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Start your own pool monitoring business

A pool monitoring company puts attendants at community pools while they are open. This page covers the business side: what to set up first, who you would hire, and where the pool rules come from.

What the work is

This is our own description, written as guidance. Pool monitor is not a job title the official sources below define.

A monitor is on site while the pool is open. The job usually means greeting guests and residents, checking who comes in, keeping the posted rules at the gate, and keeping the deck safe and tidy. A lifeguard is a separate job with its own certification, and a pool may need one, the other, or both.

Lifeguarding businessPool monitoring guide

Pool rules depend on where the pool is

Before you quote a pool, ask the local health department which rules apply to it, and whether it calls for an attendant, a lifeguard or neither.

  • 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
  • Because each jurisdiction decides how much of the MAHC to adopt, pool and spa rules can differ from place to place. Check with your local health department. CDC, 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 monitors

Decide early whether the people you send are employees or independent contractors. Many monitors are teenagers, so read the youth work rules before you recruit.

  • 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
  • Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may work unlimited hours in any occupation not declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor. 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
  • 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. Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC): Key points Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of .
  2. Launch your business (SBA counseling guide; business-guide URLs redirect here) U.S. Small Business Administration. As of .
  3. Manage your business (SBA counseling guide) U.S. Small Business Administration. As of .
  4. Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee? Internal Revenue Service. As of .
  5. Hiring employees Internal Revenue Service. As of .
  6. Fact Sheet #43: Child labor provisions for nonagricultural occupations U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. As of .

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