Pool Service Business Profit Margin: IRS Data, Costs & Break-Even
Quick answer: The IRS reports a 21.2% net income less deficit margin for tax year 2023 administrative and support service sole proprietors (NAICS 561). Pool service sits within that broad sector, which also covers unrelated services including staffing, security, and travel. It is not a pool route benchmark, and Schedule C net income is before owner pay for personal labor. A pool company’s own margin depends on stop density, chemical use, repair mix, travel, and seasonal workload.
Measure a pool route correctly
Gross margin on cleaning subtracts direct technician labor, chemicals, test supplies, and trip costs from service revenue. Repair jobs need their own parts and labor ledger. Net margin also charges insurance, vehicle ownership, equipment replacement, bookkeeping, marketing, and administration. Pool owners who clean accounts themselves should assign a value to those hours before calling the remainder business profit. A markup on a pump part is based on cost, while margin is based on selling price; compare them with the markup versus margin calculator.
Do not read the IRS result as a typical pool cleaner’s take-home pay. Sole proprietor Schedule C net income includes compensation for the proprietor’s labor and is pooled with many other industries in NAICS 561. The table supplies a broad comparison, not an answer to what a local weekly route earns.
| Metric | Administrative and support services (NAICS 561) |
|---|---|
| Net margin | 21.2% VERIFIED DATA |
| Average receipts per return | $36,687 VERIFIED DATA |
| Average net income per return | $7,769 VERIFIED DATA |
| Materials & supplies | 4.4% VERIFIED DATA |
| Contract labor | 7.6% VERIFIED DATA |
| Cost of labor + salaries and wages | 11.2% VERIFIED DATA |
| Car and truck | 10.5% VERIFIED DATA |
| Supplies | 5.8% VERIFIED DATA |
| Depreciation | 5.4% VERIFIED DATA |
| Insurance | 1.8% VERIFIED DATA |
| Advertising | 1.2% VERIFIED DATA |
Schedule C net income is before any owner salary: sole proprietors do not deduct pay to themselves, so net margin here includes the owner's compensation for their own labor.
Sector-level figures: the table does not split electricians, plumbers, roofers etc.; NAICS 238 covers all specialty trades, NAICS 561 covers landscaping, pest control and building services together with unrelated admin services (staffing, security, travel).
The costs hidden in a weekly visit
Count the time from arriving at one pool to arriving at the next. A dense route can fit more billable stops into a day; scattered accounts spend technician hours on the road. Track chemicals by pool, because size, water condition, and customer behavior make usage uneven. Include filter cleaning, equipment wear, and return visits required to correct water conditions. Price repairs and replacement parts separately from routine cleaning so a large parts purchase does not distort the route margin.
There is no dedicated BLS pool-service occupation. The trade data use general maintenance and repair workers as a rough proxy: their May 2025 national median wage is $23.84 per hour (official wage data, proxy). It is not a pool technician wage survey or a billing rate. The trade data’s selected insurance premium bundle is an estimate, and actual coverage depends on whether the business performs cleaning, repairs, or construction. Check the scope in the pool service license guide.
Example of a weekly cleaning route
Example inputs, not a benchmark: A route bills $2,500 for completed weekly visits. Paid technician labor is $850, chemicals and supplies are $250, and direct fuel is $100. Direct cost is $1,200, leaving $1,300 gross profit; $1,300 ÷ $2,500 = 52% gross margin. Assign $500 to fixed vehicle, insurance, scheduling, and equipment costs and $100 to corrective visits. Net profit is $700; $700 ÷ $2,500 = 28% before tax and before compensation for any unpaid owner cleaning. This arithmetic is an illustration, not a claim about normal pool routes.
Substitute account-level numbers in the profit margin calculator. For quotes, see pool service pricing; for equipment and working cash, see startup costs.
Profit Margin Calculator
| Profit | — CALCULATED |
|---|---|
| Margin Percent | — CALCULATED |
Show formula
Results use the entered costs, revenue, hours, and percentages shown above. Percentages are divided by 100 before calculation.
How many pools pay the fixed bills?
Compute contribution per account after labor, chemicals, and variable travel across every promised visit. Divide monthly fixed costs by that contribution, rounding up to a whole account. Use a slow-season month for a second calculation, since fixed costs remain when visits or repair revenue change. If the owner’s target pay is essential, include it in the amount the route must cover. Enter the figures in the jobs needed and break-even calculators.
Break-Even Calculator
| Jobs Per Month | — CALCULATED |
|---|
Show formula
Jobs = fixed monthly cost / (average ticket × gross margin).
Pool service profit questions
Frequently asked questions
Is a pool service business profitable?
It can be if account prices cover labor, chemicals, travel, callbacks, fixed costs, and owner work. The IRS NAICS 561 figure cannot predict a pool route's margin.
How much does a pool service owner make?
There is no pool-owner salary figure in the sector data. Schedule C net income includes the sole proprietor's compensation for cleaning and management labor.
Do repair jobs raise pool route margin?
They can add revenue, but parts, diagnosis, return visits, and the required license scope also add cost. Track repair contribution separately from cleaning.
Why does route density matter?
Travel between pools uses technician time and vehicle capacity without producing another completed visit. Nearby accounts leave more time for billable work.
Continue at the pool service business hub or review the IRS sector data.
Official sources
Last updated: October 2, 2026