Pool inspections are an essential component of buying or selling a home. Whether you’re buying or selling a home that includes an in-ground swimming pool, it’s important to make sure that you hire a professional to complete a thorough pool inspection to make sure it’s safe and working properly. A thorough, effective, and professional pool inspection tells you about the condition of the pool. Make sure, however, that you hire a specific pool inspector to do the job—not the regular home inspector. Not only will a home inspector be unqualified for the inspection, but most will not even offer this.However, despite the importance of pool inspections, you might be surprised to learn that many pools are not professionally inspected before or after a sale—sellers may not think it necessary, and buyers or the new homeowners may assume that everything is a-okay, when this may not be the case at all.

The thing is, pool inspections cost money, whether the money is spent by the seller or buyer—but it’s money well spent. A pool that is professionally inspected and officially declared safe and in good working order is a valuable asset for a homeowner trying to make a sale. Similarly, a buyer can rest easy knowing the pool they just acquired along with the house is safe and operable if they know it’s been recently professionally inspected, or if they hired the pool inspector themselves.

Keep in mind that effective pool inspections must be completed while the pool is operational. If you’re trying to sell your house with a pool or you’re looking for a house during the winter (or even late fall or early spring), you’re going to have to dish out a pretty penny to get the pool going for the inspection, and then close it down again (i.e., put it back into hibernating mode) until swim season. It could cost you up to $500. If you have a pool or want to buy a house with a pool attached, consider the May to September season for putting your home on the market or house hunting.

If you hire a reputable and experienced pool inspector specialist or company, you should feel confident that they will cover all the necessary areas of the pool inspection in order to ensure the pool is completely safe, hazard-free, up to good working order, clean, and in good condition—or if one or more of these areas is lacking (for example, if repairs need to be made or further testing is needed). However, here a few things you might want to make sure are inspected thoroughly: the liner (if there is one), ladders and any diving equipment, the slide, if applicable, the bottom and sides for any cracks or tears, the overall pool structure, expansion joints, the pool cover, the pool pump, including the vacuum, filter, amperage, and voltage, as well as the heater. Other areas that should be checked out include the deck, gates, fence, walkway, and gates.

In order to get the professional pool inspector’s evaluation report in your hands for your own safekeeping, or to show to potential buyers when you’re selling your home the proof that the pool is completely safe, working properly, and ready to go, be prepared to dish out about $100 for the official document. When looking for a professional pool inspector or inspecting company, compare reputation, quality, cost, the type of specific services offered, what’s all included, information about the evaluation report, and whether they do year-round inspections.

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