The Short Answer
On our estimates, professional pool servicing costs about £60 to £150 a visit, or £100 to £300 a month on a regular contract. Chemicals add £400 to £900 a year, and opening for summer or closing for winter is £200 to £450 each time.
Heating is a big running cost, and SPATA says an uncovered outdoor pool can lose up to 90% of its heat through evaporation, so a good cover pays its way. It also warns that neglecting servicing can lead to costly repairs.
Pool maintenance prices
| Service | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Service visit | £60 to £150 |
| Monthly servicing contract | £100 to £300 |
| Chemicals, per year | £400 to £900 |
| Opening or closing the pool | £200 to £450 |
What you can do yourself each week
SPATA's pool owners' handbook suggests a weekly routine on a set day, which is what you're paying for if you have a service contract:
- clean the pump's coarse strainer;
- backwash the filter;
- empty the skimmer baskets;
- vacuum the pool;
- check the water level and top it up;
- test and adjust the disinfectant and pH;
- check your stock of chemicals.
It recommends keeping the pH between 7.2 and 7.8: below that risks corroding metal and the pool finish, above it some disinfectants work less well and scale can form. An indoor pool usually follows the same routine on a four-weekly service cycle, plus specialist servicing of its heating, water treatment and air handling.
If you're happy to do the weekly jobs yourself, I'd pay for a professional to open and close the pool each year and to look at the plant when something seems wrong.
Closing the pool for winter
- Keep running and disinfecting the pool properly right up to the day it's winterised, even with the heating off.
- Severe frost can burst pipes, heaters and filters, which is the main thing winterising protects against.
- If trees overhang the pool, the handbook suggests waiting until the leaves have fallen.
- Don't empty the pool without professional advice: water pressure in the ground can push a concrete shell out of the ground or lift a liner, and an empty pool is more dangerous to fall into.
- Floating covers should be cleaned, dried and stored away from vermin.
Signs your pool needs a service
SPATA's servicing factsheet lists the warning signs:
- odd noises from the plant room, or a neighbour complaining about noise;
- a wet patch in the plant room;
- the pool not reaching temperature even though the heater seems to work;
- green water even though the chemical levels look right;
- in a pool hall, uncomfortable humidity, unusual condensation, or mould from poor airflow.
Covers
SPATA says a cover saves heat, water and chemicals, because most heat is lost from the surface, and on an indoor pool it also cuts humidity and condensation. It recommends one whatever heats the pool.
Thinking of a pool?
See swimming pool costs for building one, including the running costs to plan for.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does pool maintenance cost?
On our estimates, about £60 to £150 a visit or £100 to £300 a month on contract, plus £400 to £900 a year in chemicals.
How much does it cost to winterise a pool?
About £200 to £450 for a professional close-down, and similar to open it again, on our estimates.
Can I maintain my own pool?
Yes, the weekly jobs: strainer, backwashing, skimmers, vacuuming, water level, and testing the disinfectant and pH. SPATA's handbook sets out the routine.
Should I empty my pool for winter?
No, not without professional advice. Ground water pressure can lift a liner or push a concrete shell out of the ground.
When should I call a pool engineer?
SPATA's list: plant-room noises or leaks, a pool that won't reach temperature, green water despite the chemicals, and humidity or condensation problems in a pool hall.
What's the biggest running cost of a pool?
Usually heating. SPATA says an uncovered outdoor pool can lose up to 90% of its heat through evaporation, so a cover makes a big difference.
How we priced thisView sources (4)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- IndustryServicing and maintaining pools and spas (factsheet C23), SPATA (Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association). Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustryThe Home Owners' Swimming Pool Handbook (2019), SPATA. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustryPool covers: benefits and considerations (factsheet C15), SPATA (Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association). Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustrySwimming pool heating (factsheet), SPATA (Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association). Checked 16 Oct 2026.
