Plaster Start Up Pricing

I don’t currently offer the service but if I were to it would likely be a flat rate for service + the chems needed. Everyone's needs are different during startup, so it seems only fair to charge accordingly to them once you know the water chemistry out of the hose or truck.

For our new pool builds, we offer what is called a PPC (Post Plaster Care).  

In the initial pool build, we include pool water balancing (usually 3 - 5 days) until the pool water is balanced.  Then customer is responsible for their own brushing and chemicals after that.  If a salt pool we return 30 days or so after plaster and install the Polaris 280 cleaner and salt to 3500 ppm, no salt just return to install Polaris 280.  All of the above is included in a new pool build pricing.

For PPC we price the pool as we would a “local” pool (within a few miles of the shop).  We then take the mileage round trip from the shop to the new pool x 67¢ x 18 visits. Then we add the mileage (minimum charge of $150) x 2 months of service and present to the customer an all inclusive plaster care regimen supported by our NPC certified technicians for two months of complete service including the first cartridge filter clean.

Mileage + 2 months service = PPC total

We then shamelessly tell the customer we hope they love their pool tech,  like not having to take care of their pool, and just enjoying it’s beauty and want us to take care of it for just $XXX a month.  We then sign them up for maintenance!! 

We charge $850 as a starting rate, but that price can increase based on the size of the pool and the distance traveled.  This includes 10 visits or 2x per week for the first 30 days.  We brush, clean filters, and balance the water, but the customer is responsible for brushing in between our visits.  This process ties your company up for 30 days, so you need to price it accordingly in order to ensure the profit is in line with the amount of company resources put into it.

I am in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area for perspective.  First we always have the person who is asking us to do perform the start-up is to define start-up.  It seems many people have different definitions on if its a chemical start-up only, or if it includes something with equipment, setting up run times, meeting the homeowner to show them automation etc.  I should not be surprised after 20 years but still am what peoples definition mean.  That is why we ask first before we give estimate.

Second, for chemical start-ups, we only do the Orenda 28-day barrel start up procedure and keep meticulous records.  Our rate is $1,200 which includes the chemicals, CV 600/ SC 1000 and roughly 8-10 stops.  We do not get many takers and that is okay.

Third, we do remodels and we do not hand this process over to anyone.  We want control over every aspect of the job and its not completed until the 28th day, then hand off.  

Hope this helps. 

The Orenda barrel start-up is great; we also use that method.  Props to you for not being a company that does a remodel and handing it off to the customer without explaining anything at all to them.  I like to hear you want to do those yourself because those first 30 days are very important in how that surface cures.  That is integrity, and we need more of that in this industry! 

We have a spread sheet that takes into account gallons, miles from shop, sanitizer, sq/ft. Our standard startup is 7 visits, deluxe or for the full 30 days is 14. 

We include all chemical as the spreadsheet accounts for chemicals off of volume. Each one is different price though.