Pool opening & closing season — the checklists your techs need to hit 40 accounts a week

# Pool opening & closing checklists that scale Season transitions are the two most-dangerous weeks of a pool service year. In April, one bad opening can turn a happy 5-year customer into an angry review. In October, one skipped step can freeze-crack a line and kick off a 6-month warranty dispute. Here's the tech-facing checklist that keeps 40+ accounts/week moving during transitions. ## SPRING OPENING (April/May) ### Before you arrive - Confirm the customer has already removed the cover (if applicable) - Confirm any freeze damage they've noticed ### On-site — 60 to 90 minutes per pool 1. Remove cover, clean + fold + store 2. Reinstall skimmer basket, return jets, ladder, handrails 3. Reconnect chlorinator + salt cell 4. Prime pump, verify no leaks at fittings after 5 minutes running 5. Verify filter pressure gauge working, backwash if needed 6. Test water: pH, TA, CYA, calcium hardness, chlorine 7. Add shock (10 ppm free chlorine target) 8. Add stabilizer if CYA under 30 ppm 9. Balance pH to 7.4-7.6 with muriatic acid or soda ash 10. Photo: pump running, water clear, all equipment reinstalled 11. Note any equipment concerns for follow-up quote (motor bearings noisy, DE filter grid degraded, heater not firing, etc.) ### Back at the truck - Mark job complete in Service Pro Suite - Auto-invoice fires with itemized chemicals - Any equipment concerns get logged as separate Estimates for follow-up ## FALL CLOSING (October/November) ### Before you arrive - Confirm the customer has already lowered water 6-8 inches below the skimmer (or plan to do it on-site) ### On-site — 90 to 120 minutes per pool 1. Lower water 6" below skimmer + 2" below returns 2. Backwash filter completely, DE filter: rinse grids, sand: drain 3. Blow out all lines with a shop vac or pool blower (**this is the one step nobody can skip — this is what prevents freeze cracks**) 4. Add pool antifreeze to skimmer + return lines to catch residual 5. Plug returns + skimmer with expansion plugs 6. Winterize the salt cell (remove + store indoors) 7. Winterize heater per manufacturer procedure (drain, blow out) 8. Add closing chemicals: pH neutral, shock to 5-10 ppm, algaecide, metal sequestrant if needed 9. Install cover, secure 10. Photo: cover on, all equipment stored + labeled 11. Log: which plugs installed where (skimmer count, return count), heater state, salt cell serial + where stored ### Back at the truck - Cover job Complete → auto-invoice - Set the property's next spring opening date on the recurring schedule - Store closing photos on the property record — freeze-damage disputes in January get resolved by pulling the closing photos. ## Why this matters - **Skipped blow-out**: cracked line = $600-2,400 repair, disputed - **Missed heater winterize**: cracked heat exchanger = $1,800-3,500 - **No closing photo**: no defense against dispute ## In Service Pro Suite Set opening + closing as **service presets** with sub-tasks the tech checks off in the mobile app. No sub-task = no job completion allowed. Force the checklist to be followed. Techs will grumble the first week. By week three they'll thank you for having their back on the season transitions.