A systematic company can explain exactly what it tests, what it cannot test, and what the evidence shows. If a company cannot answer these questions, that tells you something important before any money changes hands.
Learn the H.U.N.T.E.R. Method →Before hiring a pool leak detection company, ask whether they are licensed and insured, what specific testing methods they use, whether pressure testing of plumbing lines is included, whether they provide a written report with photos or video, and how they handle a situation where no leak is found or the leak is inaccessible. A professional company should explain what they can test, what they cannot reach, what evidence they found, and what the next step should be. A company that cannot explain its process is a company that may not have one.
Are you licensed and insured for this type of work in my state?
Do you specialize in pool leak detection, or is this a sideline of general pool service?
What testing methods do you use?
Do you perform dye testing around fittings, lights, and the shell?
Do you pressure test individual plumbing lines?
Is pressure testing included in the inspection price, or is it extra?
Do you use hydrophone or electronic acoustic listening equipment?
If a plumbing line fails pressure testing, how do you locate the break underground?
Do you use a pipe locator with a sonde to map underground pipe routes?
Do you provide a written report of your findings?
Does the report include photos or video of what was found?
How do you separate a shell or fitting leak from a plumbing line leak?
What happens if no leak is found during the inspection?
Will you explain what could not be tested and why?
Do you perform repairs, or only detection?
If repairs are offered, are they priced separately from the detection fee?
If you recommend opening the deck or excavating, what specific evidence supports that recommendation?
Do you offer any warranty on your detection findings or repairs?
How long does the inspection typically take?
Will you explain your findings to me before any repair work begins?
A pool leak detection company that follows a real process should be able to walk through what they found -- not just hand over a bill and a repair quote. They should be able to tell you what the water loss pattern suggested, what tests they ran on which circuits, what evidence was found, what was not accessible or not testable, and why the repair they recommend addresses the confirmed source.
A written report with photos is not a luxury. It is what separates a professional service from a guess. If a company cannot show you the evidence, be cautious about acting on their recommendation.
In Florida, homeowners should verify licensing and insurance before hiring any company that offers repairs, structural work, plumbing work, or invasive procedures. Licensing requirements can depend on the scope of the work involved. This page is a consumer guide and does not constitute legal advice. Homeowners should confirm the specific licensing requirements that apply to their situation with the appropriate Florida licensing authority.
A professional company starts by listening -- the customer's water loss history, when it started, whether it is pump-on or pump-off, what has already been tried. This shapes everything that follows.
They map the pool -- equipment, fittings, plumbing, materials, age. A company that does not ask about the pool before testing does not understand what it is testing.
They isolate the most likely sources and test them systematically -- not randomly. Pressure testing line by line, dye testing fitting by fitting, not guessing at the most likely cause.
They test with appropriate methods -- dye testing, pressure testing, acoustic listening -- and document each test result. "We looked at it" is not a test result.
They show you the evidence -- photos of active dye movement, the pressure test gauge showing the drop, the acoustic signal location. Evidence you can see is different from a verbal claim.
Their recommendation is specific, explained, and tied to the evidence found. They also explain what was not tested and what limitations existed. That honesty is a professional standard.
What is the most important question to ask a pool leak detection company?
Ask what testing methods they use and whether they provide a written report with photos. A company that tests systematically and documents the findings is a company following a real process.
Should pressure testing always be included in a pool leak inspection?
If a plumbing leak is suspected -- especially if water loss continues with the pump running -- pressure testing of individual plumbing lines should be part of the inspection. Always ask whether it is included in the quoted price or charged separately.
Should a pool leak detection company guarantee it will find every leak?
Be careful with broad guarantees. Hidden, underground, inaccessible, or intermittent leaks can create real limitations. A professional company should explain what it can test and what conditions or access limitations may affect results -- not promise outcomes that field conditions sometimes make impossible.
Is the cheapest pool leak detection company always a bad choice?
Not always, but price is a poor basis for the decision alone. Compare testing methods, documentation standards, licensing, insurance, experience with plumbing diagnostics, and communication quality before making the choice.
What should a written report include?
A professional pool leak detection report should include the areas inspected, the tests performed, the plumbing lines tested and the results, photos or video of evidence found, what could not be tested and why, and the specific repair recommendation with the evidence that supports it.
Jeff David is the founder of Leak Business Academy, LLC and Leak and Subsurface Locators, LLC. He is a licensed pool contractor in Florida and an FSPA Palm Beach board member. LBA trains technicians on the H.U.N.T.E.R. Method -- a systematic process that every one of these homeowner questions is designed to evaluate. If a company can answer these questions clearly, it is following a real process. If it cannot, the homeowner has learned something important before spending any money.
LBA training teaches the process that makes every answer on this list easy to give -- because the technician has actually done the work behind each one.
View Training Resources How to Learn Pool Leak Detection