Get startedGet started

Vendor guide · Pool monitoring

Pool monitoring: what you need to offer it

A checklist for a company deciding whether to staff community pools with monitors: what the job is and isn’t, what to line up, and where each item fits in your setup.

What the work is

This part is our own guidance, in plain words.

A pool monitor checks residents in, verifies guest passes, enforces the pool rules, watches for hazards and calls for emergency help. A monitor stays out of the water and performs no rescue.

That is the difference from a lifeguard, who is trained and certified to go in and make a rescue. Communities use the two words loosely, so say which one you’re offering in your proposal.

A community may also ask a monitor for a CPR certification and a background check. Read each RFP for what it wants.

Some communities run a monitor most hours and add lifeguards only for the busy windows. If you offer both, quote them as two services.

Lifeguarding guide

Your checklist for this work

Tick items off as you collect them. Each one links to the page that explains it.

Which job a pool needs depends on its rules

Check the state and county pool rules before you propose either one. They can settle the question for a pool.

  • CDC says pool codes can vary greatly across the United States. CDC, as of
  • 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
  • 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
  • The MAHC covers public aquatic venues run by hotels, apartment complexes, homeowners' associations, clubs, schools and waterparks. CDC, as of

One state example: Texas

Texas is shown only as an example of one state’s rule. If you work elsewhere, your state’s rule applies instead.

  • Texas defines Class C pools as limited to occupants, members or guests and operated with apartments, condominiums, property owner associations, clubs, and similar. Texas Department of State Health Services, as of
  • Texas rule: at least two lifeguards are required in listed situations, including at Class B pools whenever open, at pools with entry from height, at wave pools, and during youth-group use. Texas Department of State Health Services, as of

Texas rule text, from its health department

Hiring teens as monitors: the federal floor

If you hire teens, the federal limits matter. They’re a floor: your state may set its own, so check it as well.

Commonly requested by managers and boards

This is guidance for maintenance contractors in general. It names no amount, and each community sets its own requirement in its RFP.

  • CAI guidance for association maintenance and remodeling projects says a contractor's insurance should likely include construction, property and liability, workers' compensation and professional liability coverage. Community Associations Institute (CAI Foundation), as of
  • CAI advises hiring a contractor or inspector who carries general liability without a homeowners association exclusion, plus errors and omissions where they act as a consultant. Community Associations Institute (CAI Foundation), as of
  • CAI tells boards to get certificates of insurance for the contractor and, in some cases, additional insured endorsements naming the association, after consulting counsel. Community Associations Institute (CAI Foundation), as of

Insurance explainedHow a certificate works

Workers’ compensation depends on your state

  • 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

Workers’ compensation explained

What boards read about this work

Written for boards and managers: read what they read when they choose a vendor.

Next steps

Ready to apply, or want another guide? Both are here, and the setup pages cover the documents.

Submit application as vendorVendor setupPool cleaning guideLifeguarding guidePorter services guide

Sources

  1. About the MAHC CDC. As of .
  2. 25 TAC Chapter 265, Subchapter L, Public Swimming Pools and Spas (DSHS copy dated 05/03/24) Texas Department of State Health Services. As of .
  3. FLSA Child Labor Rules (elaws) U.S. Department of Labor. As of .
  4. Fact Sheet #43: Child labor provisions for nonagricultural occupations U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. 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. Community Association Maintenance (best practices) Community Associations Institute (CAI Foundation). As of .
  7. Manage your business (SBA counseling guide) U.S. Small Business Administration. As of .

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