Skimmer, the industry-leading pool service software with over 27,000 users nationwide, has launched the Skimmer Service Rate Index – a groundbreaking utility that helps pool service professionals see what their peers are charging in a given market. This tool, based on anonymous data from Skimmer’s extensive user base, provides valuable insight for the pool service industry.
Providing better business tools
“Our goal at Skimmer is to be much more than a software company,” says Jack Nelson, CEO of Skimmer. “In fact, our goal from the beginning has been to create a platform that enables pool professionals to build great businesses. We think it’s just a natural extension of that to provide them with data to help them manage all aspects of their business.”
The Skimmer Service Rate Index leverages data from over 6,500 zip codes and more than 700,000 pools, providing a detailed and anonymized snapshot of pricing strategies across the country. “We’re in a pretty unique position because our software has the ability to log what pros charge and what model they’re billing on,” explains Niki Acosta, director of marketing at Skimmer. “Through this data, we know what people are charging per stop and per month, whether or not they include chemicals, and we can analyze this data by zip code, county and state.”
Pool professionals can compare prices
One of the Service Rate Index’s standout features is its ability to visualize and compare data from different regions. Acosta highlights the price differences: “We consistently see that states like Florida tend to lag behind in pricing in areas in the Southeast. We also see that areas in the Northeast tend to charge a lot more. Pool seasons are much shorter there, and so you have pool openings, four months or three and a half months of service, and then pool closings. These models lead to what we can see as different pricing based on the level of service that is being offered across the U.S.”
In addition to providing a snapshot of current prices, the index tracks price changes over time, giving pool professionals a way to see how the market is performing. “As you think about different models, there’s also the added chemicals or the chemicals included per stop per month. There’s just a wealth of information that people can use to see what’s the norm in a particular market,” Nelson says. “Especially since we release this every year, we have the data and there’s a lot of useful information that the industry should know.”
What pool professionals demand from market to market
The data shows interesting trends, such as regional differences in chemical inclusion. “In Florida, we see a lot of companies that include chemicals, but if you look at markets like Phoenix or Southern California, it’s pretty uneven,” notes Acosta. “This is a very useful way to look at these different models and be able to compare them directly. One thing we also found is that people who add on chemicals actually charge more on average for the basic service than people who include chemicals.”
Northeast
| Condition | Low range | Low average | High average | High range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 113 $ | 117 $ | 121 $ | 127 $ |
| Direct current | 100$ | 104 $ | 107 $ | 109 $ |
| Maine | 76 $ | 82 $ | $85 | 92 $ |
| Massachusetts | 113 $ | 119 $ | 124 $ | 133 $ |
| New Hampshire | 123 $ | 128 $ | 133 $ | 137 $ |
| New Jersey | 92 $ | 99$ | 103 $ | 110 $ |
| new York | 108 $ | 116 $ | 121 $ | 130$ |
| Pennsylvania | 113 $ | 119 $ | 124 $ | 128 $ |
| Rhode Island | 127 $ | 132 $ | 137 $ | 146 $ |
| Vermont | $87 | $89 | 91 $ | 94 $ |
west
| Condition | Low range | Low average | High average | High range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 134 $ | 138 $ | 142 $ | 146 $ |
| Arizona | 93 $ | 104 $ | 110 $ | 131 $ |
| California | 143 $ | 159 $ | 169 $ | 192 $ |
| Colorado | $87 | 93 $ | 98$ | 108 $ |
| Hawaii | 166 $ | 177 US dollars | 186 $ | 197$ |
| Idaho | 64 $ | 73 $ | $80 | 106 $ |
| Montana | 117 $ | 124 $ | 128 $ | 136 $ |
| Nevada | 120 $ | 130$ | 137 $ | $150 |
| New Mexico | 117 $ | 124 $ | 131 $ | 144 $ |
| Oregon | $80 | 86 $ | 90$ | 101 US dollars |
| Utah | 104 $ | 117 $ | 125$ | 144 $ |
| Washington | 163 $ | 170$ | 176 $ | 183 $ |
| Wyoming | 82 $ | 93 $ | 96 $ | 99$ |
Midwest
| Condition | Low range | Low average | High average | High range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 124 $ | 134 $ | 140$ | 148 $ |
| Indiana | 110 $ | 118 $ | 124 $ | 130$ |
| Iowa | 195$ | 201 US dollars | 208 $ | $213 |
| Kansas | 125$ | 133 $ | 140$ | 149$ |
| Michigan | 115 $ | 119 $ | 123 $ | 128 $ |
| Minnesota | $85 | 94 $ | 100$ | 107 $ |
| Missouri | 118 $ | 123 $ | 128 $ | 134 $ |
| Nebraska | 144 $ | 148 $ | 154 $ | 159 $ |
| North Dakota | 91 $ | 97$ | 106 $ | 110 $ |
| Ohio | 93 $ | 97$ | 100$ | 104 $ |
| South Dakota | 81 $ | $84 | $87 | $88 |
| Wisconsin | 158 $ | 176 $ | 184 $ | 194 $ |
south
| Condition | Low range | Low average | High average | High range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 118 $ | 126 $ | 131 $ | 143 $ |
| Arkansas | 100$ | 106 $ | 109 $ | 117 $ |
| Delaware | $75 | 81 $ | 86 $ | 92 $ |
| Florida | 115 $ | 128 $ | 136 $ | 157 $ |
| Georgia | 117 $ | 128 $ | 136 $ | $150 |
| Kentucky | 160$ | 166 $ | 172 $ | 179 $ |
| Louisiana | 115 $ | 123 $ | 129 $ | 139 $ |
| Maryland | 93 $ | 97$ | 100$ | 106 $ |
| Mississippi | 112 $ | 119 $ | 125$ | 137 $ |
| North Carolina | 133 $ | 143 $ | $150 | 159 $ |
| Oklahoma | 137 $ | 147 $ | 154 $ | 163 $ |
| South Carolina | 148 $ | 164 $ | 174 $ | 188 $ |
| Tennessee | 115 $ | 123 $ | 129 $ | 138 $ |
| Texas | 136 $ | 149$ | 158 $ | 175$ |
| Virginia | 102 $ | 107 $ | 111 $ | 118 $ |
| West Virginia | 130$ | 133 $ | 136 $ | 141 $ |
Climate also plays a significant role in price variability. “I think weather has a big impact on chemical costs,” says Acosta. “In areas in the South where we’ve seen record temperatures, chemical usage is much higher there than elsewhere. If your model doesn’t account for those additional chemical costs, it’s very possible that you’re operating at a lower margin than companies operating in a different market.”
Pool density and route efficiency are other key factors. “Austin, Texas, is one of the more expensive markets in the country for pool service,” Nelson explains. “Some of our customers are charging almost three times what they pay in Florida.” One reason for this is simply how spread out some pool companies’ service areas are compared to those in other markets, Nelson explained. “If you have to travel 10 miles between stops, that drives up your fuel and labor costs.”
The Skimmer Service Rate Index also helps pool professionals determine their pricing strategies. “There’s a lot of data in there,” Nelson emphasizes. “You have to decide what you want to be. Do you want to be the low-cost provider in your market or do you want to be the quality service provider? We would obviously encourage people not to try to be the low-cost provider and charge money for the value they deliver.”
Collecting and analyzing data from such a large user base is challenging, as Acosta explains: “One challenge is that the data is only as good as what the pool professionals put in. We can look at the data and know there are some obvious errors. If someone quotes a monthly rate of $25, we know that’s probably not correct. We’ve removed some of the outliers. The other challenge is that we don’t always know if a pool or a site being serviced is commercial or residential.”
Economic conditions also affect service prices. “The short answer is prices have gone up, costs have gone up, obviously across the board, and most of our customers have increased their prices accordingly,” Nelson says. “Interestingly, we’ve actually found in the last few years that many of our customers have become much more profitable.”
Doubling a great idea
The future of the Skimmer Service Rate Index looks promising, with potential expansions of the data provided. Acosta envisions a platform where pool pros can see how they compare to others in their area: “Let’s say you go to the platform, enter a location with a zip code, maybe there’s a slide that tells you what percentile you’re in in terms of rates. That’s not something we’re working on right now, so I don’t want to promise it’s going to be there anytime soon. But with the type of data we’re collecting, it’s possible in the long term.”
Ultimately, the Skimmer Service Rate Index is an invaluable tool for pool service professionals looking to optimize their pricing strategies. By providing detailed, anonymized data on service prices across different regions, Skimmer enables its users to make informed decisions that can lead to increased profitability and improved business operations. For any pool service professional looking to stay competitive with their pricing, the Skimmer Service Rate Index is an indispensable resource.
Ready for a deeper look?
Listen to our full conversation with Jack Nelson (CEO of Skimmer) and Niki Acosta (Director of Marketing) on the Pool Magazine podcast.
