Pool Equipment Prices Keep Climbing: How Pros Are Handling 2026 Increases

What's Going Up and Why

Heritage just notified dealers of another round of Pentair price increases. Salt water generator cells are climbing 10%. If you feel like you just got a price increase notice last month, you probably did. Some pros report that Pentair has raised prices three times in the past year.

This is not a one-time bump. It is a pattern. And the reasons behind it are not going away anytime soon.

The biggest driver is ruthenium. This rare metal is used to coat the plates inside salt cells. It makes the cell work. Without it, you do not have a salt chlorine generator. The problem is that ruthenium has become much harder to get. The price has climbed over $1,000 per ounce in the past year. Part of the reason is that AI data centers also need ruthenium for certain components. The pool industry is now competing with tech companies for the same limited supply.

On top of that, tariffs on imported raw materials have added cost at every step of the manufacturing process. The metals, plastics, and components that go into pool equipment are more expensive to bring into the country. Those costs get passed down the chain from manufacturer to distributor to you.

Then there is the distributor markup question. Some pros believe the manufacturers are not raising prices as much as it looks. They think distributors are adding their own increases on top and blaming the manufacturers.

"Raw materials costs are through the roof. Importing materials has additional tariffs. That salt cell has ruthenium, which has been becoming increasingly rare."

— Pool pro via Reddit

Whether the cost increase comes from the manufacturer, the distributor, or both, the result is the same. Your wholesale cost is going up. The question is what you do about it.

The Distributor Problem

PoolCorp owns both Heritage and SCP. Together they control a huge chunk of pool equipment distribution in the United States. That kind of market power creates frustration for pros who feel like they have no leverage.

One buyer for a $15 million pool company said that fighting with PoolCorp over pricing is "almost a full-time job." That is not an exaggeration for large operations. Smaller companies often do not have the time or volume to negotiate at all. They take the price they are given and move on.

The lack of transparency makes it worse. Some pros have been caught off guard by price changes they were never told about. One pro was quoted Diamond Brite at $27 per bag. When the invoice arrived, it was $40 per bag. No notice. No explanation. Just a higher number on the bill.

"SCP will raise your prices without telling you. You won't know until the invoice arrives."

— Pool pro via Reddit

"Find an independent distributor and stop feeding the gougers."

— Pool equipment distributor via Reddit

The advice from experienced pros is clear: diversify your supply chain. Do not rely on a single distributor for everything. Put Heritage and SCP against each other on bids. Check independent distributors in your area. Some regions have local suppliers that carry the same brands at better prices because they do not have the corporate overhead.

You may not be able to avoid the Big Two distributors entirely. But having options gives you leverage. And leverage is the only thing that keeps your costs in check.

Don't Eat the Increase

This is the most important section of this article. If you read nothing else, read this.

Many pool pros feel guilty about passing cost increases to their customers. They worry about losing accounts. They think they are doing the customer a favor by absorbing the hit. They are not. They are slowly killing their business.

"I'm just pleading with pros not to eat it yourself. We all know there are guys out there who think they're doing clients a favor by taking a huge hit on their margins because they feel bad. Don't do this."

— Pool pro via Reddit

The math is simple. If your wholesale cost on a salt cell goes up $80, your retail price should go up $80 plus your margin. Your margin stays the same percentage. The customer pays more because the product costs more. That is how every business in every industry works.

The pros who handle this best are transparent about it. They show the customer that the supplier price went up. They explain that their labor and margin stayed the same. Most customers understand this without any pushback. They see prices going up on everything else in their lives. Pool equipment is no different.

"Raising rates is less risky than you think. If you do a great job, people would rather pay more than risk a cheaper bad company."

— Pool pro via Reddit

Here is the approach that works: when you quote a customer for an equipment replacement, break out the cost clearly. Show the equipment cost, your labor, and your total. If the customer asks why it costs more than last year, tell them the truth. "My supplier raised prices 10% this spring. I am passing that through at cost. My labor rate has not changed."

Most customers respect honesty. The ones who do not were probably going to be difficult regardless.

Need help figuring out the numbers? Use the price increase calculator to model different scenarios. And if you are raising your monthly service rates too, check out the price increase guide for letter templates and timing advice.

Alternative Brands Worth Considering

You do not have to stay loyal to the Big Three (Pentair, Hayward, and Fluidra/Jandy). Several alternative brands offer comparable quality at significantly lower prices. More pros are switching every year.

Pumps

SPECK pumps are getting a lot of attention right now. They cost roughly two-thirds of what Big Three pumps cost. They use the same motors (Nidec and US Motors) that go into the more expensive brands. They swap union-to-union with existing plumbing. Single speed pumps start under $430. The warranty is competitive or better.

AquaStar is gaining fans for both pumps and filters. Waterway and Genesis are established alternatives that have been around for years and have a solid track record.

Heaters and Heat Pumps

Raypak has a strong reputation and competitive pricing for gas heaters. Many pros consider them equal to or better than Pentair and Hayward options at a lower price point.

Nirvana is a growing option in the heat pump category. As heat pumps become more popular in markets where natural gas prices are rising, having a reliable alternative matters.

Automation

Attendant automation systems work with any equipment brand. This is a big deal because one of the ways the Big Three lock you in is by requiring matched automation. If you install a Pentair pump with Pentair automation, the customer is stuck in the Pentair ecosystem for every future replacement. Attendant breaks that cycle. You can mix and match the best equipment at the best price regardless of brand.

"As a community we need to vote with our wallets so that the Big Three learn that arbitrary price increases will not be tolerated."

— Pool pro via Reddit

Switching brands takes some adjustment. You need to learn new part numbers, understand different warranty processes, and sometimes stock different inventory. But the savings can be substantial. If you are installing 50 pumps a year and saving $200 per pump, that is $10,000 back in your pocket.

The Amazon Problem

There is another pricing pressure that makes life harder for pool pros: Amazon.

Customers can find Hayward salt cells on Amazon, sometimes cheaper than what you pay at wholesale. This makes Hayward equipment especially hard to mark up. When a homeowner can Google the part number and see a lower price online, the conversation about your markup becomes awkward.

Pentair has handled this a bit differently. Their newer cells have unique form factors that do not have generic alternatives (yet). That makes it easier to sell at proper margins because the customer cannot comparison shop as easily.

One pro shared a story about a customer who bought a cheap replacement salt cell online. Two weeks later, it failed. The customer had to buy a proper one from the supplier anyway. They lost money on the first cell, paid for the second one, and paid for two service calls instead of one. The "savings" cost them more in the end.

That said, aftermarket cells are coming. Companies are working on compatible alternatives at lower prices. If quality improves, expect more competition and eventually better pricing for everyone. In the short term, the best defense is a strong relationship with your customer. If they trust your recommendations, they will buy from you instead of Amazon.

What a 40% Markup Actually Looks Like

Standard equipment markup in the pool industry is 40% on parts plus labor. Some pros go higher. Some go lower. But 40% is a common baseline. Here is what that looks like in practice with a real example.

Before the price increase:

• Salt cell wholesale cost: $600
• Your retail price at 40% markup: $840
• Add labor (1 to 2 hours at $125 to $175 per hour): $965 to $1,015 total to customer
• Your gross margin on parts: $240

After a 10% wholesale increase:

• Salt cell wholesale cost: $660
• Your retail price at 40% markup: $924
• Add labor (1 to 2 hours at $125 to $175 per hour): $1,049 to $1,099 total to customer
• Your gross margin on parts: $264

The customer pays $84 more. Your margin actually grows slightly in dollar terms because the percentage stays the same on a higher base. That is exactly how pass-through pricing should work. You are not gouging anyone. You are maintaining the same margin percentage on a product that costs more.

If you are not sure where your markup lands or want to model different scenarios, try the service price calculator. It helps you figure out what to charge based on your costs, time, and target margin.

The Bigger Picture

Some pros worry that the industry is pricing itself out of reach for middle-class homeowners. They are not wrong to be concerned.

"If the industry isn't careful, they will crash it for everyone but the rich."

— Pool pro via Reddit

Equipment costs have nearly doubled in five years. A salt cell that cost $500 in 2021 now costs $660 or more at wholesale. Variable speed pumps, heaters, and automation systems have all followed the same trend. At some point, customers start making different choices.

They choose liquid chlorine over a $1,000-plus salt cell replacement. They skip the variable speed pump upgrade and keep the old single speed running. They let the heater limp along for another season instead of replacing it. They start asking whether they even need a pool at all.

That last question is the dangerous one. When the total cost of pool ownership gets too high, some homeowners fill in the pool entirely. Others sell their house and buy one without a pool. The industry loses a customer forever.

The antidote is not to absorb costs and destroy your margins. The antidote is to be transparent, offer alternatives at different price points, and make sure your service relationship is strong enough that customers trust your recommendations. When a customer trusts you, they accept your pricing because they know you are being fair.

Offer the $660 Pentair cell and the $400 alternative. Let the customer choose. Some will pick the premium option. Some will pick the budget option. Either way, you keep the customer and you keep your margin.

The pros who will thrive through these price increases are the ones who communicate clearly, offer options, and refuse to apologize for running a profitable business. Your skills have value. Your time has value. Your truck, your tools, your insurance, your training all cost money. A 40% markup on parts is not greed. It is the cost of staying in business so you can be there when the customer needs you next year.