Handling the handover for swimming pool builders

Nick Briscoe from Crystaclear Group, whose father owned and operated one of Australia’s first pool maintenance businesses in the late 1970s, has spent a lifetime studying water.

He says that regardless of what type of pool you build, providing a comprehensive handover is an important part of the process.

“For new pool owners, the early days of pool maintenance can feel overwhelming. The excitement of owning a pool – envisioning sunny afternoons, family gatherings, and relaxation – often overshadows the reality of regular upkeep,” he says.

As a result, essential maintenance tasks like balancing water chemistry, cleaning filters and checking equipment can catch new owners off guard. Without the right guidance, these tasks might seem complex and time-consuming, leading to frustrations down the line. Educating new owners on basic maintenance early on helps them enjoy their pool with confidence, keeping it safe, clean and swim-ready year-round.

Briscoe says pool builders generally don’t have the expertise or capacity to explain everything to the customer.

“And they do not always provide very good after handover care. Things like pumps losing prime, filters blocking up, leaves backing up in the skimmer, water levels too low to run the pump and general advice on how to look after the pool are common calls builder will get after construction has finished,” he says.

“If these questions are not answered quickly and professionally, what may have been a good building experience can soon turn the customer sour.”

Considering an external contractor to manage the handover and after-sales care – including warranty if it arises – is just an extension on what most pool builders do.

“For example, they will have a preferred excavation crew, a specialised steel fixer, a designated tiler etc., so the concept of having a professional company specifically to cater to pool builders for handover and after sales service should be a no brainer,” says Briscoe.

It’s important for pool builders to ensure that pools – whether fibreglass or concrete – get off to the best possible start to minimise surface degradation issues over time.

“Builders also need confidence that the contractor providing after-sales service will always represent them professionally and never speak negatively about their work to the customer,” he says.

“Since after-sales care feels like an extension of the builder’s own business, trust is essential for maintaining a strong reputation and ensuring customers receive quality service that reflects well on the builder.”

It’s common for small issues to be overlooked during pool construction, such as missing eyeball fittings, pipe blockages, absent skimmer baskets or vacuum plates, improperly installed pressure gauges, or minor leaks.

“Our handover team addresses all these details onsite, ensuring everything is in place,” says Briscoe. “This thorough approach not only prevents customers from needing to contact the pool builder for follow-ups but also strengthens customer relationships by providing a seamless, carefree experience.

“Builders are faced with resourcing problems during the summer when the majority of handovers occur. In the case of Oasis Pool Constructions in Queensland, they will have completed around 150-plus handovers between September and December 2024 alone. It is not possible for them to complete this amount of work with the resources they have so using an external contractor for this purposes allows them to concentrate their efforts on finishing pools by Christmas.

“All of the information about the pool and the customer contact is recorded on the portal,” says Briscoe, providing a transparent way the builder can look at anything that has occurred from the handover onwards.

“This can be useful for dealing with any potential claims on the builder as there is a history of what has occurred with the client from handover and beyond.”

Kylie Freeman from Oasis Pool Constructions says this helps empower customers to keep their pools in pristine condition.

“It certainly makes our handover process seamless and ensures our clients are left with the knowledge and skills to maintain their new swimming pool to a high standard into the future,” she says.

IMAGE: Crystaclear Group handles the handovers for Oasis Pools (Supplied)