Do you see it? Have you noticed it yet? A major opportunity to increase your profits and grow your business is presenting itself to the industry. Are you ready to take advantage of it?
Skimmer’s 2025 State of Pool Service Report asked respondents to detail which other lines of business they hope to explore in the next year. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed answered repairs, while 42% indicated renovations.
Luckily for those respondents, Skimmer’s Niki Acosta says, the proven desire to enter repairs and renovations is met by a nationwide need for those specialized services, as pools in the United States are at an average age of 22 years old. Due to how pools and their parts age, there’s a growing opportunity for pool service pros to expand their businesses from routine maintenance to higher profit services like repairs and renovations. In order to explore those avenues, specialization in one area or one particular service can help.
With the expertise of Watershape University’s Executive Director Eric Knight and HASA’s VP of Pro & Ancillary Products, Jarred Morgan, explore how specialization can be a game-changer for your business in the coming years.
SERVICE TO SPECIALIZATION
For those unfamiliar with it, specialization may sound like a surefire way to limit your opportunities for business. If I get really great at one service, you might think, won’t I get less customers than I would if I stayed in general service?
No, you’ll still have plenty of customers, just better ones. When you specialize, you become a hot commodity. When you achieve mastery in a particular skill, your expertise is greatly sought after. “People that are generalists,” Knight says, “tend to get overworked. They get exhausted and have to punt on the hard things anyway. Sometimes they don’t have that niche set of skills for a particular specialty.”
But how do you find out what specialty skills are going to bring you the greatest chances of increased profit? It’s all in the observation of your local market, Knight says; spotting where the gaps are in terms of what customers are looking for, and what they’re not getting.
Whether it’s by asking around to local pool builders in your area, hearing from manufacturers, your distribution centers, or even observations from your conversations with customers, the first step is to figure out what’s in demand in your market. Maybe it’s leak detection, or pipe replacement — whatever it is, your goal is to find something you can hone and then deliver to customers better than others.
It’s also important to understand the difference between a commodity and the product you’re actually selling when you specialize, Knight says. “A commodity is something that others can provide at a similar quality and value, therefore leaving price as the main difference between you and your competition. The product you’re selling is your unique way of doing business. It’s how you deliver your brand promise each and every time.”
So in the face of an increasing number of homeowners who prefer to DIY their pool service or ask ChatGPT for answers, remember: your expertise and experience in the industry — your brand promise — that’s your selling point.
“This is a trade that doesn’t get the respect it deserves, in my opinion,” Knight admits. “It’s hard to recruit people to this industry because they just see pool cleaners. But think about all the other trades. If a customer sees a job like welding or electrical, they recognize they don’t know how to do that, and they hire someone. But people see pool service and think, ‘Oh, I could clean a pool, how hard could it be?’”
“That’s all people see sometimes,” he continues. “With specialization, you can separate yourself and emphasize the high skill level required to do these types of jobs.”
Your brand promise should show your customers the value of your work, which can also be reflected in your pricing methods.
OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS
When it comes to pricing, the same questions arise as when you articulate your typical maintenance prices. It’s all in the name of making a profit, and charging what your work is valued at.
“We all need to understand that we’re here to prop up this market, value our services and get a fair price for doing those repairs and/ or maintenance items,” says HASA’s Jarred Morgan.
Managing fairness comes up most often with customers that end up pushing back on your prices, Morgan says. This can be difficult to navigate, but when you specialize your skills, there are a few avenues you can take. “The biggest thing to remember is that you never want to compromise on your service,” Morgan advises. Luckily, he gives pool pros a template to help facilitate those tough conversations.
Once you’re comfortable, you can insert your best practices to put your own spin on it.
If your customer says something like, “I found this part cheaper online,” Morgan recommends:
Shift their focus from the price of the service to the value of your work.
Acknowledge their concern.
Sell the solution and explain what’s included:
a. Product sizing and selection
b. Professional installation
c. Warranty registration/support
d. Proper setup and post- installation service
Altogether, Morgan says, this conversation can sound like:
“I totally understand — prices online can look lower. The difference is my quote includes professional installation, setup, and warranty coverage. When you buy online, you often lose that warranty or risk incorrect installation. My goal is to make sure your system runs efficiently and reliably for years.”
Alternatively, if your customer insists, “This cost seems on the expensive side,” Morgan says to consider the following steps:
1. Empathize: “I understand — repairs can be unexpected.”
2. Understand: Is it the full cost or the timing that is worrisome?
3. Close: State your position, provide reassurances and cover any options/payment terms.
With this method, the alternate conversation can sound like this:
“I completely understand — repairs like this can pop up out of nowhere. Can I ask — is it the total cost that’s the concern, or more about how it fits into your monthly budget? Got it — we have some flexible options so you can get the repair done now without adding stress to your budget. Want me to show you how that works?”
Sometimes, Morgan says, customers will continue to push back. “If that’s the case, give them a labor-only price and explain the process from there. Be very upfront with them about what risks they take when ordering a part online themselves. If you tell them something’s going to happen, and then that thing does happen, they don’t really have a leg to stand on.
“But if you don’t have that upfront conversation with them about what risks they’re taking, you risk breaking trust with your customer. Communication is key. You never want to compromise your service and what you’re offering to accommodate someone’s situation. At the end of the day, you have to own the work that you do.”
Specialization is meant to increase your value in your market. Don’t let yourself risk taking a hit to your reputation. Know the value of your work, and communicate that to your customers clearly. Having a standard for your work and a formula for your pricing methods will help keep you steady.
Whether you pick up skills in leak detection, further your education in pool startups or another service in the industry, don’t be afraid to take advantage of this great opportunity the industry is presenting. As Knight and Morgan emphasize, it’s all about finding the right niche in your local market. Make yourself invaluable to your customer base through specialization, and change the trajectory of your business for good.
This article first appeared in the March 2026 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals.Click here to subscribe.
