What should I check about a pool company’s repair and equipment install records?

Records tell you how well the company is run. Look for a job number, the customer, the work done, the equipment details and the technician’s notes. Consistent, readable records suggest an orderly business. Thin or scattered ones suggest you will have trouble proving what was done, especially if a customer later disputes a repair.

Match a sample to invoices and payments, and look for work that was done but never billed, or billed but with no record. Then look for repeat visits to the same pool. They can point to poor workmanship, a weak product or a pump brand that keeps failing. Ask the seller what they changed after any pattern appeared.

Next, consider what you would inherit. Installed equipment may carry manufacturer warranties and the company’s own promises. Ask which are still active and who will honour them after closing. Ask whether equipment installed for customers is financed or owned by the company. Your lawyer can write the responsibility for earlier work into the agreement, and your accountant can confirm costs appear in the statements. Ask how long the records are kept and whether they sit in a system you can take over or in the seller’s own files.

Key takeaways

• Check records for job number, equipment, parts, technician and invoice.
• Look for repeat repairs to the same pools and ask what changed afterward.
• Agree in writing who handles active warranties on work done before closing.