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What to photograph on a pool service visit: water, surface and equipment
Weekly pool service is invisible when it works and a visible mess when it does not. Customers see the water, not the work, and when the water changes, the pool company gets the call.
A few photos on each visit show what the pool looked like when you arrived, record equipment readings and faults, and give you the before and after you need to prove a recovery.
Before you start
- Take your first full set on the first visit. It is the baseline for everything after.
- Photograph from the same spot each time, using a landmark such as a corner of the house or a fence post.
- Photograph before you vacuum, skim or stir the water.
- Keep chemicals and tools out of the photos, and take photos of readings and gauges, not of the customer's yard furniture.
The shot list
12 photos, in the order to take them. For each one: what to shoot, how to frame it, and why it is worth the few seconds.
The water and the surface
- The whole pool from one fixed spot
How: Chest height, from a landmark, at an angle that cuts glare.
Why: It records the water color and clarity.
- The floor and walls
How: Close up of stains, algae, scale and staining.
Why: It records what the surface looked like at the start.
- The tile line and waterline
How: Along the line, close up.
Why: Calcium scale and scum lines show here first, and are hard to explain without a photo.
- Steps, ladders and fittings
How: Close up of rust, loose rails, cracked trim.
Why: It records existing wear and safety issues.
The baskets and the equipment pad
- Skimmer and pump baskets
How: Open, with the contents showing.
Why: It shows what the pool was dealing with.
- The filter and its pressure gauge
How: Close up of the gauge so the reading is clear.
Why: The pressure reading is a record of the filter's condition.
- Pump, heater, salt cell and valves
How: A wide shot of the pad, then close-ups of any leaks or corrosion.
Why: It records faults before you touch them.
- Leaks, wet spots and cracked housings
How: Close up of the union, the o-ring, the housing.
Why: It supports a repair quote and shows the issue was there when you arrived.
After the visit, and for recoveries
- The same pool from the same spot
How: After you have finished and the water has settled.
Why: The pair shows the change.
- For a green-to-clear recovery: the same shot every visit
How: The same fixed spot, the same height, each visit.
Why: The first and the latest photo together tell the whole story.
- Test readings, if you share them
How: A photo of the test strip or kit.
Why: It supports the chemistry notes you send.
- The finished equipment pad and the yard
How: Wide, with the gate closed and the area tidy.
Why: It shows you left the area as you found it.
Get the angle and the light right
- Glare on the water hides clarity, so move your angle until it disappears.
- Photograph the water before the pump has circulated for a while, and again once it has settled.
- Shoot the gauge straight on, so the number is readable.
- Take the same photo from the same spot on every visit, so you can pair any two of them.
Mistakes that make the result look smaller
- Photographing the water only after it has cleared.
- Missing equipment faults, then being blamed for them.
- Shooting from a different place each visit.
- Skipping the gauge, so the filter's condition is not on record.
When it is not a standard job
A green pool recovery
Photograph the same spot every visit, with the date. A report with the first photo and the clear one tells the customer the whole job, in a single picture.
A new customer
Take the full set on the first visit, including the equipment pad. It is your record of the system as you inherited it.
A winterizing or an opening
Photograph the pool, the cover and the equipment at the start and the end. It supports the work and the next season's booking.
Printable checklist: pool service
Tick each one before and after.
- The whole pool from one fixed spot
- The floor and walls
- The tile line and waterline
- Steps, ladders and fittings
- Skimmer and pump baskets
- The filter and its pressure gauge
- Pump, heater, salt cell and valves
- Leaks, wet spots and cracked housings
- The same pool from the same spot
- For a green-to-clear recovery: the same shot every visit
- Test readings, if you share them
- The finished equipment pad and the yard
photoluego.com/guides/pool-service-photo-checklist
From photos to proof
A folder of photos is not a report. Photo Luego for pool service pros lines up each before and after shot with a ghost of the first photo, pairs them for you, and turns the best pairs into a report with your logo, your review links and a pay button. It works in your phone's browser, and it has an always-free plan. New to it? Start with Getting started, then see how to send a report.
Questions
How do I photograph a pool when the water is bright with glare?
Change your angle until the glare disappears, and photograph from the same spot each time. Shooting from low and slightly to the side usually shows the color and the clarity.
What equipment photos matter most?
The filter and its pressure gauge, the pump, any leaks or corrosion, and the heater or salt cell. They are the records you will want when a customer asks what went wrong.
How often should I photograph a regular pool?
Take a full set on the first visit, and a quick one on each visit when something changes. For a recovery, photograph the same spot every visit.
General advice, not legal advice. Rules about photographing people and property vary by place, so check yours.