Most homeowners only find out a company was not qualified after they paid for a visit that found nothing. A little investigating before you book saves money, time, and frustration.
The pool leak detection market includes companies at very different levels of professionalism. Some red flags are obvious in the first phone call. Others show up during or after the visit. Here is what to watch for at every stage.
Cannot provide a Florida pool contractor license number. Any legitimate pool leak detection company holds an active DBPR license. If they cannot provide the number or become evasive, stop there.
Describes the process only as "looking for leaks" or "doing a dye test." This tells you dye testing is their primary or only method. Dye testing cannot find underground pipe leaks.
Claims the visit will take 30-45 minutes. A proper inspection of a residential pool with no spa takes 1.5 to 2 hours. A 45-minute visit cannot cover all fittings, test all plumbing lines with multiple runs, and do acoustic listening along the pipe path.
Cannot explain their process step by step. A professional leak detection company can walk you through exactly what they do -- acoustic listening at every fitting, pressurizing each plumbing line individually, pipe locating, dye testing, and what happens next when a line fails. A company that cannot explain their process clearly is likely not following one.
Skips testing plumbing lines. If the technician only does a visual inspection and dye testing without testing the plumbing lines individually with a pressure manifold, any underground pipe breaks will be missed entirely.
Runs a single test and declares a result. Professional practice requires multiple test runs per line with equipment verification between runs. A single run without verification can produce false positives and false negatives.
No written report and no photos of findings. A professional visit produces documented findings in writing and high-resolution photographs of what was found -- reviewed on a large monitor to reveal defects not easily seen underwater with the naked eye. Verbal-only results give you nothing to bring to a repair contractor and no record of what was tested. If a company cannot show you proof of what they found, you have no way to verify the finding.
Always has a confident answer. A company that never says "we could not confirm this" is probably guessing when the answer is genuinely uncertain. Honest uncertainty is a professional quality, not a weakness.
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Reviews reflect customer experience -- friendliness, punctuality, communication. They do not necessarily reflect diagnostic thoroughness. A company can have 5-star reviews and still be using incomplete methods. Verify the license and ask about process regardless of how many reviews a company has.
Not automatically, but it is worth investigating. Search for the company online and look at their reviews across multiple platforms -- Google, BBB, Angi, HomeAdvisor. A low price combined with thin or no reviews, no social media presence, and an inability to explain their process is a meaningful signal. Ask what is included in the price, how long the visit takes, and what documentation they provide. A low price that comes with no plumbing line testing and no written report is not a bargain -- it is an incomplete service.
Call LSL. Leak and Subsurface Locators is regularly called to pools where other companies have already attempted a diagnosis without success. A fresh visit using the H.U.N.T.E.R. Method systematic approach often finds what an incomplete prior visit missed. Call Sandra to discuss your situation.