Pro Guides
Pool Service Contract Template
Fill in your company, price and rules to get a one-page, month to month pool service agreement with the FTC's 3-day cancel notice. Print it, save it as a PDF or copy it into Word or Google Docs.
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This free pool service agreement builder opens on a finished example. Change it to yours and it rewrites as you type.
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See PoolChecker ProYour agreement1 page + cancel notice
POOL SERVICE AGREEMENT
Main Street Pool Service
123 Main St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 · (602) 555-0142 · office@example.com
Customer: ________________________Date signed: ____________
Service address: __________________________________
Customer mobile: ______________Customer email: ____________________
First visit: ____________
Month to month. This agreement continues month to month until you or we cancel. There's no minimum term and no fee to cancel.
Your price: $160 a month for weekly service, plus sales tax where the law requires it.
Price changes: we'll tell you in writing 10 to 30 days before a new price starts, and how to cancel.
To cancel: call or text (602) 555-0142, email office@example.com, reply "cancel" to any email from us, write to 123 Main St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, or tell us in person. Service ends at the end of the month you've already paid for. In the first 3 business days after you sign, the cancel notice applies instead, and you get every payment back. We may also end this agreement by telling you in writing.
Autopay (optional): I agree to automatic charges of $160 a month, plus sales tax where it applies, to the card or bank I give you, until I cancel. If a month's charge will be different (extras, a credit or a part month), you'll send me that bill at least 10 days before the charge. Initials: ______
We take card and bank details separately, never on this form.
Each visit: we skim the surface, brush the walls and steps, vacuum as needed, empty the skimmer and pump baskets, test and balance the water, and check that the equipment is running.
Chemicals: chlorine and acid are included. Other chemicals, like stabilizer, salt, algaecide or phosphate remover, are billed at our current prices; ask us for the list.
Filter cleaning: filter and salt cell cleanings are billed separately when needed, at our current price, which we'll tell you before the first one.
Repairs and extras: repairs, parts, equipment, openings, closings, green pool cleanup and extra visits aren't in the monthly price, and neither is anything this agreement doesn't list. We'll text or email you the price and get your OK first, except repairs of $50 or less, which we may do and add to your next bill.
Green pool: if your pool turns green from something outside our control, like the pump turned off, broken equipment, low water or a storm, cleanup is a separate job, quoted first. If it was our miss, we fix it at no charge.
Your service day: we'll tell you your day. We can't promise an arrival time, and we may change your day or technician after letting you know.
Weeks off: we may skip up to 4 weeks a year for holidays, vacation or illness. We'll tell you as early as we can, and your monthly price stays the same.
Weather: if rain or lightning makes it unsafe, we'll do chemicals and baskets only, and your price stays the same. After a big storm it can take more than one visit to get the pool clean.
Gates and dogs: please leave the gate unlocked and keep dogs inside on your service day. If we can't get in safely, we skip that visit and it still counts as a visit. We close and latch every gate when we leave.
Water level: keeping the water level up is your job. We'll tell you when it's low, and we don't leave hoses running.
Existing problems and outside work: at the first visit we note the condition of your pool and equipment. We aren't responsible for problems that were already there, normal wear, or work, parts or chemicals from anyone else. Please tell us before you add chemicals or change pump run times.
Safety: we don't supervise swimmers. Fences, gates, alarms, covers and other safety barriers are yours to keep in working order, unless we quote that work separately.
Billing: we bill at the start of each month for that month. Pay by automatic card or bank charge, or by invoice due within 15 days. We may pause service while a bill is more than 30 days late. If the pool turns green while service is paused, cleanup is extra.
Texts and email (optional; neither is needed for service):
Text me about my service (visit notes, gate or access questions, schedule changes) and send my invoices to the mobile number above. Reply STOP, or tell us, any time to stop texts.
Email me this agreement, notices and invoices. I can ask for paper copies at no charge, or switch back to paper, any time by contacting you. I'll keep my email address current, and I can open email and PDF files.
Questions about cancelling? Call (602) 555-0142.
YOU, THE BUYER, MAY CANCEL THIS TRANSACTION AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT OF THE THIRD BUSINESS DAY AFTER THE DATE OF THIS TRANSACTION. SEE THE ATTACHED NOTICE OF CANCELLATION FORM FOR AN EXPLANATION OF THIS RIGHT.
Customer signature: ________________________Printed name: ____________________Date: __________
For Main Street Pool Service: ________________________Printed name: ____________________Date: __________
Print it twice, have both copies signed, and staple page 2 to each: you keep one, the customer keeps the other. Fill in the signing date and the cancel deadline on both notices first (Sundays and federal holidays don't count).
Print it twice and have both copies signed: you keep one, the customer keeps the other.
General information, not legal advice. Have a local attorney look it over before you use it.
Page 2: the cancel notice (prints twice)
NOTICE OF CANCELLATION
______________________ (Date of transaction)
You may CANCEL this transaction, without any Penalty or Obligation, within THREE BUSINESS DAYS from the above date.
If you cancel, any property traded in, any payments made by you under the contract or sale, and any negotiable instrument executed by you will be returned within TEN BUSINESS DAYS following receipt by the seller of your cancellation notice, and any security interest arising out of the transaction will be cancelled.
If you cancel, you must make available to the seller at your residence, in substantially as good condition as when received, any goods delivered to you under this contract or sale, or you may, if you wish, comply with the instructions of the seller regarding the return shipment of the goods at the seller's expense and risk.
If you do make the goods available to the seller and the seller does not pick them up within 20 days of the date of your Notice of Cancellation, you may retain or dispose of the goods without any further obligation. If you fail to make the goods available to the seller, or if you agree to return the goods to the seller and fail to do so, then you remain liable for performance of all obligations under the contract.
To cancel this transaction, mail or deliver a signed and dated copy of this Cancellation Notice or any other written notice, or send a telegram, to Main Street Pool Service, at 123 Main St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 NOT LATER THAN MIDNIGHT OF ______________________.
I HEREBY CANCEL THIS TRANSACTION.
____________ (Date)____________________________ (Buyer's signature)
Customer keeps both copies: one to keep, one to send if cancelling.
Clauses
What every pool service agreement should say
Whether you call it a pool service contract, a maintenance agreement or a cleaning contract, these lines head off the arguments owners on r/PoolPros report most.
- Month to month, and how to cancel, in a box. California and Connecticut want clear terms and an easy way to cancel for services that run until cancelled.
- The 3-day right to cancel, if they sign at home. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule covers home sales of $25 or more, even when the customer invited you, and needs a bold notice by the signature plus two cancellation forms.
- What each visit includes, and who pays for chemicals. "People think they are entitled to free stops that aren't in their normal contract," one owner wrote on r/PoolPros.
- A repair limit. Small repairs up to a set amount without asking, everything else quoted first. Dallas owner Jerry Jurden's agreement pre-approves parts up to $50 (Pool & Spa News, 2018).
- Gates, dogs and water level. Dogs inside and the gate unlocked, or the visit still counts; you latch the gate behind you; topping off the water is the customer's job. Dogs and water level each come up from a dozen or more owners on r/PoolPros.
- Weather and weeks off. Rain or lightning means chemicals and baskets only. Many owners build 4 weeks a year off into the monthly price.
- Billing, late fees and pausing service. Unpaid bills are the most common dispute on r/PoolPros. Keep any late fee small; California limits set fees in consumer contracts (Civil Code 1671).
- Price change notice. In writing, 10 to 30 days ahead: California allows 7 to 30, and federal Regulation E wants 10 before a bank autopay amount changes. Our price increase letter generator writes it.
- Sales tax and texts. Texas, North Carolina and Connecticut tax pool cleaning itself, so say "plus sales tax where the law requires it". The FCC treats texts as calls, so the template asks with an optional checkbox and stops when they reply STOP.
After they sign
- Tell them about the 3 days out loud and hand over their copy with both notices filled in. In California, also tell them the cancel has to be in writing. If they ticked the email box, email them a PDF of the signed copy and ask them to reply that it opened; that reply is the electronic OK federal law (ESIGN) wants before required notices go by email.
- Start service after the 3 days. If they cancel inside them, they get every payment back within 10 business days (10 days in California and Florida), even for visits you already made; Texas and Florida law say so outright.
- Act on a cancel within one business day, even one left on voicemail; California and Connecticut set that clock.
- Keep the signed copy as long as they're a customer and 3 more years. That covers California's rule on proof of consent.
- Once a year, remind each customer of the service, the price and how to cancel. Connecticut requires it from July 1, 2026.
Starting out? The startup guide covers licenses by state, insurance and sales tax.
State notes for California, Connecticut, Florida, Nevada and TexasChecked October 6, 2026. Not legal or tax advice.
- California: pick California in the builder. It prints the state's own cancel notice and gives customers 65 or older 5 business days. A customer who signs online must be able to cancel online.
- Connecticut: if they sign up online, customers must be able to cancel by replying to an email from you, by a cancel link, or by a phone number that's also on your website, if you have one. Yearly reminder from July 1, 2026.
- Florida: pick Florida in the builder to add the state's "Buyer's right to cancel" statement.
- Nevada: the state's own cancel notice words a few lines differently (NRS 598.250). Ask a local attorney which one to print.
- Texas: the FTC's forms meet Texas law too (Business and Commerce Code 601.054).
- Sales tax: Texas, North Carolina and Connecticut tax pool cleaning itself. Elsewhere it can depend on how you bill parts and chemicals, so ask your state revenue department.
Other states: ask your state's consumer protection office.
Questions
Pool service contracts: questions answered
Do I need a written pool service agreement?
Many owners run on a handshake, but the fights they report most, over unpaid bills, green pools, dogs and water bills, come down to what was agreed. One page, signed before the first visit, settles most of them, and you need that signed OK before you charge a card or bank. If the customer signs at home, the FTC's 3-day cancel notice is required.
Can I raise my price under this agreement?
Yes. The agreement says you'll give written notice 10 to 30 days before a new price starts, with how to cancel. That fits California's 7 to 30 day rule for services that run until cancelled and Regulation E's 10 days' notice before a bank autopay amount changes. Our price increase letter generator writes the notice.
Can I add a liability waiver?
Not one you can count on. Connecticut's Supreme Court threw out a signed release in 2005 (Hanks v. Powder Ridge), Arizona's constitution leaves assumption of risk to a jury, and California and Texas limit them. A customer's waiver also won't stop a guest's lawsuit, insurer Raymond Arouesty warns (Pool & Spa News, 2012). The template uses scope lines instead. They set expectations; they don't replace liability insurance.
Can customers sign it online?
Yes. Federal law (ESIGN) and state law treat an electronic signature like ink when both sides agree to sign that way, so paste the copied text into the e-signing tool you already use. If you quoted them at their home, keep the cancel notice page in, and ask your attorney whether an emailed notice is enough. In California and Connecticut, a customer who signs online must also be able to cancel online, for example with a ready-made cancel email from you.
Do I need a lawyer to use this template?
It's a starting point built from federal and state rules and from what pool owners say works, not legal advice. Have a local attorney look it over, especially before you add a waiver, a fixed term, interest on late bills or marketing texts, or if you sell in Spanish: then the agreement and notices have to be in Spanish too.
Receipts
Sources
Every rule and figure comes from these sources; tips without one are our own advice.
All 26 sources, with dates
- 1Federal Trade Commission, Cooling-Off Rule, 16 CFR 429.0 and 429.1 (Cornell LII copy): home sales of $25 or more, even when the buyer invited you; Sundays and federal holidays aren't business days; the bold statement, the two notice forms, telling the buyer out loud, and the refund within 10 business days. Read October 6, 2026.
- 2California Civil Code 1689.5 and 1689.7 (FindLaw, current as of January 1, 2026): the state's own notice wording, 5 business days for buyers 65 or older, and telling the buyer a cancel must be in writing. Read October 6, 2026.
- 3California Business and Professions Code 17601 and 17602 (FindLaw): clear terms and consent for services that run until cancelled, price change notice 7 to 30 days ahead, an online cancel for online sign-ups, a voicemail cancel handled within one business day, and keeping proof of consent. Read October 6, 2026.
- 4Connecticut General Statutes 42-158ff, 2026 supplement: clear terms, consent before charging, cancelling online or by replying to your email, a voicemail cancel handled within one business day, and the yearly reminder from July 1, 2026. Read October 6, 2026.
- 5Connecticut General Statutes 42-134a and 42-135a: the state's home sales law, with the statement and the notice in capital letters. Read October 6, 2026.
- 6Florida Statutes 501.021, 501.031, 501.041 and 501.045 (2026): the "Buyer's right to cancel" statement, the date the buyer signs, a refund within 10 days, and no pay for services done before a cancel. Read October 7, 2026.
- 7Texas Business and Commerce Code 17.42, 601.052, 601.054 and 601.101 (texas.public.law): a consumer's waiver is void, the statement in capital letters, the FTC's forms count, and no pay for services done before a cancel. Read October 6, 2026.
- 8Nevada Revised Statutes 598.250 and 598.260: Nevada's own notice wording and its cancel penalty. Read October 6, 2026.
- 9North Carolina General Statutes 75-41: say clearly how to cancel a service that renews. Read October 6, 2026.
- 10Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.10 (Cornell LII copy): a signed OK for bank autopay, and written notice 10 days before an autopay amount changes. Read October 6, 2026.
- 11California Civil Code 1671 and 1668 (FindLaw): set fees in consumer contracts, and releases from your own fault. Read October 6, 2026.
- 12Hanks v. Powder Ridge Restaurant Corp., 276 Conn. 314 (2005), Caselaw Access Project: a signed release thrown out. Read October 6, 2026.
- 13Arizona Constitution, article 18, section 5, and Phelps v. Firebird Raceway, 210 Ariz. 403 (2005), Caselaw Access Project: assumption of risk is left to the jury. Read October 6, 2026.
- 14ESIGN, 15 U.S.C. 7001, and Florida Statutes 668.50: electronic signatures when both sides agree, and the consent needed before notices go by email. Read October 6, 2026.
- 15FCC, 47 CFR 64.1200 and Report and Order FCC 12-21: texts count as calls, and "stop" and other reasonable ways to opt out. Read October 6, 2026.
- 16Sales tax on pool cleaning: 34 Texas Administrative Code 3.356; North Carolina Department of Revenue, Services to Real Property Taxability Chart; Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, Services subject to sales and use taxes. Read September 29, 2026.
- 17Jerry Jurden, Champion Pool Service, Dallas, "How to Create a Rock-Solid Service Agreement", Pool & Spa News: a one-page, month to month agreement that pre-approves parts up to $50. January 10, 2018.
- 18Raymond Arouesty, Arrow Insurance Service, "Ideal Customer?", Pool & Spa News: note the pool's condition before service starts; a customer's waiver won't stop a guest's lawsuit. September 14, 2012.
- 19Rudy Stankowitz, "Like a Pool, Expectations Should Be Crystal Clear", Pool & Spa News: sample clauses on water level and pump run times. July 1, 2014.
- 20r/PoolPros, "What are some specifics you put in contracts?": holidays, weather, extra chemicals and free stops. Thread started September 7, 2025.
- 21r/PoolPros, "Frustrated": dogs left out, and skipped visits that still count. Thread started August 6, 2025.
- 22r/PoolPros, "Fee for adding water?": the homeowner keeps the water level up. Thread started April 28, 2025.
- 23r/PoolPros, "Lightning and rain policy": chemicals and baskets only in a storm. Thread started August 15, 2025.
- 24r/PoolPros, "School me on the 48 week year": 4 weeks off built into the monthly price. Thread started December 19, 2024.
- 25r/PoolPros, "Pay me!": unpaid bills. Thread started August 20, 2026.
- 26r/PoolPros, "How do you guys charge for extra services?": extras, approvals and who pays for a green pool. Thread started June 13, 2026.
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General information for pool service businesses, not legal advice. More for pool company owners: all Pro Guides.