A pool inspection checklist for a residential pool and spa: pool type, barriers, gates, self-closing latches and door alarms, main drains and entrapment covers, water level and condition as seen, interior finish, coping and deck, steps and ladders, skimmers, pump, filter, heater, valves and timers, bonding where visible, GFCI and lights, any diving board or slide, the spa and its own barrier, and what was not inspected.
Job Details
Which property, what kind of pool, and what state it was in on the day.
Report title
Your job or file number
Client (who ordered this inspection)
Property address
Kind of pool — In-ground — plaster or pebble over concrete, In-ground — vinyl liner, In-ground — fiberglass shell, In-ground — tile or other, Above-ground, No pool — spa only
Rough size and depth
State of the pool when you arrived — Open and running, Open, equipment off, Covered or winterized, Drained or partly drained
Weather during the visit — Dry and clear, Overcast, Raining, Very hot, Cold
Who was there — Client, Owner, Buyer, Agent, Pool service technician, Nobody
Your company
Inspected by
Licence or certification number
Day of the visit
Time you arrived
This is a visual inspection of the readily accessible parts of the pool and spa, using normal operating controls, on the day of the visit. It does not test water chemistry, find leaks in the shell, test bonding or stray voltage, or certify that any barrier or drain cover meets a code.
Barriers, Gates and Alarms
Whether a child could reach the water without an adult knowing.
What separates the pool from the yard and the house? — Fence around the pool only, Yard fence, with the house as one side, Masonry wall, Screen enclosure, Above-ground pool wall, Safety cover, Nothing
Does the barrier go all the way around? — Yes, no gaps, Gaps, low sections or damaged panels, No barrier
Lowest fence height you measured
Anything a child could climb to get over — furniture, a planter, a low wall, horizontal rails?
Any gap under the fence or between slats a small child could squeeze through?
Does every gate into the pool area swing shut by itself from any position?
Does every gate latch on its own when it closes?
Which way do the gates open? — Out, away from the pool, In, toward the pool, Some each way, No gates
Where is the latch release? — High, out of a child's reach, Low enough for a child to reach, No latch
House doors that open straight into the pool area — None — the house is outside the barrier, All have an alarm or close and latch by themselves, One or more have no alarm and no self-closing device
Alarms you can see — Door alarms, Gate alarm, Pool water alarm, Wearable child alarm, None seen
Pool cover — Safety cover, anchored and intact, Automatic cover, Solar or leaf cover only, Cover torn, loose or sagging, No cover
Barrier notes
Photos — fence, gates, latches, doors
Main Drains and Entrapment
The suction outlets that could hold a swimmer under water.
Main drain arrangement — Two or more drains, piped together, Single drain with a vacuum release or other device seen, Single drain, no protection seen, Unblockable drain, No main drain — skimmers only, Could not see the floor
Drain covers — Intact and fastened down, Present, no label or date readable, Cracked, loose or missing, Could not see
Date or rating stamped on the covers, if readable
Any other suction outlet (cleaner port, wall suction) uncovered or broken?
Photos — drains and covers
Water, Finish and Coping
The water as seen from the edge, the surface inside the pool, and the rim around it.
Water level — Normal — about mid-skimmer, Low — at or below the skimmer opening, High — over the skimmer, Drained or nearly empty
How the water looks — Clear — floor visible, Cloudy, Green or with visible algae, Too murky to see the floor, Covered — not seen
Interior finish — Plaster, Pebble or quartz aggregate, Tile, Vinyl liner, Fiberglass, Painted concrete, Could not see
Condition of the interior finish
Problems seen on the finish — Cracks, Hollow or flaking areas, Rough or sharp spots, Staining, Liner tear, wrinkle or loose bead, Fiberglass blisters, None seen
Waterline tile
Coping
Any coping loose, cracked or with sharp edges?
Notes on the water and the shell
Photos — finish, tile, coping
Deck and Surroundings
The walking surface around the pool and anything nearby that could harm the structure.
Deck surface — Concrete, Stamped or coated concrete, Pavers, Stone, Wood or composite, Other
Condition of the deck
Raised edges, heaved slabs or gaps someone could trip on?
Where does water on the deck go? — Away from the pool to drains or the yard, Pools on the deck, Runs back into the pool
Joint between the deck and the coping — Sealed, Sealant cracked or missing, No joint visible
Do trees, roots, grading, runoff or a retaining wall look likely to damage the pool?
Deck notes
Photos — deck and surroundings
Steps, Ladders and Handrails
Getting in and out of the water safely.
Steps and benches in the pool
Ladders and handrails — Secure and undamaged, Loose or wobbling, Bumpers or treads missing or damaged, Rust or sharp edges, None installed
Are step edges hard to see from the deck?
Photos — steps and ladders
Skimmers and Returns
Where water leaves the pool for the filter and comes back.
Number of skimmers
Skimmer bodies, baskets and weirs
Skimmer lids in the deck — All in place and sound, Cracked or missing, No deck lids
Return fittings
Other fittings or features present — Automatic cleaner, Chlorinator or salt cell, Auto-fill, Water feature or waterfall, In-floor cleaning heads
Diving Board and Slide
A short visual look, if either is installed.
Is there a diving board, jump rock or slide?
Which ones? — Diving board, Jump rock or platform, Slide
Condition of the board, rock or slide
Loose mounting, cracks, a worn tread or missing parts?
Visual look only. Water depth under a board, manufacturer limits and installation details are not assessed.
Photos — board or slide
Pump, Filter, Heater and Controls
The equipment pad, operated with normal controls when it is on.
Where the equipment is — Open pad beside the house, Equipment shed or room, Under a deck, Below grade vault, Could not find it
Pad, shed or enclosure housing the equipment
Pump when operated — Ran and primed normally, Ran but noisy, hot or slow to prime, Did not run, Not operated — off or winterized
Pump and motor
Filter type — Cartridge, Sand, Diatomaceous earth (DE), None seen
Filter tank and fittings
Filter pressure gauge — Present and reading, Broken, fogged or stuck, Missing
Valves and above-ground piping
Water leaking at the pump, filter, valves or above-ground pipes?
Timers and controls — Mechanical timer, Automation panel or app, Manual switch only, None found
Is there a pool or spa heater?
Heater energy source — Natural gas, Propane, Electric resistance, Electric heat pump, Solar panels — not inspected, Other
Heater brand, model and year on the data plate
Heater when operated — Fired or ran normally, Did not fire or run, Not operated — off, winterized or solar
Heater cabinet and connections
Scorching, soot, or a damaged vent or gas connector on the heater?
Pool chemicals stored beside the heater, panel or motor?
Equipment notes
Photos — equipment pad and data plates
Electrical, Bonding and Lights
What can be seen and safely tested of the power to the pool.
Visual check and GFCI test buttons only. Bonding continuity, stray voltage and grounding are not measured; refer any concern to a licensed electrician.
Bonding wire at the pump motor and metal equipment — Seen and attached, Not seen — may be buried or hidden, Appears cut, loose or missing
GFCI protection for the pool equipment and nearby receptacles — Tested — tripped and reset, Did not trip when tested, None found, Not tested
Disconnect for the equipment — Present, within sight of the equipment, Present, out of sight, None found
Exposed wiring, open boxes, missing covers or extension cords at the equipment?
Pool light at the switch — Came on, Did not come on, No pool light, Not tested
Water behind the lens, a cracked lens or a loose light fixture?
Overhead power lines above the pool or deck?
Electrical notes
Photos — bonding, GFCI, light, wiring
Spa or Hot Tub
The spa, how a child is kept out of it, and the fittings that pull water.
Is there a spa or hot tub?
Kind of spa — Attached to the pool, shared equipment, Separate in-ground spa, Portable hot tub
How is a child kept out? — Inside the pool barrier, Locking safety cover in use, Its own fence or gate, Nothing — open access
Spa cover and its locks
Jets, blower and air controls when operated — Worked, Some did not work, Did not run, Not operated
Spa suction covers cracked, loose or missing?
Spill-over edge and spa shell
GFCI protection for the spa — Tested — tripped and reset, Did not trip, None found, Shared with the pool, Not tested
Emergency shut-off switch within sight of the spa — Present, Not found
Spa notes
Photos — spa, cover, fittings
Recommendations
Who should look further, and how soon.
Recommendations
What should be done
Who should do it — Pool contractor or service company, Licensed electrician, Fence or gate contractor, Plumber, Gas technician, Homeowner, Other
How soon — Before anyone swims, Before closing, Soon, Routine maintenance
Photo
Summary for the client
Not Inspected and Limitations
What you did not test or could not see, and why.
Not part of this inspection — Water chemistry or clarity testing, Leak detection in the shell or underground pipes, Bonding, grounding or stray-voltage testing, Low-voltage lighting and automation, Solar pool heating, Cleaners, chlorinators, salt cells and auto-fill, Opening filters or equipment, Water features and decorative items, Whether barriers or drain covers meet local code
Areas or items you could not inspect
Area or item
Why it was not inspected — Pool covered or winterized, Equipment off or would not start, Water too cloudy to see the floor, Locked or no access, Unsafe to reach, Outside the agreed scope, Other
What the client should do about it
Sign-off
Who wrote this report, and the statement it rests on.
This report records a visual inspection of the readily accessible parts of the pool and spa, using normal operating controls, on the date of the visit. It does not test water, bonding or leaks, and it is not a code compliance review or a guarantee that the pool is safe to use. Refer the items noted to a licensed pool contractor or electrician.
Inspector signature
Date the report was issued
Home Inspection
Pool and Spa Inspection Checklist
A pool inspection checklist for a residential pool and spa: pool type, barriers, gates, self-closing latches and door alarms, main drains and entrapment covers, water level and condition as seen, interior finish, coping and deck, steps and ladders, skimmers, pump, filter, heater, valves and timers, bonding where visible, GFCI and lights, any diving board or slide, the spa and its own barrier, and what was not inspected.
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This checklist covers the pool and spa only. Writing up the house they belong to? That has its own page: Home inspection report
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A pool inspection checklist for home inspectors looking at a backyard pool and spa as part of a sale or for an owner. It runs in the order that matters most: the barrier that keeps children out and the drains that can trap a swimmer first, then the water, shell, coping and deck, then the equipment, the electrical, and a spa if there is one. Every answer that points to a hazard is pulled into the summary at the top of the report.
Safety first: barriers and entrapment
Most serious pool injuries at a home come from two things: a young child getting into the water unseen, and a swimmer held against a suction outlet. So the checklist opens with the fence or wall around the pool, every gate (does it close and latch by itself, and is the release out of a child's reach), any house door that opens straight into the pool area, and the alarms you can see.
Next come the main drains. Record whether there is one drain or two, whether the covers are intact and fastened, and whether a single drain has any release device you can see. A single blockable drain is reported as a safety finding whatever else is in place.
What you can see, not what a lab would test
A home inspector does not test water chemistry, find leaks in the shell or drain the pool. What you can record is what anyone standing at the edge would see: whether the water is at the right level, whether it is clear enough to see the floor, and whether the finish is cracked, rough, stained or coming away. Cloudy water is worth a line in the report even without a test kit, because it hides a swimmer in trouble.
Equipment and electrical, by eye and by normal controls
Run the pump, filter and heater with the controls an owner would use, and only if they are on and not winterized. Note the filter type, the heater fuel, leaks at anything above ground, a missing or broken pressure gauge, and anything stored too close to a gas heater.
Electrical work around water is where a visual inspection has to be most honest about its limits. Note bonding wire where you can see it, test GFCI devices that serve the pool equipment and receptacles, check the pool light works and has no water behind the lens, and look up for power lines. Testing bonding or stray voltage is a job for a licensed electrician, and the form says so.
The spa, the board and the slide
A spa gets its own section because it often sits outside the pool fence, with only a cover between it and a child. Record its type, how access is controlled, the cover, the jets and the suction fittings.
Diving boards and slides are outside most pool standards, but buyers ask about them. The checklist gives them a short visual look behind a yes-or-no question, so an inspector who leaves them out can say so in one tap.
Common questions
What should a pool inspection checklist include?
Pool type, the barrier and gates, door alarms, main drains and their covers, water level, interior finish, coping, deck, steps, ladders and handrails, skimmers and returns, pump, filter, heater, valves and timers, bonding where visible, GFCI protection, pool lights, any diving board or slide, the spa, and a list of what was not inspected.
Is a pool inspection part of a standard home inspection?
Usually not. Most home inspection standards leave pools and spas out, so a pool inspection is an added service with its own standard and its own report. Some inspectors include it in a package; either way, it should be written up separately so the client can see what was and was not covered.
Does a pool inspector test the water?
No. Chemistry and clarity testing belong to a pool service company. The inspector records what can be seen, such as a low water level or water too cloudy to see the floor, and recommends a pool professional where needed.
Why does a single main drain matter?
A single drain can be fully covered by a body, and the suction can hold a person under water. Two drains piped together, an unblockable drain or a safety vacuum release reduce that risk. A single drain with nothing seen to protect against it is reported as a safety concern.
Can I inspect a pool that is closed for winter?
You can look at the barrier, deck, coping, visible equipment and electrical, and the cover. Equipment that is winterized is not started, and the report lists the pool interior and the equipment operation as not inspected, with a recommendation to have them checked when the pool is opened.