Questions
Pool Inspection Checklist FAQ
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