For Home Inspectors

Pools sit outside your scope for good reason. When a client needs the pool actually diagnosed, this is the escalation path.

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Standard home inspection scope excludes pool plumbing, and it should. Diagnosing a pool leak requires isolating and pressure testing individual lines, electronic pipe locating, and often trace gas. That is a separate trade with separate equipment and a separate license.

The practical problem is that the client still needs an answer, usually inside an inspection period. This is the referral that answers it without expanding your liability into a scope you correctly excluded.

What Gets Picked Up Where Your Scope Ends

Underground Plumbing

Individual line pressure testing and electronic locating of buried pool plumbing.

Shell Integrity

Whether a visible crack is cosmetic or actively losing water, confirmed with dye.

Skimmers & Niches

The two most common real leak sources, tested rather than noted as suspect.

Actual Loss Rate

Measured water loss against expected evaporation, so the finding is a number.

Equipment Pad

Pool and spa equipment assessed as part of the inspection.

Written Findings

A report with photo evidence your client can act on and you can reference.

How Referrals Are Handled

Common Pool Findings at Inspection

Skimmer throat separation, light niche conduit leaks, failed returns at the shell interface, and suction-side underground breaks account for a large share of what turns up on transaction inspections. Several are invisible without pressure testing, which is precisely why they survive a visual inspection and surface after closing.

Related Pages

Refer a Pool Inspection

Call Sandra with the property and the inspection deadline. Licensed CPC1457277.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pool issues fall outside a standard home inspection?

Underground plumbing integrity, whether a shell crack is actively leaking, skimmer and light niche leaks, and measured loss rate. All require pressure testing or dye and acoustic work rather than visual assessment.

Does the client stay mine?

Yes. This is a referral for a scope item you excluded, not a handoff of the client relationship.

Can you work within my inspection timeline?

Yes. Transaction deadlines are prioritized. Give Sandra the deadline when you call.

What are the most common pool leaks found during home inspections?

Skimmer throat separation, light niche conduit leaks, return fitting failures at the shell interface, and suction-side underground breaks. Most are not visible without testing, which is why they commonly surface after closing.