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A lifeguarding company staffs pools with certified guards. This page covers the business side: the certifications behind the work, the youth rules if you hire teenagers, and the company steps to take first.

What the work is

This is our own description, written as guidance. A lifeguarding company supplies trained guards to pools that need them, schedules them across the open hours, and answers to the community for who is on the stand.

A pool monitor is a different job. If your guards will also work the gate and the deck, say so when you write a proposal.

Pool monitoring businessLifeguarding guide

Lifeguard certification

Every guard you send needs a current certificate. Several providers offer the course, and which ones a pool accepts depends on the place.

  • The American Red Cross offers lifeguarding certification courses. American Red Cross, as of
  • All Red Cross lifeguarding participants must complete a swimming-skills prerequisite before the course. American Red Cross, as of
  • The Red Cross lifeguarding course ends with a written exam of 50 questions, 80% minimum. American Red Cross, as of
  • The Red Cross Lifeguarding (including Deep Water) with CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and First Aid certification is valid for 2 years. American Red Cross, as of

When a pool needs guards

Whether a pool needs lifeguards, and how many, is set where the pool is. The lines below are a model code, a template, and they show the kind of thing local rules cover.

  • The CDC Model Aquatic Health Code is guidance, not federal law; it becomes law only where a state, local, territorial or tribal jurisdiction adopts it. CDC, as of
  • CDC says pool codes can vary greatly across the United States. CDC, as of
  • MAHC model code: a qualified lifeguard has an AHJ-recognized lifeguard course and current certificate, has met pre-service requirements, and takes the facility's in-service training. CDC, as of
  • MAHC model code lists venue conditions that call for lifeguards at all open times, such as water deeper than 5 feet in new construction, venues allowing unsupervised children under 14, and youth group use. CDC, as of
  • MAHC model code staffing plans give each lifeguard a diagrammed zone the lifeguard can view in full and reach in 20 seconds. CDC, as of
  • MAHC model code caps lifeguarding and first aid certificate validity at 2 years and CPR/AED at 1 year. CDC, as of

Hiring young guards

Many lifeguards are teenagers. These are federal rules only. Check your state’s rules too before you hire.

  • Under the FLSA you must be at least 14 to work in most non-farm jobs. U.S. Department of Labor, as of
  • A 14- or 15-year-old may not work more than 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, 8 hours on a non-school day, or 40 hours in a non-school week. U.S. Department of Labor, as of
  • A 14- or 15-year-old may work only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., extended to 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day. U.S. Department of Labor, as of
  • Under federal rules, 15-year-olds (not younger) may work as lifeguards at traditional swimming pools and at most water-park facilities, though not at the top of elevated water slides. They must be trained and certified by the American Red Cross or a similar organization and must work within the 14–15 hour limits. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, as of
  • Federal rules bar 15-year-old lifeguards from chemical storage areas and from rooms housing filtration and chlorinating systems. They may test and record water temperature and pH. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, as of
  • Youth under 16 may not be employed as lifeguards at natural-environment facilities such as lakes, rivers, ponds, quarries or ocean beaches. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, as of
  • Sixteen- and 17-year-old lifeguards may do any nonhazardous job for unlimited hours under federal rules. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, as of
  • When both federal and state youth-employment laws apply, the stricter standard must be obeyed. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, as of

Set up the company

Start with the same short list any service company uses. Each step has its own page that walks through it, so this page does not repeat them.

  • SBA's launch guide lists, among its steps, registering the business, getting federal and state tax ID numbers, applying for licenses and permits, opening a business bank account and getting business insurance. SBA, as of
  • Most states have you register a business with the Secretary of State's office, a business bureau, or a business agency. SBA, as of
  • License and permit requirements and fees vary by business activity, location and government rules. SBA, as of

Your setup checklistEINBusiness typesBusiness registrationInsuranceCertificates of insuranceLicenses and certifications

Hiring and paying guards

Decide early whether guards are employees or independent contractors.

  • SBA's payroll checklist for a first hire includes getting an EIN, checking state and local tax IDs, deciding between contractor and employee, and collecting a completed W-4. SBA, as of
  • The IRS common-law test for employee versus independent contractor weighs behavioral, financial and relationship evidence of control and independence. IRS, as of
  • The IRS says to ask each new employee for a signed Form W-4 when they start work. IRS, as of
  • All US employers must complete Form I-9 for every person they hire in the United States, citizens and noncitizens alike. IRS, as of
  • The FLSA requires overtime at not less than one and one-half times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek for covered nonexempt workers. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, as of
  • SBA's guide lists workers' compensation (through a commercial carrier, self-insurance or a state program) among employee benefits, and the rules depend on your state. SBA, as of

Insurance and credentials

Communities often ask for proof of insurance before they hire.

Each community sets its own insurance requirement when it writes an RFP, and your documents are checked against it before a proposal goes in.

For amenity staffing work, the rulebook also asks for one trade document before you can propose:

  • Background check

How insurance works

Keep reading

Writing proposalsFinding customersFinding work on HOAcrewYour crew on HOAcrew

Submit application as vendor

Sources

  1. Get Your Red Cross Lifeguard Certification American Red Cross. As of .
  2. Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC): Key points Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of .
  3. 2024 Model Aquatic Health Code, Code Language, 5th Edition (Dec 2024) CDC. As of .
  4. FLSA Child Labor Rules (elaws) U.S. Department of Labor. As of .
  5. Fact Sheet #60: Federal child labor provisions and the employment of lifeguards U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. As of .
  6. Fact Sheet #43: Child labor provisions for nonagricultural occupations U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. As of .
  7. Launch your business (SBA counseling guide; business-guide URLs redirect here) U.S. Small Business Administration. As of .
  8. Manage your business (SBA counseling guide) U.S. Small Business Administration. As of .
  9. Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee? Internal Revenue Service. As of .
  10. Hiring employees Internal Revenue Service. As of .
  11. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. As of .

Official pages change. Each line shows the day we last read it.