How to Bid on Commercial Pools: Pricing, Contracts, and What Pros Wish They Knew

Landing your first commercial pool contract is a milestone. The revenue per account is significantly higher than residential, payment is more predictable, and one good contract can replace several backyard pools on your route. But bid too low and you'll lose money for months. Bid too high and someone else gets the job. This guide breaks down exactly how experienced operators price commercial work, what belongs in your contract, and the hard-won lessons from pros who've been doing it for years.

Commercial vs. Residential: Why Everything Changes

If you've only serviced residential pools, commercial is a different world. The pools are bigger, the equipment rooms are more complex, the regulatory requirements are stricter, and the consequences of mistakes are exponentially higher. A green backyard pool is an annoyed homeowner. A green apartment complex pool is a health department shutdown.

One experienced commercial operator put it bluntly: "You cash big checks, but you get big calls." Another with 15 years of experience noted that the amount of tile scrubbing alone on high-use commercial pools is a different job entirely from residential maintenance.

Types of Commercial Pools and What They Pay

Not all commercial pools are created equal. The type of property determines visit frequency, chemical volume, regulatory requirements, and ultimately your price. Here's how the major categories break down.

How to Calculate Your Commercial Pool Bid

The single biggest mistake in commercial bidding is pulling a number out of thin air. Your bid needs to be rooted in real math. Here's the formula that experienced commercial operators use.

Step 1: Estimate Labor Hours

Walk the property before you quote. Look at every pool, spa, and water feature. Check the equipment room. Open the filter housings. Count the pumps. Then estimate how long each visit will realistically take, including drive time. A standard 15,000-25,000-gallon apartment pool might take 45 minutes to an hour per visit. A resort with a lazy river and multiple features could take 4+ hours with two people.

Step 2: Determine Visit Frequency

The client will usually tell you what they expect, but make sure you're aligned on specifics. "Three times a week" can mean very different things. Clarify exactly what happens at each visit:

• Cleaning visits - full brush, vacuum, skim, empty baskets, backwash/clean filters
• Chemical-only visits - test water, adjust chemicals, check equipment operation
• Combined visits - both cleaning and chemical service in one stop

Step 3: Set Your Sell Rate

Your sell rate (or billing rate) should cover the fully-loaded cost of the technician doing the work, plus overhead, plus profit. For commercial work, most operators bill between $55-$100 per hour per person, with higher-end markets and complex properties pushing toward $100-$150. This is not what you pay the tech - it's what you charge the client per labor hour. Your sell rate needs to account for:

• Technician wages and benefits
• Vehicle costs (fuel, insurance, maintenance)
• General overhead (office, insurance, admin)
• Your profit margin (typically 15-30%)

Use our cost per pool calculator to understand your true costs before setting your sell rate.

Step 4: Run the Numbers

Let's walk through two real scenarios.

The "Ask What They're Paying" Approach

Some operators skip the formula entirely and ask to see what the previous company was charging. This is a legitimate strategy, especially in competitive markets. If the previous company was at $2,000/month and you can match or beat it while still covering your costs, you have your number. Just make sure you understand why the previous company lost the account - they may have been undercharging and couldn't sustain the work.

Research Your Market

Before you finalize any number, find out what your market actually pays. Commercial pool pricing varies dramatically by region. A 20,000-gallon apartment pool that goes for $1,200/month in Phoenix might only fetch $700/month in a smaller market. Here's how to research:

• Ask what they're currently paying - most property managers will tell you, especially if they're shopping for a new provider
• Check competitor websites - some commercial pool companies publish starting rates or pricing tiers online
• Talk to other pool pros - operators who don't do commercial work often know the going rate from conversations with property managers
• Look at public bid documents - municipal pools and some HOAs publish their RFPs and awarded bids as public records
• Join local industry groups - IPSSA chapters and property management associations are goldmines for market intelligence

Use our free commercial pool bid calculator to model different scenarios for your market.

The Budget-Based Approach

For HOAs and apartment complexes, another method is to estimate the property's budget for pool maintenance. Find out how many units are in the complex and what the monthly HOA/maintenance fees are (often public information). Multiply those together and you have a rough idea of the annual budget. Keep in mind they're also paying for insurance, landscaping, trash removal, and other maintenance from that budget. Your pool maintenance allocation is typically 5-15% of the total budget.

Always Bill Chemicals Separately

On residential routes, there's a legitimate debate about chemicals included vs. plus chemicals. On commercial? The consensus among experienced operators is clear: bill chemicals separately.

Commercial pools consume chemicals at dramatically different rates depending on bather load, weather, events, and season. A hotel pool during spring break can burn through 10x the chemicals of the same pool in January. Absorbing that variability in a flat rate either means you're overcharging in slow months or losing money during peak season.

Most commercial operators give a slight discount on chemicals (typically 20% off retail) due to the volume, but chemicals are always an additional line item. This protects your margins and gives the property manager transparency into their actual costs.

What to Include in Your Commercial Service Agreement

A verbal handshake might work for a $150/month residential account. On a commercial contract worth $800-$2,000+/month, you need everything in writing. Use a "Service Agreement" rather than a "Contract" - the word "contract" carries negative connotations from companies that made cancellation impossible.

Defining What You're NOT Responsible For

This is arguably more important than defining what you do. Experienced commercial operators emphasize that your agreement should clearly state you are not responsible for:

• Structural repairs to the pool shell or deck
• Plumbing beyond the equipment pad
• Electrical work
• Bather supervision or lifeguard duties
• Water level maintenance (unless specifically contracted)
• Damage from vandalism or misuse
• Code violations that existed before your contract began

Certifications and Compliance

Commercial pools have regulatory requirements that residential pools don't. Before you bid, make sure you have (or can quickly obtain) the required credentials.

CPO Certification

A Certified Pool Operator (CPO) certification is required in many states for anyone servicing commercial pools. Even where it's not legally required, property managers and HOA boards increasingly expect it. The certification covers water chemistry, filtration, safety, and regulatory compliance. Plan on a 2-day course and roughly $400-$600 for the exam.

AFO Certification

The Aquatic Facility Operator (AFO) credential, administered by the National Recreation and Parks Association, is a step up from CPO and is particularly valuable for larger commercial facilities. Some municipalities and recreation departments require AFO specifically.

Health Department Log Books

Commercial pools require daily water testing records that are available for health department inspection. You need to maintain a commercial pool log book with readings for free chlorine, pH, temperature, and other parameters as required by your local health authority. Decide upfront whether you're providing the log book and reagents, or if the property manager handles testing on days you're not on-site.

Equipment Room Assessment

Before you finalize your bid, spend serious time in the equipment room. Commercial equipment is frequently old, neglected, and rigged together with creative plumbing. One operator described picking up two major commercial accounts that immediately needed new pumps, chemical feeders, heaters, a new autofill, and electrical code updates - a $30,000 job before he even started routine maintenance.

Check for:

• Equipment age and condition - pumps, filters, heaters, chemical feeders, controllers
• Electrical code compliance - bonding, GFCI protection, proper disconnects
• Plumbing condition - leaks, corrosion, underground piping (especially in garage structures)
• Chemical feed systems - auto-feeders, erosion feeders, ORP/pH controllers
• Safety equipment - drain covers (VGB compliance), fencing, signage

If the equipment room needs significant work, give a separate quote for the cleanup/upgrade. Don't bury it in your monthly maintenance price. Make it clear: "Here's what it costs to get this pool up to standard, and here's what monthly maintenance costs once we get there."

Water Testing for Commercial

Your residential Taylor K-2006 kit works fine for backyard pools, but commercial inspectors use the same kit and expect the same precision. Most commercial operators stick with the Taylor K-2006C (commercial version) because it matches what health inspectors use. Some keep a LaMotte SpinLab or similar photometer as a secondary check.

The key difference from residential: you're testing more parameters, more frequently, and documenting everything. Free chlorine, combined chlorine, pH, alkalinity, and temperature are typically required at every visit. Some jurisdictions also require cyanuric acid, calcium hardness, and TDS testing on a weekly or monthly basis.

Common Commercial Bidding Mistakes

1. Underbidding to Win the Contract

The most common mistake. You're excited about the revenue, you want to beat the competition, and you shave your bid. Three months later, you're spending more time and chemicals than you estimated, and the account is losing money. Price for profit from day one. As one veteran put it: "You usually only get one chance to bid on a commercial pool, and if your numbers are off, they aren't going to switch mid-contract."

2. Not Accounting for 7-Day-a-Week Service

When you calculate visits at 5 days a week but the client expects 7, your monthly revenue is 29% lower than it should be. Many commercial pools, especially hotels and resorts, need daily service during swim season. Make sure your bid reflects the actual visit frequency, including weekends.

3. Sending One Person to Large Properties

A single technician on a 340,000-gallon resort pool is a recipe for burnout and poor service quality. Budget for 1.5 people - one full-time on the property and a half-time floater who can cover days off and help with heavy cleaning days.

4. Ignoring Seasonal Variation

Some operators quote a flat monthly rate based on summer workload. Others quote based on off-season. The right approach is to calculate annual cost and divide by 12. This way, you're not overpaid in winter or underpaid in summer, and the property manager gets a predictable monthly expense.

5. No Written Scope of Work

Quoting based on one set of assumptions while the client accepts based on completely different expectations. If you assume 2 visits per week but they expect daily cleaning and twice-daily chemical checks, you'll be losing money within the first month. Put everything in writing before you sign.

Winning the Contract

Commercial contracts aren't always blind bids. In many cases, you can build relationships that lead to contracts without competitive bidding.

• Network with property managers - join your local apartment association or property management groups. Many contracts are awarded through relationships, not RFPs.
• Start with the walkthrough - offer a free equipment and compliance assessment. This demonstrates expertise and often reveals issues the current service company isn't addressing.
• Show your credentials - CPO certification, insurance certificates, and references from existing commercial clients carry weight.
• Pull the inspection history - review previous health department inspection reports. If the current company has been cited, that's your opening.
• Be responsive - property managers deal with vendors all day. The pool company that returns calls quickly and shows up when they say they will wins more contracts than the cheapest bidder.

Make Your Presentation Professional

Take the time to create a polished, professional bid document - and save that template for future bids. Commercial decision-makers evaluate dozens of vendor proposals. A clean, well-organized bid immediately sets you apart from the pool guy who scribbled numbers on a napkin.

Focus on ROI, Not Just Price

Frame your bid around how your service benefits them. How does proper pool maintenance affect their bottom line? For apartments, a well-maintained pool is an amenity that justifies higher rent and reduces vacancy. For hotels, it's guest satisfaction scores and online reviews. For HOAs, it's avoiding health department shutdowns and liability claims. You're not selling chemical checks - you're selling peace of mind, regulatory compliance, and property value.

Find the Real Decision-Maker

The General Manager or property owner may be the ultimate decision-maker, but they often defer to the maintenance supervisor or facilities manager. Figure out early who has influence over the decision and who has the final say. Build relationships with both. The facilities manager who trusts you will advocate for your bid in meetings you'll never attend.

Be Flexible, But Not Cheap

Commercial bids are not one-size-fits-all. Be willing to customize your service package to fit their specific needs. Maybe they want daily chemical checks but only three cleaning visits. Maybe they need you to handle bathrooms and deck furniture. Flexibility wins contracts. But don't reduce your price so much that the account isn't worth having. Either get it at a number that works for you, or be glad you didn't get it. An unprofitable commercial account is worse than no account at all.

Join IPSSA or similar industry organizations to network with other pool professionals. Many commercial leads come through referrals from residential-focused operators who don't want to take on the complexity of commercial work.

Tools for Pricing Your Bid

Getting your pricing right requires understanding your true costs. These free calculators can help you build a profitable commercial bid:

• Commercial Pool Bid Calculator - input your labor hours, visit frequency, and overhead to get a recommended monthly bid
• Cost Per Pool Calculator - understand your real cost per stop including labor, fuel, chemicals, and overhead
• Service Price Calculator - model different pricing scenarios and margins
• Fuel Cost Calculator - factor in drive time and fuel costs for commercial routes
• Tech Compensation Calculator - model employee costs for dedicated commercial techs