What Should I Look for in a Pool Leak Report for a Real Estate Purchase?

What a Good Pool Leak Report Covers

A real estate pool leak report is not just for the buyer. It may be reviewed by the buyer's agent, the listing agent, the seller, the title company, the repair contractor, and sometimes an insurance adjuster. Everyone needs to be able to read the same document and come away with the same understanding.

Here is what to look for:

Photos - Every significant finding should be documented with photos. Photos of the leak area, equipment conditions, skimmers, lights, fittings, drains, cracks, previous patches, and water level. A report without photos is missing the most important part of the documentation.

Confirmed versus suspected findings - A professional report distinguishes between what was confirmed by testing evidence and what is suspected but not conclusively proven. Those are different findings and they should be labeled differently.

What was tested - The report should say which areas were evaluated. Underwater shell, spa, skimmers, lights, returns, drains, pipe testing of plumbing lines, equipment pad, and any water features.

Limitations - If any area could not be tested because the water was too low, the pool was too cloudy, chemistry was unsafe, equipment was inaccessible, or a feature could not be operated, that should be documented. A limitation is honest information, not a failure.

Recommended next step - Every report should end with a clear direction: repair needed at this location, further evaluation recommended, no active leak evidence found in tested areas, or follow up after clearing the water.

At Leak and Subsurface Locators, we always provide a written report with photos. The rare exception is an underwater camera failure that damages the SD card - in which case we document the findings in writing.

Frequently Asked Questions