What Is a Pool & Spa Qualifying Agent?

What does a pool and spa contractor license cover?

It covers building, renovating and repairing swimming pools, spas and hot tubs: layout, excavation, steel, the shell (gunite, shotcrete, fiberglass or vinyl liner), pool piping and filtration, interior finishes, and the equipment that runs the pool. In many states the pool license also reaches a short distance past the pool itself, such as running utilities from the point of service to the pool equipment or installing the required safety barrier. Many states split the work into construction and renovation (sometimes split again into residential and commercial pools) and service and repair, such as replacing equipment, repairing piping and refinishing. Whether routine cleaning and chemical service needs a license varies, and public pools have separate operator rules. Where the pool license stops varies more than in most trades. In some states it covers the pool's plumbing, gas line and the wiring from the pool equipment to the first disconnect, and in others that work belongs to licensed plumbers and electricians. Decks, cabanas and outdoor kitchens usually belong to a general contractor (learn more about your state here).

What does a qualifying agent do in pool and spa work?

The qualifier is the licensed individual responsible for the pool work the business contracts for, from the permit through the final inspection. Pool construction is typically inspected in stages, such as the steel and electrical bonding before the shell is placed, pressure testing of the piping, the electrical system, and a final inspection of the safety barrier, drain covers and equipment before the pool can be filled and used. Local building departments set the actual sequence. Two safety requirements are specific to pools. Barriers such as fencing, gates and alarms keep young children out of the pool, and suction entrapment protection means drain covers and configurations must prevent a swimmer from being trapped by a drain's suction, which federal law requires for public pools and spas. Construction crews are often a chain of specialty trades: excavation, steel, shell, tile and coping, plumbing, electrical and interior finish. The qualifier stays responsible for the whole pool regardless of who does each stage. Service companies run smaller crews of technicians replacing pumps, filters and heaters and repairing leaks.

A qualifier who only lends a name isn't supervising, and that's a license rental. See our guides on how the qualifying agent relationship actually works and renting or leasing a contracting license.

Is pool and spa work licensed, and can another license cover it?

It depends on the state. Some states issue a dedicated pool license, often split into construction and service, and sometimes into residential and commercial. Others treat pools as a specialty classification within general contractor licensing. Some don't license pool contractors statewide at all and leave it to local permits and to the plumbers and electricians who do those parts of the job. How other licenses relate to pool work also varies. Some states require a general contractor to subcontract pool work to a licensed pool contractor, sometimes allowing the GC to do only the structural shell, while other states' general residential license includes pool construction. In some states the plumbing license covers pool piping, and pool wiring beyond what the pool license allows belongs to a licensed electrician. Public and commercial pools add a second regulator, since health departments review, permit and inspect them separately from contractor licensing (learn more about your state here).

What does it take to get licensed in pool and spa work?

Where pool and spa work is licensed, each state sets its own requirements, and where it isn't, cities and counties do. Public pools add health department rules on top of contractor licensing. See our guides on what experience is required, how to gain experience, and what education is required.

What standards and credentials are specific to pool and spa work?

Several national standards and credentials set this trade apart. The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act is federal law. It sets the standard for drain covers sold in the U.S. and requires anti-entrapment protection on public pools and spas. The International Swimming Pool and Spa Code is a model code covering pool design, construction, barriers and entrapment prevention for residential and public pools, but it applies only where a state or city adopts it. For public pools, health departments often require a certified pool operator. The most common operator credential, the Certified Pool & Spa Operator (CPO) certification from the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, is for the person running a public pool. It isn't a contractor license, and it doesn't authorize construction or repair.

What else should you know?

Most of what applies to any trade is covered in our guides. See starting a contracting business without a license and how long you have to replace a qualifying agent for when a business needs a qualifier, renting or leasing a contracting license for why renting isn't an option, and the state-by-state directory for how requirements differ. See all ten trades on our trades page, and the full list of guides on our guides page.

How do you find a pool and spa qualifier or a business hiring one?

findQualifier.com is a public, searchable board of licensed professionals advertising their availability to work as a qualifier, by state and trade. Browse available qualifiers, browse businesses looking to hire, or post a listing.