Start Your Own Swimming Pool Contractor Business - Profitable Business Plan

Luxury is all that the world revolves around now. This busy world has paved way for a number of businesses that is concerned with health and leisure. Initially, people thought living in a spacious is more than enough to live a relaxed life. The case no longer exists now. If there is even 1% chance that a swimming pool can built in the residence, then there is no looking back with the decision. When I mean 1% chance, it simply denotes the financial ability of the owner of the building.

The urge to get a swimming pool constructed, drives even the classes of middle-income population. Leaving in negligence the financial ability and available area to build a pool grows the demand for the business since the discovery of luxury at home. While seeing the demand in residential areas, we shouldn’t be forgetting the pioneer purpose of swimming pools.

Days back, swimming pools were built for commercial purpose. To mention they were majorly seen in resorts and sports clubs. As there came a change in lifestyle and income of people, swimming pools got slowly driven into the personal use circle.

Swimming pool trends in the USA

Coming to the state of swimming pools and its whole concept that is prevailing in the USA, the story is complex. From the number of people wanting it till the newly designed layouts of swimming pools there has been a tremendous growth. Reports reveal that commercial swimming pools are often being used by people who are unemployed.

While I mention this piece of news here, remember this is not the only reason why the business exists or catches an amazing speed of growth. In the area of design, residents of the USA have got their proportion big in giving a positive response. They have actively supported the designs that come to the industry.

This means, they have been keenly following up the designs for making their leisure lives better and better. Also, the case implies the sound financial ability of these people to keep altering their swimming pools to whichever new design they get attracted to. Design trends touch three main areas. Those are,

Interiors
Shapes
Additional features

Under the category interiors, a number of new solutions for a better surface pool have been found till date. From the construction material to the equipment they use, all of them are chosen to get the best finishes. Next big accessory to the swimming pool is the shape. Not all of us will be satisfied with the same old version of swimming pools being as rigid and straight as it can.

The shift has now taken place from symmetrical pools to asymmetrical pools. The last area where a designer or a builder can make the pool look unique is the additional feature, he is going to add to it. This lazy world definitely need help from even the non-living. Features like self-cleaning motors, floating steps etc will take the value of the pool a step higher.

Here’s How to Become a Swimming Pool Contractor

There is a particular license that every swimming pool contractor needs to obtain. Or say only after they obtaining the license, they can be called as swimming pool contractors. The license is generally called as C-53 license that is issued by the CSLB (Contractors State License Board). This board’s primary objective is to issue licenses to contractors who are capable and eligible to erect swimming pools for commercial or residential purposes.

There are certain terms and conditions to be fulfilled before you could apply for C-53 license. General documents like license, age proof (18 years and above), drivers license, social security pin etc., will be needed. But the most important part is the experience you hold. It is technically termed as “JOURNEY LEVEL EXPERIENCE” in the swimming pool industry. This is an experience that you get after working for a swimming pool company or any contractor with the C-53 license on a full-time basis.

The journey experience will be considered only if it has a total number of years as four. They need not occurring consecutively, but should not fail to meet the condition of four years in total. As an acknowledgment a qualified individual can be chosen to sign proving the four-year experience you have. Qualified individuals may be of the lists mentioned bellow.

C-53 license holder
Business Associate
Licensed Contract
Journeyman
Union head or representative

To apply for the C-53 license exam and to prove your experience few documents are mandatory to hold. Some of them are,

Tax returns
Contract papers
Contract proofs
Order slips or material purchase slips

Application period

The period within which your application gets testes and accepted highly varies from each application. These may be due to the content present in the document or other unfound reasons. However, on an average, it might take 9 weeks to 12 weeks for processing the application. And the date for examination might be assigned to you in about a month.

Exam inclusions

The exam will be conducted for six hours where the applicant will have two sections of questions (three hours each). One being 115 questions on contractor law and the other being questions on swimming pools with the same number of questions. Once you clear this exam, you get to be one among the swimming pool contractors.

Name the business

Businesses need attractive names to make a better each to the customers. Names on the other hand should not be resembling any other company in the same industry or even the different industry. At times the name for your swimming pool business will get accepted on registration with just 1% difference from a one that is extremely close to it.

Now that you have the same name, there will be too many complications in the future in all the business operations. Second thing to have in mind is the abstract of the business which is as important as the service you provide. Avoid giving multiple views to the name you give to your business. Focus creating a name that connects to the industry well and also a one that explains an unspoken message to your customers.

Business registration

As you all know, there is always a set of legal obligations that a business should satisfy. Having said that, a business license is extremely important to carry out the business smoothly. To become a swimming pool contractor, the C-53 license is mandatory as discussed in the previous section. Apart from this license you will have to get your business registered so that it adds to the respective business category list. Business registrations are done on the official website of the government of a country. Registrations will reveal the name, location, type of ownership, staff details, investment etc.

Business plan

Planning is more like building your dreams from scratch. It also gives a direction for your business to grow. Business plans are thus an important element in starting any business. They generally include information regarding investment, mission, vision, objective, ideas and other necessary titles. This is more like a checklist for an entrepreneur. But for a person outside the business, these plan reports are typically an instrument to attract investment. Building these plans should thus be done with intense knowledge and strategic approach.

Equipment used in swimming pool construction business

Tool set is the area your major investment will be pulled. While choosing the tools and equipment make sure you choose a better quality and brand. This is because faulty tools or tools of less quality may turn out to be hindrances in the flow of business.

Also, they might add the costs of operation leading to minimal profit. Research and buy the best and advanced tools at the first purchase itself. This also has the possibility of skipping the phase of obsolescence in the future.

Check for the productivity of the tool while buying. It is definitely not a wrong choice to buy expensive tools if the productivity out of them outweighs the cost of the acquiring them. Some of the latest tools to make the job easier are,

Underwater cordless drills
Underwater cordless grinders
High volume trash pumps
Magnetic pole attachments
High powered pressure washer
Battery operated pressure washer
Filter element cleaning wand
Handled pool vacuums

Method of construction

Seeing the growing trends in the swimming pool industry, you would have known how important it is to look for alternative and unique construction methods. Have a thorough knowledge of the materials each type of construction will demand. This is to convince and explain it to your clients while you are assigned a project.

Also, as a contractor you need to be a little flexible with the costs of construction. Only if you are aware of the variety of techniques and types of pools, you will bid for a reasonable profit. Missing out to know about these will leave you behind in the industry. Some of the construction models are,

Fibreglass pools
Vinyl liner pools
Concrete pools
Gunite pools
Steel wall vinyl pools
Cement wall pools

Most importantly, work with shapes. Only these variations can bring you big in the swimming pool industry. Keep your mind in innovation and completeness with perfection whenever you sign a project.

Like any other business, swimming pool company also needs enough marketing. Especially when the number of competitors is high. While you advertise remember that you are marketing your brand and not just showing the existence of the business. To make it clear, highlight the unique features or services of your company. Make a difference from the rest of the companies in the industry.

The entry of the business need is also a place where marketing efforts are needed. Plan and execute an interesting market entry that clients intend to try your service. Two areas where you can collaborate are,

Health industry
Building industry

Staff

As a contractor, you will need enough labour to complete your projects. Recruit the right number of workers to escape additional costs of construction. A number of swimming pool builders will be waiting to join in a company for journey experience. You can use this opportunity to get them for work at a lesser compensation.

The technique works like how an internship program works for a company. Less pay for the opportunity given is the mantra of it. Check various websites for compensation details. This might help you to provide the right compensation depending on the position they hold in your company.

Investment and profit percentage

As you are bidding on projects, I have no say on investment and profits that you can make. In this business, both the terms are highly fluctuating in nature. Profits can be left to maximise if your productivity can be increased with less costs. And coming to investment, the range is indeed not spottable.

This condition prevailing in the industry will not affect your business plan in any way. Have an investment of $35000 in hand while you start the business. As you travel in the journey of building and maintain pools you will see a visible change in this figure. The money will keep rotating and evolving big in very few days.

Conclusion

As given in the introduction part, various innovations and lifestyle changes have got this business to this elevated stage. The success behind this great industry is the service quality in the recent years. If you notice, not even a single pool would have been constructed in an unpleasant way.

From looks to features all of it are being carefully looked into considering the amounts people spend in constructing these pools. When you decide to become a swimming pool contractor,

I would suggest you to manage your business activities with any information system. Tasks like maintenance, cleaning, painting, alteration etc., could be scheduled and set as reminders.

In this way you are excelling in service delivery again. Your clients will get the touch of satisfaction when they witness the importance you give to the pools you constructed for them. Regular follow-up of the swimming pools constructed will also provide revenue from maintenance and cleaning.